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What's New (updated 7/1/2009)
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Make Roman Shades



Experience Counts!

Terrell has over fifteen years experience in designing and making unique Roman shades, lecturing and teaching. She is the nationally recognized expert for classic Roman shades and top down bottom up fabric shades.

We are your specialists for making Roman shades, buying Roman shade hardware and learning how to make Roman shades, whether Classic flat shades or top down bottom up shades.

What's New

July 1, 2009
40% Discount on this item. We are moving our inventory to a new location. Help us lighten the load. For a limited time only, the price for this book is only $15.00. Makes a great gift or buy one for yourself.

June 8, 2009
We have a second choice for batten glue. Aleene's Fabric Fusion glue works well with most fabrics, even 100% polyester and silk. It is also dry cleanable, as well as washable. It is more expensive than Jewel-It. I know you don't want to purchase an entire bottle and then find out it stains your fabric. Just send a sample of your fabric to us and we'll test it for you then send it back so you can see the results.

Send a 6" by 6" piece of your front fabric to: Terrell Designs, Attention Glue Testing, 5325 Sanford Cir E, Englewood, CO 80113, USA. We'll test both the Jewel-It and Fabric Fusion glues using battens, then send your fabric back to you with the battens attached and a recommendation on which glue to use on your shade. We may also recommend that you use another method of attaching your battens. I do have a request. If you know the fabric content (for example, 100% cotton, silk, 50% cotton/50% polyester) include that information so that I can begin a database of what works for each fabric. I make a lot of shades, but I tend to use 100% cotton on most of them.

May 15, 2009
New YouTube Video! I have uploaded the segment on one of my favorite pieced Roman shade designs: the Four Diamond pattern in a single column. This program was taped in early March for the PBS television program "Creative Living with Sheryl Borden".

Special Sale! We have a surplus of 2-ft battens (Item PB2). Why don't you consider splicing your battens and saving! For quantities of 20 or more, you can save 33.3% on the battens. We have also lowered the price on the batten splints (Item PBSP) by 33% for quantities of 10 or more.This sale will only last until we deplete our inventory of the excess. If you need ten 4-ft battens, the price will be $18.00 ($1.80 each). If you purchased twenty 2-ft battens and 10 batten splices, your cost would be $11.50, or a savings of $6.50.

May 4, 2009
Laura Vayansky of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania sent a link to a Picasa Album that shows her step-by step construction of two top-down shades for her living room. You will enjoy each and every photograph.

March 8, 2009

I just returned from New Mexico where I taped 3 new segments at PBS television station KENW for "Creative Living with Sheryl Borden". It was much more fun the second time around since I knew what to expect. Sheryl sends a DVD of the programs to me in about a month, so look for new videos. KENW is located in Portales, New Mexico which is also the home of Eastern New Mexico University. The students in the Communications department help with the taping.

The first segment covered how to make a Double Shade. There I am with Sheryl along with a photograph of Maureen Mitchell's beautiful shades. Sheryl is touching the sample shade that I used during the program. Once I get caught up, I will be posting the directions on this site. A Double shade is made of a front fabric shade with a second, sheer shade behind it. I spent most of my preparation time learning how to sew with sheer fabric.

The second segment covered one of my favorite pieced Roman shade designs: the Four Diamond pattern in a single column. This program was inspired by the beautiful photographs I took this last August of eight shades I made for a Hearth Room in Kansas City.

The last segment covered making a window valance. That segment was supposed to be part of the Top-Down/Bottom-Up program that I taped a year ago. I had enough material for a 2-hour session, so it was left out.

January 24, 2009
I have done some minor corrections, such as errors in product dimension. Thanks to all of you who continue to point out the mistakes. I also raised the shipping prices by 3%. The postal service raised their Priority Mail rates by 8%, but we get a volume discount. I raised prices for some products. I didn't do that last year and we have been working harder for less money since our vendors increase our costs every 6 months. You still get a bargain when you make your own shades compared to purchasing a comparable window treatment.

January 7, 2009
I have posted photographs sent to me by Aven Stephenson of Charlotte, North Carolina.

The program I taped for Creative Living on top-down/bottom-up shades will be broadcast on select PBS stations on Sunday, January 25, 2009. Check your local listings. You can also view the program on AOL television.

I have clarified the need to add 1/4" to your cut fabric and lining widths if you are using heavy decorator fabric and/or Blackout lining. This subject was also addressed in the latest entry to my Blog.

December 8, 2008
I have posted new photographs of the eight shades that I made in 2002 for a client in Kansas City. I was there in August for a wedding and finally got a chance to take pictures of the shades installed in the room. The shades are STUNNING, as you can see from the photographs. This says as much about the decorating skills of the homeowner, as about the shades themselves. This is a great pattern to make if you want to try a simple pieced Roman shade.

November 7, 2008
My office assistant, Randy Perkins, has decided he wants to make a shade for his living room window. We are going to chronical his progress on the Blog. Be sure to read about his project, which started out as a simple shade and has now grown to a double shade - a sheer banded front shade and a second insulating shade.

I have posted a photograph of one of five shades that Jerry Winston of Crowley, Louisiana made for her daughter-in-law.

October 15, 2008
I have been getting a lot of inquiries from Canada asking if we can ship orders by Parcel Post. In these tight times, everyone is looking to save money and this seems to be a great area to save. Unfortunately, there are very few instances where shade hardware can be shipped by "truck". Parcel post packaging restrictions set the maximum dimension of the box at 24" and the maximum weight at 4 pounds. That means no battens, boards or weight rods (the shortest length we sell is 24" and we need room for packaging). We also have to hand carry the packages to the post office, whereas the Priority and airmail packages are picked up at our location. The parcel post rates are about $5 less than the airmail rates. So you are just going to have to live with high postage rates. It is a sign of the times with our current gasoline prices.

September 29, 2008
I have managed to post regularly to the Blog. Now I just need to add notes on the appropriate web pages when there is more information on a subject.

Be sure to look closely at the photograph to the left. These shades were made by Maureen Mitchell of Franklin Square, New York for her sister. Maureen made two shades for each window, the front fabric shade and an inside sheer shade. They are really beautiul and functional.

September 5, 2008
I HAVE STARTED A BLOG! I hope I don't regret this new endeavor. The purpose of the Blog is to publicly post the e-mail answers I send to your questions. I spend many hours each week responding to personal questions about windows, folding, types of shades and ways to fix mistakes. Often, I get the same question from several people. Now you have another way to learn about the details of making shades for all types of windows. You can subscribe to the Blog so that you can view each new post. There may be a new post each week, and there may be a new post each month.

I have changed the Search page. Google changed the graphics for the Search function. It is now huge and a little flaky. When you click on the SEARCH link in the left hand navigation column, it takes you to a new page on this web site. If you don't see the Search Box, refresh the page by clicking the icon in the control panel of your Browser. Microsoft Internet Explorer shows two green arrows pointing in a circle. Then you can type in the term you want to search for. For example, if you are making a shade for a French door, type in the words French door. You don't have to worry about capitialzation. A new window will appear, with a list of all the pages in this web site that contain the words "french door".

August 6, 2008
I have finally gotten around to adding most of the photographs of the beautiful shades sent to me by readers. Be sure to view the shades made by Jennifer Carson of Kirkwood, Missouri, Cheryl Cook of Juneau, Alaska, Karen Klinefelter of Aspen, Colorado, Amy McGarrity of Denver, Colorado and Brenda Starkey of Camden, Missouri. I am always amazed at the wide variety of the shades people make using my online instructions. Keep up the good work.

July 28, 2008
We have uploaded all of the programs that were taped in April of 2008 for the PBS program "Creative Living with Sheryl Borden". The segments will air in the 2008/2009 season. "Creative Living" is seen in 108 markets, mostly in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Check your local listings to see if you get this wonderful "home economics" program, which has aired for 31 years! Sheryl has granted us permission to post these programs. Start at the Video Clips page and then click on the link to each video. You can also view the programs on You Tube. 

I have updated several photographs of items that have changed their graphics. Aleene's Jewel-It and Scotchgard are still the same product we have sold for the last eight years, but not in a different package. We are now offering the clear plastic batten in 2-ft, 3-ft and 4-ft lengths.

July 9, 2008
You will want to see the beautiful silk shades made by Tricia Rexford of Chicago, Illinois.

May 14, 2008
See the photographs of  Nina Christmas's picture window shade.

May 7, 2008
Be sure to look at Gaye and Steve Watkins's beautiful Top-Down/Bottom-Up shades.

April 21, 2008
I've added another section to the FAQs area: Questions about Top-Down Roman shades.  I've also posted a photograph of dining rooms shades made by Pam Lally of Houston, TX.