FORM THE HEADING
"I just wanted to say thank you so much for your absolutely brilliant tutorials and videos. i've used the blind tutorial and have made a perfect blind first time (even though i say so myself!)." ……Faye
"Thank you for your excellent instructions and videos. I've just hung my blind and am delighted with it. ....... With your method my blind looks like a piece of art, with not one visible stitch"..........Cecily
"The videos really are super"……Anna-Marie
"Your videos are so good, thank you"…..Alex
"Once again, I should say that I think the video tutorials are extremely well done. Although I've been sewing for years I've learnt lots of techniques that are new to me and that give a much more professional finish"........Heather
"I just wanted to say thank you so much for your absolutely brilliant tutorials and videos. i've used the blind tutorial and have made a perfect blind first time (even though i say so myself!)." ……Faye
"Thank you for your excellent instructions and videos. I've just hung my blind and am delighted with it. ....... With your method my blind looks like a piece of art, with not one visible stitch"..........Cecily
"The videos really are super"……Anna-Marie
"Your videos are so good, thank you"…..Alex
"Once again, I should say that I think the video tutorials are extremely well done. Although I've been sewing for years I've learnt lots of techniques that are new to me and that give a much more professional finish"........Heather
MARK STAB STITCHES & FINISH HEADING
(If you are using a blind kit make the number of rings across the same as the number of cord drops in the kit. - Space the rings accordingly)
"I just wanted to say thank you so much for your absolutely brilliant tutorials and videos. i've used the blind tutorial and have made a perfect blind first time (even though i say so myself!)." ……Faye
"Thank you for your excellent instructions and videos. I've just hung my blind and am delighted with it. ....... With your method my blind looks like a piece of art, with not one visible stitch"..........Cecily
"The videos really are super"……Anna-Marie
"Your videos are so good, thank you"…..Alex
"Once again, I should say that I think the video tutorials are extremely well done. Although I've been sewing for years I've learnt lots of techniques that are new to me and that give a much more professional finish"........Heather
"I just wanted to say thank you so much for your absolutely brilliant tutorials and videos. i've used the blind tutorial and have made a perfect blind first time (even though i say so myself!)." ……Faye
"Thank you for your excellent instructions and videos. I've just hung my blind and am delighted with it. ....... With your method my blind looks like a piece of art, with not one visible stitch"..........Cecily
"The videos really are super"……Anna-Marie
"Your videos are so good, thank you"…..Alex
"Once again, I should say that I think the video tutorials are extremely well done. Although I've been sewing for years I've learnt lots of techniques that are new to me and that give a much more professional finish"........Heather
STAB STITCH
Now sew in all your stab stitches.
"I just wanted to say thank you so much for your absolutely brilliant tutorials and videos. i've used the blind tutorial and have made a perfect blind first time (even though i say so myself!)." ……Faye
"Thank you for your excellent instructions and videos. I've just hung my blind and am delighted with it. ....... With your method my blind looks like a piece of art, with not one visible stitch"..........Cecily
"The videos really are super"……Anna-Marie
"Your videos are so good, thank you"…..Alex
"Once again, I should say that I think the video tutorials are extremely well done. Although I've been sewing for years I've learnt lots of techniques that are new to me and that give a much more professional finish"........Heather
"I just wanted to say thank you so much for your absolutely brilliant tutorials and videos. i've used the blind tutorial and have made a perfect blind first time (even though i say so myself!)." ……Faye
"Thank you for your excellent instructions and videos. I've just hung my blind and am delighted with it. ....... With your method my blind looks like a piece of art, with not one visible stitch"..........Cecily
"The videos really are super"……Anna-Marie
"Your videos are so good, thank you"…..Alex
"Once again, I should say that I think the video tutorials are extremely well done. Although I've been sewing for years I've learnt lots of techniques that are new to me and that give a much more professional finish"........Heather
Your Questions & Comments
Thank you so much for this excellent tutorial. I can't believe how good my blind is looking. I am currently stitching the velcro by hand as shown in the last tutorial but its hard going on my fingers. I'm using a self threading needle size 9. Can I ask what needle you use or would recommend?
Are you watching the videos? We don't stitch through the velcro, we stitch to the fabric just below it. As for the needle it's personal preference but we like using long darning needle.
Ive been following your instructions -blind looking great so far!
Please can you tell me do the stab stitches go through both the lining and the fabric ?
Many thanks
Yes they do to hold the blind together. The video fully explains and demonstrates how to stab stitch the blind.
I am using your very helpful instructions to make three Roman blinds for a bay window. I would ask you to clarify 'stab stitches' I assume this attaches the blind material to the lining at the rod pockets and goes through all layers. I just want to check that I have it right! Many thanks
Yes the stab stitch goes all the way through to the face fabric but you try to make it show as little as possible. The video shows you in detail how to stitch it and how little of the stitch you want to show.
I have bought your video and found it great for making my first blind, I couldn't do your rod pickets as I had thermal lining so made my own little pockets out of a different lining and stitched them on, I didn't get them quite as straight as I wanted to and my top rod pocket is about 5ml wider than the rest, I have tried to correct it as best as possible. When I come to stitch on my rings should I put them where the rod pocket should be on the top rod pocket or keep it 5ml out ? Also is 3 strings ok for a 117cm width blind ?
At the moment there are instructions written in red in the tutorial that tell you how to make the blind with rod pocket tape rather than traditional integral pockets. (They drop down if you click on them).
You attach the tape with one line of stitching NOT 2 lines, as the blind is pulled up on the stitch line of the pocket. With rod pocket tape you would usually have canvas loops in it for attaching breakout rings or threading the cord. With your homemade tape attach the rings/breakouts as we do in the tutorial.
As for things being 5mm out and adjusting the ring position, we would remake to make sure it is not 5mm out and everything is consistent rather than start moving things around. ( so have no experience of that to offer- but it sounds like it might work).
As as for the number of cords, this is covered in STEP 8 (stab stitching & attaching rings). We recommend the number of rings/cords there and their spacing. If you are using a Blind kit mechanism, use the number of cords provided and space accordingly (as in many countries now they have breakouts and each cord will only be able to pull so much weight before breaking away.)
Hi....2 queries please!
1. I'm assuming the Velcro tape is machined onto face fabric only, and not thru to lining?
2. My blind is 57cm wide....not sure whether to do 2 or 3 cord drops?
Loving the instructions, many thanks!
You could probably get away with 2 cord drops on a traditional blind, but if you have a chain headrail go for the number of drops it was supplied with as it will probably have breakouts and each cord will only be able to take so much weight.
All the stitching and construction is shown in great detail in the videos.
When slip stitching the heading to the blind, should the stiches go all the way through to the front of the fabric or just stitched to the lining?
Thank you
Full details of the construction method and stitches are shown in detail in the videos.
am now ready to put in stab stitches and rings. The blind is 114 cm wide. If I follow your instructions I will have a ring at 10cm from edge, either side, then 2 more in between and 31.3cm apart. That means I will end up with 4 strings to hold the blind up. Is that ok or a bit excessive? Thanks for your help
That is the number we recommend and would use, especially if you have break outs that can only take so much tension on each cord. Most 120cm blind kits come with 4 cords. (with a mechanism we would use the number of cords supplied with it.)
Of course you can make it with less if you like, but the blinds are stiffer to pull up if you put too much weight on a cord. It will depend on the weight of your fabric/blind friction of the cords/eyelets you use etc.
Hi -
when you attach the rings do you attach just to the rod pocket? or how do you do this? I understand the stab stitches in between the rings but confused as to how to attach rings and stab stitch at same time (with rod pocket in the way)
You Stab stitch first, insert the rods then sew the rings onto the rod pockets after. All the stitches are demonstrated in detail in the videos.
As a more or less complete beginner, I find these instructions informative, clear and easy to follow. The only thing I wish you'd show is how you handle blinds that are too big for your table. I'm using the floor but finding it all very painful on my back!
In the early days we bought a board and covered it with lining and put it on top of the dining room table to give us enough surface to work with at a more comfortable height. (I appreciate that is not possible for everyone)
Thank you for your invaluable, detailed tutorial. I have used rod pocket tape so do I lift the tape up to put my stab stitches underneath the tape or do I put the stab stitches above the tape please?
We stitch through the tape on the stitch line you attached the rod pocket to the lining. This is the point the cords will be pulling on the blind as it is pulled up.
Will i get the best by stab stitching with my material flat on the table or hanging the material of a frame
We stab stitch on the table, all details are in the videos.
Hi
I have nearly finished making my lined blind. I have used rod pocket tape but this is only stitched on to the lining. Should this row of stitching holding it on go right through to the front fabric? The kit has little clips for the cord so these don't even go through any fabric.
With our method we dont stitch through to the face fabric with the rod pockets. We stab stitch the layers together, which is the last job on this page of the tutorial.
Hi
I have been following your videos making a lined blind with rod pockets. I have purchased a metal mechanism rail with which has 5 cord drops. My blind is 128cm long, spacing out the rings would make stab stitches req for rings at 10, 37, 64, 91 and 118 cm. This leaves 27cm gaps, would you add stab stitches in between - at 13.5 cm intervals which is less than you minimum, but if I don't the gaps will be greater than your maximum gap.
Thanks for any advice you can give me.
Yes always stab stitch more rather than less, we would stab stitch inbetween the rings.
Hi
I am using rod pocket tape, could you tell me do I stab stitch above, below or underneath the rod pocket tape? Also should I stab stitch every 10cm across as I don't need to use rings?
Finally, should I stab stitch along the fold line? Great videos and instructions, blind looking good so far. Many thanks
Stab stitch on the stitch line in the places specified in the instructions. As you are not sewing on rings, stab stitch at the points where there would have been rings.
Hi
Great tutorial! Found it most helpful as I have never made a roman blind before. Just one query, do I I need to stab stitch underneath the heading.?
Many thanks.
No
Hello......I have made many roman blinds and like using your instructions and calculators.
One problem I always seem to have is that the velcro always seems to pull the top of the blind in so that the blind ends up a few mm narrower at the top....any ideas?
Walking foot on the machine will help with that.
Thanks for tip of walking foot, hunted mine out having never used it and it's awesome, also for sewing rod pockets, used to find these stretched out of shape before. Thanks so much!