Make a Safety-Compliant Classic Roman Shade

What is a Safety-Compliant Shade and who should (or must) use these instructions to make a Classic Roman shade. A Safety-Compliant Roman shade complies fully with the Second Provisional American National Standard for Safety of Corded Window Covering Products published on September 3, 2010.

After cutting your front fabric and lining, you will hem each separately and then join them together by sewing the side seams. You will end up with a tube of fabric that has hems at the bottom and raw edges at the top.

Close the top of your Classic Roman shade using sew-on loop fastener.

Attach internal battens in your shade using glue. The battens are not noticeable and assure that your shade folds perfectly.

Your Classic Roman shade is attached to your wall or window on a simple Headrail made from a 1x2 board, muslin, hook fastener, flat pulleys (or screw eyes) and if you wish, a cord lock.

Mark the location of your lift rings using the flat pulleys or screw eyes on your mounting board. When you sew the lift rings on your Safety-Compliant shade, it is very important to use a heavy thread that contains polyester. The lift cord shroud will be tied to this thread like a shank. It must withstand 10 pounds of force pulling on the shroud. Don't use 100% cotton quilting thread. Use heavy duty thread, carpet & button thread or upholstery thread.

You will be tieing a cord shroud to the lift rings. This shroud is a 100% polyester cord with tiny loops spaced about every inch. After the shroud is attached, the lift cord will be threaded through the lift rings and also through the loops in the shroud. This allows the shade to fold normally, but does not allow a hazardous loop to be formed since the lift cord cannot be pulled out on the back of the shade any further than the spacing between the lift rings.

You will attach the shade to the mounting board and then staple the cord shroud to the back of the board.

You will string the lift cord through the pulleys and then down each column of lift rings, passing it through the loops in the shroud as well.