The Rest of the Story

This is a follow-up to the story told in my Olympics-themed August blog post.  The message of that post was to offer silver and bronze options to your price sensitive customers rather than discounting the price of your gold medal option and cutting into your profit margin.  If you missed it or want to read it again, you can find it here.   This is the conclusion to the real life example discussed in August.

The designer, Bev Dyminski, scaled back on some aspects of the project in response to her customer's budget.  Bev stayed with her original concept of swags, jabots, and panels rather than eliminating elements of the window treatment design (GOLD option).  She switched from a lining/interlining combination to a napped sateen lining (SILVER option).  And she found a similar, but less expensive face fabric made of 100% poly (BRONZE option).

The finished project is shown below.  Now that's what I call a winning combination!  If you are looking for a workroom that can help you sweep the podium, contact me at peggy@parkwaywindowworks.com

Click on the triangle to play the video for the conclusion.

Scaldino

The weather has changed and there is a definite nip in the air.  We are settling in for a long Rochester winter.  Don't let the cold get you down!  Offer your customers a scaldino to brighten up their bedrooms and warm their feet.    

What is a scaldino?  Scaldino (pronounced skawl dee' no) is an Italian word that means warmer for the hands, feet, or bed.   The original scaldino was a metal or ceramic pot that was filled with hot ash or coal, then slipped under the covers at night, providing warmth to bedrooms that were most often unheated.  

Today we know the scaldino as the mini comforter at the end of the bed that warms the feet and protects the spread from a suitcase or other object placed at the foot of the bed.  Adding a scaldino is an easy way to update a bedroom.  A neutral colored bedspread, coverlet or duvet gets a completely new look with a scaldino and matching pillows.  Scaldinos are less expensive than a folded comforter as they take less fabric and labor.  Change them with the seasons to freshen and spice up the look of the bedding.   

When it comes to design, scaldinos can be as simple or as ornate as you want.  Here is an example of a scaldino that matches the decorative pillow and corona panels.   

Janis Reed, Interior Design Source

This scaldino is reversible and banded on all four sides. 

Elizabeth Butler, Elizabeth Butler Interiors

Here is a scaldino that has ruched ends and bullion fringe. 

Anne Marie Weissend, Vitoch Interiors

Is it just a throw blanket?  Perhaps....but doesn't it sound better by its Italian name?  If you are looking for a workroom that can help you transform your customers' bedroom, contact me at peggy@parkwaywindowworks.com.

Decorare felice! (happy decorating).

Dressmaking + Engineering

This week I am teaching a class called "Dressmaking + Engineering = A Formula for Success" at a national conference with my friend and colleague Debbie Williamson.  Debbie will be covering dressmaking skills and I will be sharing several of my engineering techniques as they apply to the fabrication of window treatments.  One of the techniques I am covering is how to make a perfect circle valance.  Circle valances have fullness at the bottom while the top remains smooth with no gathers or pleats.  They are cut in the shape of a donut.

The key to a perfect circle valance is the right fullness.  I won't bore you with the details of pi, diameter, and circumference but like Goldilocks, you don't want too much or too little fullness.  A circle valance with too much fullness looks busy at the bottom and can obscure the motif of the fabric.  One with too little fullness looks just plain skimpy. 

 

Circle valances are a great option when a customer tells you they want a "simple valance".  It is the custom alternative to the rod pocket valance available at Country Curtains or Bed Bath and Beyond.  Another reason to consider a circle valance is when the fabric selection is heavy or upholstery weight.  Thick fabric does not shirr up well on a rod.  The white valance above was a perfect candidate for a circle valance because it is made of matelasse.   

 

There are three caveats when choosing fabric and trim for a circle valance.

1) Don't choose a motif that must be upright.  The motif will turn sideways and upside down as it moves across the treatment.  This is part of the charm of a circle valance.  Notice the dragonflies in the skirt of this slipcover made by Mary Ann Quinn of MAQ Designs.  They are flying every which way, just like real dragonflies!

2) Trims must be able to curve.  Even though the hem ends up looking straight, you must apply the trim to the circle shape.  This tape has a fringed edge on the top and the bottom which allowed me to ease the flat tape into the circle shape.

3) Use a contrast lining because the lining will show in the soft folds of the hem.  White cotton sateen was used here to blend with the white matelasse. 

Circle construction is not limited to valances.  Any time something is gathered or ruffled, the circle cut is an option.  You often see this technique used on the runway in flounced skirts, jackets with peplums, and ruffled collars.  Likewise in our world of home dec, dust ruffles, skirted drapery panels, and leading edge ruffle trim are all possible candidates for circle construction.   

Be it chairs or porridge or window treatments, if you want them just right, contact me at peggy@parkwaywindowworks.com

Gold - Silver - Bronze

Every two years, we gather around our TVs to watch athletes compete in the Olympics. I'm always awed by the dedication and effort it takes to be the best in the world. 

I know you are dedicated and work hard to give your customers the best, too.   Like an athlete, you prepare for the "race" by understanding your client's needs and budget.  What do you do when a customer loves your gold medal design but the price tag is too high?  Do you immediately lower your mark-up or reduce the number of design hours hoping the customer goes for the lower price? 

Rather than cutting your profit, consider offering a silver or bronze option.  Fabric and trim are often the first place to start.  Look for fabrics with a different fiber content.  Here are three similar looking fabrics with very different prices.   

Drapery hardware is also available in a wide range of price points.  I carry hardware lines that offer hand carved finials with custom finishes and lines that are very reasonable with limited finial and finish options.  Switching from a lining/interlining combination to a napped sateen lining is another way to go from gold to silver.  And of course scaling back the complexity of the design will reduce the labor cost.  Below is an example of gold, silver, and bronze designs.

 

Most athletes want to compete in the Olympics even if they don't win.  Likewise, it is better to offer your customer a silver or bronze option than to have them quit the team (and shop at JC Penney).  Sometimes after seeing all three options, the customer will choose the gold medal option at the gold medal price. 

If you offer your customer a gold medal design at a bronze medal price, you may make the sale but it will be at the expense of your own profit AND set a precedent for future projects.   Today's athletes are tweeting even before getting out of the pool.  You can be sure your customers are talking about you, too.  You don't want your customer (and all her friends) to expect the same discount on the next project.

If you're looking for a workroom that can help you with your gold, silver, and bronze designs, contact me at peggy@parkwaywindowworks.com and let's stand on that podium together!

Just Panels

More is better.  That idea is shared by many window treatment specialists.  More layers, more fullness, more embellishments.  Vignette displays at industry events and discussions in on-line forums often focus on the details, the extras, and the add-ons.  Some of the most popular classes at educational conferences cover how to include these in your designs.  I confess to attending and thoroughly enjoying Gillian Wendel's Inspired Drapery Headings class this year.  Here are some pictures from Gillian's class.  The extras in just these four examples include banding, buttons, tassels, Chinese knots, jewels, smocking, beading, scallops, and color blocking.  Whew!   

   

Although these drapery headings are truly special and would be a focal point in any design, I'd like to make the case for just panels.  Here is an example where the designer replaced ready made sheers with stationary pleated panels in a colorful and lively Duralee print.  The fabric is a linen/rayon blend and is lined with a napped sateen.  These panels are perfect in the family room of a young, active family.   

Before

After

Here is another example where the designer added Hunter Douglas Nantucket shades for privacy and light control.  She chose a 100% dupioni silk for the lined and interlined stationary panels.  I love the elegance of the tone on tone design scheme in this dining room. 

Here the designer chose a gorgeous, large scale Stroheim and Romann print.  The simplicity of the inverted pleat panels really allows the fabric to shine in this living room.     

Of course it's never wrong to add just a little something extra, like the leading edge trim on these Euro pleat panels.  These blue panels frame a stunning lake view from this sitting room. 

 

While I love embellishments as much as anyone, to paraphrase Joe Friday sometimes the best solution is to have "just the panels, ma'am".  If you are looking for a workroom that makes beautiful panels, elaborate valances, and anything in between, contact me at peggy@parkwaywindowworks.com

Have You Checked The Scale?

I try to step on the scale at least once a week just to keep an eye on my weight.  When working with designers on window treatments, I also keep an eye on the scale because even the best design using the most beautiful fabric can be ruined if the proportions are off.

I use Minutes Matter Studio software to make scale drawings.  The most common question I am asked is how many widths of material (WOM) are needed for stationary drapery panels?  The general rule is to make the panels look as if they are operable.  You don't want the panel to look like a piece of spaghetti hanging at the side of the window.  Nor do you want the panel stretched out almost flat so that it visually takes up more space.  These are my recommendations. 

Scale drawings also help with how long to make a valance and where to mount it on the wall.  To my eye, the last valance best fits this window and wall configuration. 

 

An innovative way to use scale drawings is to determine how to cut the fabric.  Here is an example where I showed what a shawl valance would look like with the fabric cut up the bolt and how it would look with the fabric railroaded -- the client chose railroaded. 

          

Bev Dyminski Interior Design

You know you've done it right when you compare your scale drawing to your finished product and it's hard to tell the difference!  If you want to make sure your proportions are right and have your client ask "Is it live or is it Memorex?, contact me at peggy@parkwaywindowworks.com and we'll get on the scale together.  To see more before and after examples, check out my Scale Drawings webpage.

Scale Drawing

Janis Reed - Interior Design Source

Transformers

Did you see the 2007 hit movie Transformers?  Me neither...I'm not really their target market.  But I am in the business of transforming and I know you are, too.  In the movie, cars and trucks transform into alien robots.  My transformation of fabric into beautiful window treatments might not have the flash and glitz of Hollywood but I did work a little magic on this valance transformation. 

The valance on the left was one of a pair of valances in a master bedroom, coordinating with the bedding.  When the bed and bedding were moved into the guest bedroom, the designer wanted the valances to move, too.  The fabric had to come off the board to re-size the existing valances because the new windows were narrower.  As I was looking at the cut shape of the existing valance on my worktable (shown below left), I came up with the idea of changing the hem shape to completely change the valance style (shown above and below right).  With new trim and a new shape, this valance has an updated, fresh look.

 

I'm sure all of your room transformations are as amazing as Optimus Prime's!  The next time you need window treatments to help in the transformation, contact me at peggy@parkwaywindowworks.com

Jewels

Have you ever had a dress where your necklace and earrings really made the outfit?  How about a suit where your cufflinks and tie completed the look?  Adding jewels to your window treatments can do the same thing.   

 

I discovered Diamond Head upholstery tacks in March when I attended an educational event in Texas.  Diamond Head has completely reinvented the standard nailhead commonly used to embellish furniture.  Here is a close-up of their silver diamond in a black setting.  Their diamond elite collection includes white, black, silver, iridescent, and kaleidoscope diamonds. 

This ottoman (courtesy of Haute House) utilizes the white diamond in a silver setting.  Can you picture these jewels on a cornice or upholstered headboard?  How about down the leading edge of a drapery panel?

 

A different kind of jewel is one that is made through the manipulation of fabric.  Check out this close-up of smocking.  I planned the smocking so that it worked with the stripe of the fabric.

Here is a picture of the entire valance.  The smocking is the crown jewel of this window treatment, don't you agree? 

(Bev Dyminski Interior Design)

If you are intrigued by these two examples and would like to learn more, I am giving a seminar with my colleague, Roxanne Ross, on May 22nd at 10am.  It is a CQRID approved program worth .1 CEU.  We will be covering hard jewels like grommets, nailheads, and resin ornaments along with soft jewels like bias banding, smocking, and bound buttonholes.  Design issues and business issues like material costs, labor costs, and sourcing will be discussed.  Dozens of hand samples will be passed around so you can touch and feel the products and see the many design possibilities.  This seminar will provide you with an arsenal of embellishment ideas for any window treatment in your future.  Here are the details:

Adding Jewels to your Window Treatments

May 22, 10 am - 11:30 am 

Sponsored by the Upstate NY chapter of AIDP

Free to AIDP members and $10 for non-members    

Seminar location at ArtWalk Tile, 28 Atlantic Avenue, Rochester NY  14607.

  

Who doesn't love a princess and her jewels?  If you want to learn more about window treatments fit for a palace, don't miss "Adding Jewels to Your Window Treatments".  I'd love to see you on May 22nd and share some embellishment ideas.

Too Many Curves?

It's been unusually warm this month.  The flowers and trees are already blooming with signs of Spring.  I've even been digging in the back of my closet to find capris and shorts.  This always gets me worrying about those extra Winter pounds and unwanted curves.  We usually think of those extra curves as a bad thing but with window treatments, curves can add interest and movement to a traditional style.  In this example, a curved shape was added to the top of mirror image Moreland valances by constructing an arched frame out of plywood and wiggle board.  The windows themselves are standard rectangles.  The arched shape of the design repeats the shape of the arched transom over the fireplace.

Here the curved shape projects INTO the room instead of above the window.  This is accomplished by using a curved mount board instead of dimensional lumber.  The first picture shows both a traditional mount board and the curved mount board.  The second picture shows the box pleat valance with contrast inserts as it floats around the curved mount board.  It really adds pizzazz to this powder room.

              

The curves don't have to be arches.  In this example traditional swags and jabots are taken up a notch when they are mounted on a pagoda shaped frame.

Curves are not limited to valances and top treatments.  Consider using curved hardware to make a beautiful eyebrow arch the focal point.  This Amore drapery hardware utilizes "sticky rings" that can be placed anywhere along the curved rod and will not move or slide down.  This innovation works for drapery panels on half circles and trapezoid shaped windows, too.  Another great use of sticky rings is to hold the leading edge of a tied-back panel in place to prevent the panel from sliding back.

If you want to add curves to your window treatment designs à la Kim Kardashian, contact me at peggy@parkwaywindowworks.com and I'm sure we can engineer a shapely solution!

Breaking the Rules

When first starting out in the drapery biz, I purchased Kitty Stein's Workroom Specifications.  It is a 50 plus page book of standards covering everything from hem sizes to recommended fullness to board allowances.  It is an excellent resource and I still use it today. 

I start each project by unrolling the fabric and looking at the pattern and weave.  My number one priority is to showcase the customer's fabric to its best.  Here is a lovely Thibaut print that is to be made into a tailored valance with an arched hem shape and corner pleats..   

It has a large pattern repeat with the main motif running side by side up the bolt. If the window treatment design has fullness from gathers, pleats, or shirring tape, the mix of colors in the print is highlighted and pattern placement is secondary.  But with a flat valance, the specific motif that is displayed matters a lot.

Kitty's standards tell me to plan my cuts so I can hide the seam in a design element such as behind a horn or inside an inverted pleat.  If seams are required, I should use a full width of material in the center of the treatment with seams on each side.  For this project, the motif that best fit the valance shape and size was NOT the center motif so I broke the rules...

I chose to center the largest motif and have only one seam on the left side of the front of the valance.  Can you find the seam?

Webster's dictionary defines standards as "a required or agreed level of quality".  I follow the standards to produce high quality window treatments.  After all, the customer is entrusting me with fabric they have fallen in love with.  When I break the rules, it is because (as Flip Wilson might say) "the fabric made me do it!"

Contact me at peggy@parkwaywindowworks.com.  I'd love to channel Geraldine on your next project....

Back to School

My two oldest kids are home from college this week for spring break.  I'm a big believer in continuing education and attend at least one industry event each year for my business.  Last September, I attended INSPIRE 2011, a conference and trade show sponsored by the Window Coverings Association of America.  In today's "lesson", I will be sharing a few of the conference highlights with you.   

On the trade show floor, Finestra Decorative Hardware featured button borders and decorative buttons that coordinate with the styles and finishes of their drapery hardware.  These embellishments were used on both upholstered pieces like cornices and headboards and on soft treatments like valances, panel pleats and pillows.

In the classroom, Fred Berns lectured on smart marketing and making a big splash with little cash.   He recommends developing a "killer commercial" that presents you as a unique, one-of-a-kind design professional and includes your ONLY statement--why you are different (and worth it).  Check out the updated bio page on my website where I put Fred's lessons to use.

 

In the Fab Lab (fabrication laboratory), I learned a new technique for pattern matching.  It is fast and, even better, it gives a great match.  It is really important to have a perfect pattern match when fabric will be viewed flat, like on a bedspread or roman shade or cornice.  Here is an example of a seam in a roman shade where I used the new technique. 

This year I am attending Creative Camp, a hands-on event sponsored by the Custom Sewing Institute.  Creative Camp 2012 is just a week away.  I love having my kids home but I know after our week together, we will all be looking forward to going back to school!

Wardrobe Malfunction

Just as high fashion clothes need proper undergarments for support and coverage, so too, do high quality window treatments.  Drapery linings are the undergarments of window treatments and perform many functions including protection of the face fabric from sun damage, insulation from summer heat and winter cold, noise reduction, privacy and light control, additional body/improved hand of the fabric, and uniform appearance from the outside.

The most basic lining is a good quality sateen.  A satin weave is more pliable than a plain weave.  My go-to lining is a 100% cotton sateen in pale ivory.  This is the equivalent of wearing a slip under your dress (fellas--use your imagination!).  The lining protects the face fabric and gives body to the treatment.  If the face fabric is white or has a white background, it is important

with white sateen                            with ivory sateen

to choose a white colored lining so that there is no yellowing of the face fabric.  Sateens are also available in tan or putty.  Colored linings differentiate custom window treatments from ready-mades and also have nice curb appeal on dark colored or brick homes.

Interlining is a lining that is sandwiched between the face fabric and the drapery lining. Interlining is primarily used to add body and give a rich elegant look, particularly when used with silk.  The interlining layer can be heavy flannel, English bump, or a 3-layer woven blackout.  If you have budget or space constraints and can't use multiple width panels, consider adding a layer of interlining to help plump up single width panels.  Another option for the budget conscious client is to use a napped sateen lining with silk. Napped sateen is a sateen lining that has undergone additional processing to brush and raise the fibers on one side.  Silk with napped sateen looks much better than silk with only a basic sateen but it is NOT a replacement for interlined silk draperies!

Traditional blackout linings contain several layers of acrylic foam.  The layers block light and provide excellent thermal insulation.  In recent years, there have been several advances in blackout linings making them more fluid and better draping, but they still have a drawback when used in roman shades.  Pin holes are formed when rings are sewn on the shades.  One option to overcome this is to use the technique known as French blackout where there are four layers in the window treatment: face fabric - interlining - black sateen - ivory (or white) sateen.

As a custom workroom to the trade, I stock many different linings and special order as needed. I discuss lining choices with my designer clients and quote the best fit for each project/end customer.  But I have been known to switch linings (after talking to the designer) during the fabrication process because after seeing and touching the face fabric, I just can't let a window treatment experience a wardrobe malfunction!

Custom Spacing for Ripplefold Panels

Ripplefold is a style of drapery featuring tailored fabric columns in soft ripple-like folds that flow from one end of the hardware track to the other. Ripplefold panels are not new, but traditionally have been used in commercial settings for their minimal track exposure, reduced fullness (less fabric required), and smaller stackback. Ripplefold panels are making a resurgence in residential settings. The clean lines and smaller stackback are perfect for those large window expanses where the customer says "I don't want to block any of my view".

Ripplefold panels are made by sewing snap tape to the top of a flat panel.  The panel is then snapped into the carriers on the hardware track. One drawback of ripplefold panels is that the fixed spacing of the snaps on standard snap tape makes a "one size fits all" panel.

Our workroom has equipment to make ripplefold panels with custom snap spacing. This allows control of the placement of seams in multi-width panels so that the seam is always hidden on the side of a fold. It also allows for increased distance between each snap so that extra long panels have enough fabric in each fabric column to hold their shape the full length of the panel.

Designer:  Bev Dyminski Interior Design

Custom snap spacing also allows consideration of the horizontal pattern repeat. It's a subtle detail...but notice that the wave in the design of the fabric is in the same place on each fold. The capability of custom snap spacing opens up design possibilities with striped fabric, akin to asking your workroom to "pleat to the stripe" when making traditional pleated panels. For ripplefold panels, the snaps can be spaced such that a dominant color is on the front of the fold and a secondary color is on the back of the fold giving different looks when in the panels are in the opened and closed positions.

Reduce - Reuse - Recycle

We don't always associate that phrase with custom window treatments.  But with a little ingenuity and teamwork, look what can be done...

  

Interior designer Janis Reed included a valance with stationary panels in her vignette at the 2011 Rochester Home & Garden Show.  Janis packed a lot of punch in her 12' x 12' space!

  

When Janis moved the furniture to a model home after the show, she wanted to reuse the stationary panels in the family room and the valance in the powder room.

 
The biggest issue to address in re-purposing the window treatments was that the vignette had an 8 foot wall and the model home had 9 foot ceilings.  Both the panels and the valance were too short and out of proportion in the larger space.  

 
To address this issue with the valance, a padded cornice was added to the top of the valance.  I had just enough fabric left over to allow a perfect pattern match.  The new window treatment looks even better with the added design element!   

When drapery panels are too long, it’s an easy solution --just re-hem. With a little creativity there are also solutions when panels are too short.

Janis' panels needed an extra 16” of length.  Because the window treatments were not the focal point in the new setting, she wanted to use the same fabric to lengthen the panels. We added three horizontal tucks to the bottom section of the panel and hid the seam inside one of the tucks. The tucks added interest and detail to the panels but kept them in their role of supporting player in the overall design scheme.