Of all the soft shade blinds the Roman Blind is the least complicated.

When hanging to its full drop it could be said to resemble a roller blind, however, when raised the fabric is pulled up into soft horizontal folds.  The blind would appear to be the easiest to make, when in fact its simplicity and somewhat Spartan look requires considerable care in the making to achieve a satisfying result.

The Roman blind may appear as a simple piece of lined fabric, but any imperfection in the square cutting of the fabric, in pattern matching, or in the straight stitching required, will be most apparent. For there are no frills to disguise the imperfections, and the preparation before and during sewing is more time consuming than might be imagined.  However, the procedure is not difficult to follow if taken one step at a time.

There are various ways in which the Roman blind can be made; sometimes without any support to the fabric; with wooden or metal bars inserted between the fabric and lining or with supporting bars inserted into pockets attached to the blind.  The method described in the How to Make section is the traditional style which aids the folding of the fabric with the supporting bars inserted into pockets made from lining and attached to the back of the blind.

The gaps between the bars are set out so that the blind will fold evenly, leaving a little of each fold to show in a waterfall effect.   The blind is suspended from a wooden batten or a plastic head rail, using touch and close fastener.  The blind will be corded using cord guides, cord connector, acorn, cleat, and ‘Roman Blind’ bars.  Makers have a choice between bars made from metal, wood or uPVC. The good and bad points are:-

METAL:

Heavy and expensive.  Needs painting to prevent rust staining fabric.  If bent cannot be straightened satisfactorily.  Tends to fray and work its way out of pockets as the blind is raised and lowered constantly.  However, the weight of the metal does keep the fabric taut if is of good quality.

WOOD:

Hardwood dowelling is expensive, and great care needs to be taken in selecting the correct type.  As a natural substance it will be affected by damp, or central heating, causing the fibres to dry or swell and thereby twisting or warping.  The wrong choice of dowelling could mean the fabric of the blind being pulled out of shape and for the whole effect of the blind to be ruined.

uPVC:

Light weight and flexible – this type of plastic bar is not prone to distortion and will keep its shape.   It is not expensive by comparison with metal bars or best quality dowelling.  It will not rust, will not affect the fabric, and will help the pleats of the blind to form precisely.  The uPVC Roman Blind bars (supplied by Pretty Frills Blind Company) are made so that the round rod has a centre hole running through its length so that pieces can be joined together with a simple joining piece, thus eliminating any waste.

Most Roman blinds are improved in appearance if a slightly larger oval shaped bar is used inside the bottom pocket, giving a rounded look to the bottom edge of the blind.

The appearance of a Roman blind can be enhanced by the addition of a simple bottom frill or shape. Very dramatic effects can be achieved with borders or trimming along the base of the blind.  Borders normally follow the edge of the fabric and are 1½" to 2” wide.  Any bottom border should be seen even when the blind is raised and therefore it will be necessary to add the border width into the measurements.

If more than one width of fabric is required it is not done professionally for there to be a join in the centre of the blind.  Panels should instead be attached to each side of a full width with care being taken over any pattern matching.