Maryland WCAA Shade Workshops

The Maryland Chapter of the Window Coverings Association America (WCAA) held a shade workshop on Tuesday, May 24, 2011.  In this hands-on workshop members constructed Roman shades using the Sure-Shade™ Lift Band System from Rowley Company.

This was the chapter's second workshop using Rowley shade products.  Kris Ozgar, WCAA-MD Chapter President shared, "in the first workshop we constructed shades using the shroud cord method and in this workshop we used the lift bands.  Everyone enjoyed it so much! It is so much more fun with a group.  We had 10 chapter members attend this workshop that was held in my workroom".

 Members pictured are: Barb Morton,  Paula Snyder, Barb Smith, Jane Klinefelter, and Lydia Cress.  
Photo courtesy of Kris Osgar

The WCAA-MD chapter has 23 members of which 18 are workrooms.  It is an active chapter that meets once a month.  In addition to regularly scheduled business meetings, the group plans extra activities such as hands-on workshop events, field trips, and community service projects.  Thirteen of MD-WCAA member workrooms participated in the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition last summer in Baltimore.

To learn more about the WCAA and to find a chapter in your area, visit www.wcaa.org

Pillows Make the Outdoors Cozy

Outdoor living has become a popular lifestyle trend.  From seaside decks to city terraces, any outside space works for dining, entertaining or just relaxing.  One of the simplest ways to create instant outdoor living is with pillows.  Custom or ready-made, pillows add an easy touch of comfort and color.  Choose outdoor fabrics and washable inserts; the options are endless! Add pillows on benches, chairs or swings. Small lumbar pillows are the perfect size for cafe' size dining chairs and bolsters look smart on a chaise lounge.

Bright blue bullseye pillows from www.housebeautiful.com

A Turkish summer home features a tented deck with an endless view and endless pillows from www.arthitecturaldigest.com

Rowley Company has the supplies you need to create outdoor pillows including Polyfoam Welt Cord, Outdoor Thread and Nylon or Molded Tooth Zippers.

 Relax and enjoy the great outdoors.

Rowley Company Exhibits at VISION-11 in Las Vegas

Rowley Company exhibited at VISION-11April 24-29 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  This annual event sponsored by Window Fashion VISION magazine features seminars for industry professionals as well as exihibitors and attendees from all over the world.

View from the main aisle as you entered the exhibit hall.

Our booth was consistently busy and we enjoyed meeting customers, friends and associates and sharing our newest products including the stylish and modern Aria™ metal hardware line from Finestra® Decorative Hardware.

One of the Finestra® Decorative Hardware displays featuring Aria™, the new metal collection.

Shade styles and lift systems were a hot topic at this years show and attendees spent time discussing the options available from Rowley Company including the Sure-Shade™ family of products.  Attendees had great questions and the input shared in invaluable to our continued development of products and services.

Susan Woodcock and Scott Rowley with attendees, answering questions about shade systems.

During the event, Rowley Company's Amy Johnson, Laurie Medford and Susan Woodcock were busy presenting seminars and demonstrations showcasing products and techniques on a wide variety of topics such as decorative hardware, linings, wave draperies, zippers, FirmaFlex, Italian stringing, laminated shades and much more. 

Laurie Medford demonstrates how to assemble traversing track hardware.

Thank you to everyone that visited our booth to see our display, place an order or just to say "hello".  We enjoyed being in the southwest and sharing Rowley Company products and services with you. 

The bedding display feature feather/down and polyester pillow forms plus a custom headboard with decorative hardware and buttons.

The grommet press was a popular display.  This photo was taken before the show floor opened, note how neat and tidy the grommet table is! After the show opened fabrics, grommets and buttons covered the table for attendees to try.

Rowley products featured at CSI Camp

Rowley Company is proud to be a supporter of the Custom Sewing Institutes CSI Camp, an annual event for drapery workroom and other sewing enthusiasts in Texas.
  

This years event featured many Rowley products including FirmaFlex™ bendable fiber board, Sure-Shade™ Shade Components, pillow making supplies and much more.

Attendees used products to create samples.  In the class on Cornice Boards, the FirmaFlex™ was steamed and bent to create a bow-front shaped designs.

In other classes, students used Rowley products to create beautiful and creative pillow, valance and headboard samples.

To learn more about the Custom Sewing Institute's classes and events, CLICK HERE

Button Tufted Headboard

Upholstered headboards are hot! Add button tufting and there is nothing more luxurious.

Button tufting can create a  traditional, elegant headboard but don't let this keep you from using this idea for a contemporary home, button tufted headboards can be hip, sleek and modern as illustrated in these photos.  Buttons can be attached to create a small dimple or deep tufted, creating tufts padded with intricate patterns.

 Check out the great blog from Kim's Upholstery in Greenfield, Massachusetts to see a deep-tufted headboard from frame to fabulous finish!

 To learn more about headboards and upholstery techniques there are free recorded videos available on the Rowley website.

The Professional Workroom Table

Oh the joy of a new worktable. The aroma of fresh cut wood and a clean canvas just waiting for that first bolt of fabric.  A new work table can make a workroom pro swoon and the novice green with envy. 


Many a workroom started out on a dining room table, pool table, ping-pong table or the floor (ouch!).  Using a good worktable will make your measurements more accurate and your work more efficient.  If you are working on a make-do table, do yourself a favor (and your back) and invest in the time and materials to create a professional style worktable.  You will be glad you did over and over and over again.


Window treatment construction is hard and messy work.  Scissors, glues, markers, fabric dyes and spills can turn the beautiful canvas into a soiled, sad mess.  Does this look familiar?

The good news is that a solidly constructed worktable will last forever and the canvas can be replaced over and over again.

One of the most common questions we hear is "do you have instructions for building a worktable"?  Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Clause.  We listened.  Not only are we going to provide printable instructions but we will present a live, photo-filled, interactive and fun online seminar complete with a construction list so that you can build a worktable of your very own.

The start of a worktable. Build two frames for the table top and bottom shelf.

The frame is connected with legs.  This is a small sized table at 6' long.  Make the table as long as is possible for your room.  Most workroom use a 10' or 12' finished length which will need legs in the center as well.  The height is customized for the user.  Make it too low and you will have a back ache but make it too high and you will not be able to reach the center.  Choose a height that is near the hip.

Add 3/4" thick plywood for the table top.

A layer of work table under-layment creates a pinnable surface which is then topped with padding and canvas for ironing.

But wait, there's more!  There are time-saving products and tools that will make your work table more efficient like the Printed Worktable Canvas, Worktable Extension Bracket, Table Clamp Fabric Dispenser, Table Top Edging and other ideas that will be shared in the webinar.  A worktable is one of the best investments you will ever make in your workroom business.  Even a hobbyist will enjoy the benefits of a good work surface for home dec projects, quilting or garment sewing.

Join us for Constructing a Professional Workroom Table 
on Thursday, April 14, 2011 starting at 2:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.   
Click here to register.

French Pleated-Grommet Panels

Do you like the look of traditional pleated panels but would like to update the style for a more modern interior?  This drapery style combines both tried-and-true French Pleats with sleek Grommets to create a traditional panel with a contemporary edge.

Here's how:

1. Make a drapery panel with a buckram heading.  Allow for 6 grommets and three 5 to 6 inch pleats for each width.

2. Determine grommet placement, cut holes and set the grommets, leaving space for the pleats to be sewn in-between.

3. Sew in the pleats from the top to the bottom of the buckram and tack to create any pleat style such as French (shown here), Goblet or Euro styles.  Install on decorative hardware just as you would for a flat grommet panel.

This style offers a very small stackback on the window, perfect for situations where there is not much room for traversing draperies.  One width stacks back to approximately 4" and when pulled out on the pole covers approximately 20".  Like with flat grommet panels, a baton should be used if the draperies will be traversed on the pole.  This will make traversing easier and prevent the fabric from being stretched or soiled.

This French Pleated-Grommet Panel features EZ-Set™ Matte Nickel Grommets #GE12/T and 4" Heavy Weight, Iron-On Buckram #BXA44 from Rowley Company.