Sewing a Roman Blind

Begin by hemming the side edges and ironing flat.

Attach the fluffy part of the Velcro to the top edge, turning a small hem underneath to finish off the raw edge.

To make the casings to hold the rods or batons, the fabric needs to be folded and sewn so as to create tubs or casings in which to slide the rods. You need to decide what distance you want between each casing – a standard distance is about 10 inches. Start from the top edge and mark 10 inches down the blind. Draw a line across the width of the fabric with tailors’ chalk or a pencil (use a ruler). Then draw a parallel line beneath it at a distance of one inch. Finally draw a third line, again at a distance of one inch. Fold the fabric on the centre line so the two outside lines lie together, and stitch across the blind on the outside lines, creating a tube.

From this tube, measure a further 10 inches down the blind, and repeat the above process to make the next casing. Repeat this until you reach the last 10 or so inches of your blind. Make a casing at the bottom to hold the final rod or baton.

Make sure all the casings are on the wrong side of the fabric. It’s easy to get this wrong if the fabric is the same on both sides, but the blind won’t work if the casings aren’t all on the wrong side of the fabric – the same side as the Velcro.

You may need to trim the rods or batons to size – use a hacksaw to do this. Once the rods or batons are in the casings, hand stitch them in place.

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