Steps 1 - 8

• How to make a patterned Roman blind
• Steps 1 - 8
• Steps 9 - 11
• Steps 12 - 13

Step 1) Fix the wooden batten inside the window recess to the underside of the window frame. Press the self-adhesive hook fastener along the front of the batten.

Step 2) To work out the size of your blind, measure from the top of the batten to your required finished drop, adding 2.5cm each for the top and bottom hems. Decide how deep you want the plain border to be and subtract this measurement from the finished drop (remembering to add 2.5cm for seams). For the width, measure the length of the batten and add 2.5cm for each side seam. Cut out your main, border and lining fabric to these measurements.

Step 3) Right sides facing and matching raw edges, stitch the border piece to the lower edge of the main fabric taking a 2.5cm seam. Trim seam allowance and press seam open.

Step 4) Right side up, lay out your main fabric on a flat surface. Place the lining fabric on top, matching raw edges all round. Pin all round, then stitch the side and bottom edges, taking a 2.5cm seam. Remove pins.

Step 5) To create a dowel pocket along the bottom edge, stitch a second line of stitching 6mm from the raw edge. Insert dowel. Trim seam allowances and turn through and press.

Step 6) To create the pleats, lay the blind lining side up and measure 5cm from the top of the blind. Mark with a pencil line across the width of the blind. Divide the remaining length of the blind into 20cm to 30cm pleats, finishing with a half pleat at the bottom. Mark each section with a pencil mark as before.

Step 7) To make pockets to hold the dowels at each of the pleats, cut 8cm strips of lining fabric to the width of the blind for each of the marked pencil lines. Fold each strip in half along the length and stitch the long raw edge and one end, taking a 1cm seam. Turn through and press.

Step 8) Centre the pockets along the marked pencil lines and pin and tack in place. Machine stitch each long edge, through all thicknesses, being careful not to pucker the fabric (see illustration).

Illustration, Michael A. Hill  

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