Great job! We just made our first 4 EZ rig shades in our shop this week. Really like this method and product. We used the shroud tape and think we prefer it over the rings.

Wow, that looks terrific!! Lovely fabric, too. Did you calculate the measurements yourself (how to space the ribs), or does the system come with instructions?

I used the Sailrite calculator, and combined a few methods from different video tutorials. There are a few Rowley videos on how to assemble and attach the system; they are much better than the printed instructions that come with the kit!

I also adjusted my measurements based on my trial shades, which weren't perfect for some reason or another. Even yesterday when I was finishing this one up, I tested on a scrap piece of fabric (cutting it!) and realized I'd made a huge mistake!

Here's a thread where I linked to the different tutorials I used. It also shows my third shade, which was almost exactly what I wanted, but came out too short.

The method that I used is NOT considered safe if you have small children around.

Awesome!

My cats now leave the cords alone ... one was playing with a 48" miniblind cord and unlocked the blind, dropping it onto him. He hasn't touched a cord since.

I'm hoping that once there's tension on the chain and it's not hanging loose, it won't be so tempting. We would also change out the chain to a shorter one if it gets to be a problem.

Thanks so much for the info, pippiep! I'll be making roman shades for my living room at some point, and this'll help a lot.

It looks great! I appreciate the info as well. I wonder if I'm brave enough to haul out the old avocado green sewing machine and give it a try...I do know I'm not brave enough to use a fabric with a pattern that will show how crooked I got it. (My inability to sew straight is why I keep the old machine. I can blame IT.)

I was really worried that this would look crooked when finished! I ended up using my eye as well as the ruler, to make my lines/cuts along the same point of each peak/corner/etc. I think it worked pretty well. :)

This is a very inspirational post. Thank you for showing photos including the side view of the bracket. I would love to try this some day. I wonder how it would work out if I used a blackout lining?

I used Rain No Stain, which blocks some light, but is cotton. I plan to make the next set with blackout lining. I'm not sure if I can use iron-on rib tape with blackout lining, though.

Please post an update after you make the next shade with blackout lining.

I will! Still deciding on fabric, so it will be a couple of weeks...

The blackout lining is giving me a bit of trouble, because I can't really use a hot iron on it. The iron-on rib tape is not adhering properly, and the blackout lining is puckering a little. The puckering isn't bad, and I would be fine with it if the tape actually remained adhered.

I'm looking into different options. I might try the fiberglass rib rings instead of the rib tape, or might try a cordless system like the SafeTShade.

Thank you for sharing! What is the name/brand of the paint color you used? It looks blue/green....very nice!

Sorry to hear the blackout lining & rib tape are not adhering. Please continue to update as you explore other options.

lizzierobin -- the paint is Benjamin Moore Heather Gray. It's definitely not gray!

Laurie -- I decided I didn't want to risk any other blackout linings, so I did a French blackout with all cotton fabrics. My face fabric is very dark, so I just did two layers -- black in the middle, and the white cotton lining on the outside. Online, it says the black fabric should be sateen, but I bought what was available at the local quilting shop (tested it in the window first). I have no idea if it's a sateen weave or not.

For the roman shades in my first post, I used Rain No Stain lining, which is pretty sheer. For these new shades, I'm using a thicker lining from Artee. It's similar to Hanes Classic Sateen. It feels like a medium to heavy twill.

Here's my fabric:

I'm a little obsessed with how it FEELS. And the black layer felt great, and now all three layers together feel heavenly!

I've never heard of a French blackout. Thank you for explaining this process. I can see how a solid black fabric would be useful sandwiched between your face fabric (which is beautiful) and the white cotton lining on the outside.

I'm also glad you mention the brand names of the lining fabrics you use and the thickness of them. I know what you mean about loving the feel of fabrics.

Thanks for sharing your experiences & knowledge as you continue your journey in window shade construction. Any additional photos of various steps in making these are welcome!

Also, some time could you add a close up photo of what the bracket looks like mounted on the wall (before you hang the shade)?

I'm saving this post because I would love to try this some day. I'm sure you are inspiring others to do so, as well : )

This is the kit I used; this video shows a closeup of the different mounting brackets available.

One thing I can't quite figure out is the width. This shade came out narrower than intended. But when I made it first with the blackout liner, it was too wide. I adjusted my measurements when I re-did it using the French blackout method (using the same piece of face fabric). I even had my husband double-check my math.

Though I think the problem is that I'm using the pillowcase method. It might be more exact if I made it all right-side-out instead, and used bonding tape for the sides instead of sewing.

Thank you for the link showing the different mounting brackets.
How much narrower did the shade come out after sewing with the pillowcase method?

I noticed when sewing a hem for drapery that I need to make slight adjustments in my math for the fold(s). Especially if using more than one thickness of fabric. For example, if I was to use a 4"double fold hem on a drape (fold 4" over, then fold an additional 4" over), the amount of fabric ends up being
more than 8". It ends up using about 8-1/2 " due to the distance of the curve at each fold.

It's about 1/2" too narrow, but it's not straight all the way down. Some parts are wider. I think I need to draw a line next time.

Laurie -- thank you! That was it. The face fabric and white liner are both kind of thick. I definitely need to add a fabric fold allowance. I did a test and am ready to make the second one.

Ok, great!

Are you still using 3 layers : face fabric, black fabric in the middle, & white cotton lining on the outside?

Yes, those three layers. All of them are cotton. The black fabric is the thinnest. It's Riley Blake cotton in Licorice, 44/45 inches wide. I found a thicker black fabric in my last run to the fabric store, but the thinner one works perfectly and I only need 31" width.

I had a little mishap today; some of my rings fell off! I apparently did not knot them correctly. I double-threaded an embroidery needle with embroidery thread, and went from back to front to back again, leaving a 2" tail. I cut the threaded end to 2" and tied the rings on. So much easier than sewing! I learned that tip in a video by Scott Weaver. I had to do half of them over today and did triple knots.

I'll start a new thread tomorrow with more details about these shades, since they are different than the one in my first post. I'll also take pics of all the layers, because I'm ready to start sewing shade two tomorrow!