Wanted - Eglu Cube Mk1 Roosting Bars

[bluekarin]

I would like to have a roman blind in my bedroom. Needs to be blackout and I have found a beautiful one on Dunelm. Sadly it's either way too small or hangs outside the edge of my window, which isn't what I am after. I can't afford to have one made specifically for it £250+! so am looking into making my own.

 

This is what I would love, so a similar fabric if poss. My bedroom has duck egg walls, with white woodwork. Does anyone know what fabric name I should be looking for? I used to know my fabrics, but haven't worked with them for several years now. I used to be an upholsterer.

 

http://www.dunelm-mill.com/shop/duck-egg-songbird-blackout-roman-blinds-239226

 

So if you have made them, did you use a particular pattern to work out the various drops? Do you have any hints or tips you can share? I would be ever so grateful

[Charlottechicken]

I bought a roman blind for my kitchen which was in a sale so was too wide and too long. It was attached to the frame by velcro, so I was able to shorten both the frame and make the blind both narrower and shorter. My blind is made up of 12" deep panels, which when the blind is pulled up create 6" pleats, if you see what I mean The texture is the same as denim, maybe canvas would do?

 

Are you able to source a really cheap blind that you can use as a template and frame for what you need? It would probably be easier to change the fabric and you would have all the parts you need to make up your own. My blind was certainly under a tenner, and was 48 inches deep by 48 inches wide, before I altered it.

 

That fabric is lovely, by the way, I do like duck egg blue

[Groovychook]

The method I use for Roman blinds is...

 

Measure the length of your blind and divide by 7. This gives distance for first rod starting from the hem up. Double this measure for the rods above this.

 

For a short blind, divide overall measure by 5 and continue as above.

 

I use fibreglass rods as they don't bend- they can be cut to size easily with a hack saw. Cut them to the width of the lining.

I use cut a piece of 1x1" wooden baton to fix to the wall, and on the underside, fix eyelet screws for the cords to run through, plus one an inch from the edge that you want the cords to 'collect' on. On the front face of the baton, staple a strip of velcro. Sew the other side of velcro to the top of your blind for fixing to the baton.

 

I would just make sure, if you're using blackout, that you get your measurements right for the rod tape, because if you have to do any unpicking, the perforations will be visible once it's hung!

 

Hope that helps!

[Olly]

Wow that's very specific Groovychook! You obviously know what you're doing.

 

I was just going to say that I made one a few years ago, I got instructions out of a book although I'm sure you could find plenty on the Internet these days. It wasn't difficult, it just required careful measuring and I used fabric to match my curtains and lined it for a bit of body - I'd have thought any curtain fabric would do. Dunelm sell fabric don't they - have you asked if you can buy that one by the roll? I bought a length of dowel and cut it up for rods - fibreglass sounds better but I didn't know it was available. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[bluekarin]

That is a huge help, thank you! I guess that the risk of buying the one I like and trimming it isn't worth taking, due to the fairly high cost, as I don't know what materials have been used in construction. It also does say it can't be trimmed to size.

 

I have measured inside the window and it's 109cm deep and 175 cm wide.

 

I plan to do 5 sections with 2 rod pockets each section being approx 20.9cm. and will measure up from the bottom so the top section will be slightly larger I am guessing.

 

The width of the facing fabric I have worked out to be 185cm (175 + 10cm hem allowance)

 

The drop of the fabric I have worked out to be 123cm (109 + 9cm hem and 5cm for the top around the baton)

 

The lining I have worked out to be 175cm for the width.

 

The drop I have worked out to be 133cm (109cm drop +5cm heading allowance, 9cm hem allowance, 5cm for both the rod pockets)

 

Does that seem ok? Any glaring measurement errors? I am going into town to look at the fabric shop to get an idea of costs, pattern repeats and widths to see how much it could be. I might end up buying the one I like anyway and having it bigger than the window, which isn't what I'd like, but hey ho!

[Groovychook]

Wow that's very specific Groovychook! You obviously know what you're doing.

My Mother-in-law is an interior designer so I'm lucky that she taught me how to make them

 

All I would say, is that I would use the 'finished' drop of the blind (excluding seam allowances) for working out the drops for the rods. I don't make pockets for the rods either but use a tape that that you stitch onto the fabric (through the fabric & lining on the lining side). You stitch on the top edge of the tape (leaving the bottom free) and the rod slides through a 'pocket' in the tape. Gosh, that sounds complicated but it's not really! I wish you lived nearby and I'd come and give you a hand!!

 

The person in the shop might have a better/easier to follow way of doing things... it's hard trying to explain it clearly!!

 

Best of luck anyway

[bluekarin]

I wish you lived close by too! Could sure use a hand. I will see what the shop people say and go from there

[bluekarin]

Well, the shop was busy so I couldn't get any help. But, after looking at the fabrics, I think it will buy the ready made one and see if I can make it smaller. If I can't I'll keep it the wider size. The fabrics were approx £20 pm, and some I would have to buy more than the 1.5 m I could get away with for a plain blind, due to the pattern repeat.

 

Thank you for you help though. It will come in useful for when I make one for my girls bedroom, and for my sons Theirs will just be plain colours so no need for extra fabric.

[Groovychook]

You're very welcome

Makes sense to alter the ready made ones... it can work out so expensive to make from scratch. Pattern repeats eat up fabric too!

[The Dogmother]

I used to make them to a similar method as Groovychooks uses; I just inspected one that my folks had and made up my own pattern and instructions. It's hard to do anything too wrong, so just experiment and enjoy the experience.