How to Make Tie-Up Shades

More Formal Tie-up Shade

There are many different styles of tie-up shades. In this article, a simple tie-up shade that will install on a standard curtain rod is detailed. Tie-up shades can be made from many different choices of fabric from country to very formal silk blends. A window measuring 36 inches wide and 64 inches high will be used. The sewing steps are simple and require no special equipment.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric 42 to 45 inches wide
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Scissors
• Tape measure
• Large safety pin

Instructions

1. 

   Cut fabric for the front of the shade at 73 inches. Trim the long sides of the fabric to 42 inches wide. Cut four pieces of the fabric 4 inches wide by 64 inches long. This is for the pockets for the ties on the front and back of the shade. Cut four pieces of fabric 3 inches wide by 64 inches long. This will make the ties.

2. Hem fabric by turning up 3 inches at the bottom, and press. Turn up 3 inches again, press and pin. Sew the hem. Fold a hem on the long sides by folding 1 1/2 inches, press and fold again. Pin and sew hems. Sew a rod pocket at the top of the shade, turning under 1/2 inch. Press, then fold 3 inches press and sew. From the top of rod pocket measure and mark at 1 inch, sew on this line. This makes the ruffle at the top.

3. Lay hemmed fabric wrong side up. Measure from each side 12 inches and mark with chalk or straight pins. Fold and press 1/2-inch hems on the long (64-inch) sides of the pieces cut for ties. Pin to the wrong side of fabric centering on the marked lines, then sew both sides leaving the top and bottom open. Pin to the right side of fabric using the lines of stitching as guides. Match to the stitching lines, and sew these pieces to the front of the shade, starting at the bottom seam of the top rod pocket. Leave both ends open, and turn under the raw edges at the ends.

4. Using the four pieces of the fabric (3-by-64 inch) for ties, fold under a narrow hem by folding under and pressing 1/4 inch, and then folding over again and pressing. Stitch this hem. Make this same narrow hem on both ends of all four pieces.

5. Thread these pieces through the pockets on the front and back of the shade, using a large safety pin to pull them through. Stitch the ends of the ties at the top, sewing through all layers of fabric at the bottom seam of the rod pocket for the curtain rod. Keep the ties flat as they are being threaded up through the shade.

6. Install the shade on the curtain rod. Grasping the ends of both ties, pull and gather the shade to the desired level on the window, and tie. Repeat this procedure on the second side. The top section of your shade will be flat and straight. There will be a scalloped appearance at the bottom.

Tips & Warnings

• This shade can be removed from the rod, laundered, pressed flat and re-installed.