Roman Blinds made from Voile

[kathy]

Hi all

My friend would like some Roman Blinds made from Voile, can this be done? I am sure it can, but has anyone made these before?

thanks Kathy

[enid]

Re: Roman Blinds made from Voile

A friend made some last year for her kitchen. They are dummy ones but I cannot see why working ones could not be made. Unlined of course, make the pockets as you would from the voile. The only drawbacks that I can think would be those that come from working with voile ....puckering fabric and perhaps you might not get clean crips seams on the side. Fibreglass rods, watch the ends that they don't snag the fabric.

Others will perhaps have more knowledge, Kathy.

Enid

[Sue]

Re: Roman Blinds made from Voile

Hi Kathy,

I haven't actually made these but thought I was going to last year so looked into it - I was going to use transparent rod tape and sew it on to the voile (it just needs one row of stitching) the reason being that I wasn't confident that the voile would have the strength/stability to hold the rings. And I also got transparent rods (M&D) which were a bit less visible. In the end the customer went for a linen-y unlined blind instead but I still used the transparent tape and rods to minimise their visibility.

Cheers
Sue

[Louise]

Re: Roman Blinds made from Voile

I have seen a method where you make tucks in the voile fabric itself for the rod pockets, then use the transparent rods.......then a narrow machined hem at the sides.

[Angie]

Re: Roman Blinds made from Voile

I've made one in the way Louise describes, and as far as I know it's still going strong. I wouldn't attempt it without a firmly woven voile, if that's not a contradiction in terms.

Angie

[suel]

Re: Roman Blinds made from Voile

Hi,

I made some of these a few months ago. I got special clear rods from Evans to put in the pockets. I basically made the blind as if it were the lining of a normal fabric blind. Sewing the rod pockets as folds in the blind. From the front, whilst you don't have a visible stitching line you have the back of the fold. These are still fine, but my main worry about them was whether the rings on the bottom row would pull where there were stitched on. Apparently they are OK, as I saw my client at Christmas.

I used a fairly open weave but quite 'crunchy' muslin. Not a soft fabric, but quite stiff. Not sure I would recommend normal voile, it might pucker on the stitching lines and be a bit floppy.

Good Luck
Sue.

P.S. You can get white bottom bars from Evans too, but they are quite heavy, you might get away just with a normal rod in the bottom.

[thecurtainmaker]

Re: Roman Blinds made from Voile

I've made these, both as an unlined roman blind, with pockets made out of the fabric, and with transparent tape. Both with transparent rods. All the gubbins will show, make sure your customer knows that. But I think they work well as an alternative to 'nets'!

[kathy]

Re: Roman Blinds made from Voile

Thanks for all your replies, I have suggested she chooses some fabric and I make a trial one up to see what she thinks. I dont like working with voile I am going to suggest she chooses something similar. They are a good alternative to nets, thankfully her windows aren't that big lol.

Kathy

[thecurtainmaker]

Re: Roman Blinds made from Voile

Don't forget, Kathy, although I expect you know, that you can mark stitching and folding lines by pulling a thread where needed. It is the easiest way to mark voiles and doesn't show.

[kathy]

Re: Roman Blinds made from Voile

Good point Thank you Thecurtainmaker

[Julie Evans]

Re: Roman Blinds made from Voile

I made the pockets with the voile itself, transparent rods and rings but I also hand stitched the sides and hems to avoid any puckering.
Where the bottom rings are sewn on, strengthen & stiffen with fray check before sewing them on.
Julie

[Lol]

Re: Roman Blinds made from Voile

Is there anything that can be sprayed all over voille to stiffen the fabric in order to make blinds?

[nic]

Re: Roman Blinds made from Voile

Starch? Can you still get starch spray?

[Louise]

Re: Roman Blinds made from Voile

Machine patchworkers use spray starch......I would think it is generally available as well as from quilting shops.

[Blind Panic]

Re: Roman Blinds made from Voile

I have seen a method where you make tucks in the voile fabric itself for the rod pockets, then use the transparent rods.......then a narrow machined hem at the sides.

I made three blinds for a friend using Louise's method about 2 years ago.
They are hung in a bay window and are pretty much put up and down every day and I think they are still ok, but apparently one of the cords is fraying.

When they said they wanted voile blinds I said "no way" but the fabric was very user friendly.

Not traditional voile, but a firm open weave cross between a linen and a seersucker.
I've emailed my friends to ask if they have a note of the name beyond "double width fabric from Casamance" as it was surprisingly nice to sew.

The fact that the three blinds were designed to exactly follow the 7 sides of a semi circular bay was another matter....