Uneven Raising? Check Your Hem Stiffener
We get more calls than we'd like from workrooms reporting that their Widget-powered shade raises unevenly, or that cords aren't winding evenly on the spools.
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We've covered two common culprits in past posts: overtightened mounting screws and non-Widget hardware on the cords. But there's a third cause we hadn't even considered — because every Widget Kit includes a hem stiffener, and our instructions walk through incorporating it into the bottom hem with the weight bar. Yet some workrooms have built shades without one, and then run into exactly this problem.

​Why hem stiffness matters
The Widget takes up cord slack as it's created during lifting. A stiff hem spreads your lifting force evenly across all the cords at once.

Without one, you're only applying force to the cord(s) directly above your hand. The other cords don't start raising until enough weight comes off the ends of the hem to let the Widget take them up too. The result: uneven raising, and uneven spooling as those loose cords play catch-up.

​It matters more on wider shades
The wider the shade, the more hem rigidity you need. Two options:

• Fold the hem stiffener in half horizontally to create a 2" stiff hem.
• Add a dowel pocket at the top of the hem, so the weight bar, hem stiffener, and dowel together form a more rigid base across the full width of the shade.

Whatever the user pushes up on has to be rigid, both across the width and also up to where the cords terminate at the brass rings, in order for the Widget mechanism to work properly. This is why our instructions include the use of the Skirtex hem stiffener along with the weight bar to make the whole hem a rigid lifting point.

However you achieve it, a stiff hem that transfers force evenly to every cord is essential to getting smooth, even raising and lowering from your Widget.

For more information on the mechanics, please watch this 6-minute video on our Instagram or Facebook page. It is well worth your time.

We're expanding our YouTube offerings to keep sharing Roman shade knowledge with the Widget community.

We already offer step-by-step video playlists paired with our written instructions for Flat Romans, Relaxed Romans, and Hobbled Romans, with Top-Down Bottom-Up Romans coming soon.

Now we're launching a new series: Single Thread — standalone videos covering specific techniques, like concealed hems, adding ribs, or tying a hitch knot.

The first one, on fabricating concealed hems, is live on our YouTube page. Subscribe to get notified as new videos drop.
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As always, our goal is to give the Widget community every bit of help we can — free, with no paywall or subscription. Your success is our success.

In most areas of life, 0.1mm is barely worth mentioning. In the world of window treatments, it can make all the difference.

We're occasionally asked whether the Widget can be used with other window treatment accessories and hardware — corded components sourced separately, from other suppliers. Our answer is always the same: we don't support them. Here's exactly why.

It Comes Down to Cord Diameter
The Widget's cord, shown on the left in the photo above, is 1.0mm in diameter. The cord on the right is 0.9mm — a size commonly used across the industry and one that looks nearly identical to the naked eye. That single tenth of a millimeter is the heart of the issue.

When a shade component is engineered for a 0.9mm cord, a 1.0mm cord doesn't simply substitute in. Where the thinner cord would pass through cleanly with room to spare, the Widget's cord may pass through with difficulty — or not at all. When it does fit, the tighter clearance creates added friction and resistance throughout the shade's operation, working against the smooth, effortless performance the Widget is designed to deliver.

You may also decide that using a larger 1.4mm plastic accessory is a better option. Please be aware that combining two different systems should be thoroughly tested and is the responsibility of the workroom.

Why We Keep It Simple
The instructions and components included in every Widget Kit are specifically designed to work together. The cord-control mechanisms — including the ladder tape — are selected and tested to perform perfectly with the 1.0mm cord. When you work within the kit, everything functions as intended.
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So when we say we don't support additional corded components beyond what's in the Widget Kit, it's not stubbornness — it's a commitment to making sure your finished shade operates exactly the way it should, every single time.

One of the most popular variations on a classic flat Roman shade is the waterfall — or cascading — stack. When the shade is raised, instead of folding flat, the fabric gathers into a series of soft, rolling folds that drape beautifully at the top of the window. It's an elegant effect, and with the Widget, it's surprisingly simple to achieve.

How to Install Them
When laying out your threaded ladder tape, pass each cord and length of tape through as many spacers as you have folds, and repeat for every cord across the width of the shade. As you tack the ladder tape at each fold, make sure exactly one spacer sits between each pair of tack points. The spacers are intentionally free to slide — that movement is what makes the system work.

The Finished Result
Once your shade is complete, knotted off, and the pin is pulled, do the Widget Wiggle to retract the shade. Each fold will rise until it meets its spacer and gently stop — leaving you with a beautiful, effortless cascade.
Simple materials, a little planning, and a lot of elegance. That's the Widget way. 

Happy Earth Day 2026!

As we mark this year's Earth Day, we're reflecting on the small but meaningful ways Centurion Roman Shade works toward a more sustainable future — for our designers, workrooms, and home sewing enthusiasts alike.

It starts with how our product ships. When you build a Roman shade with a Widget, there's no oversized metal frame traveling thousands of miles to reach you. Instead, you receive a compact, VHS-cassette-sized kit containing a streamlined set of lightweight components. Pair that with a small wood headrail, your chosen fabric, and a steel weight bar sourced locally — and you've already reduced your project's footprint significantly.

We won't claim the Widget is ecologically perfect, but the difference is real: fewer large components moving across the country (or the ocean) means less fuel, less packaging, and less waste.

And the benefits extend to your customers, too. Every Roman shade that blocks summer heat or buffers winter cold is a window doing more work — and an HVAC system doing a little less.

These may be small contributions in the grand scheme, but we believe they add up. Here's to building beautiful shades and a healthier planet.
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Happy Earth Day from all of us at Centurion! 🌍

We're thrilled to introduce a technique for creating one of the most luxurious window treatments in the workroom: the Hobbled Roman shade, also known as a soft-fold shade.

Unlike a standard flat Roman, a Hobbled shade features cascading, looped folds that stay visible even when the shade is fully lowered — giving the finished piece a tailored, formal elegance with an undeniably soft touch.

A few things to keep in mind when planning:

• Choose fabrics with designs that look beautiful in soft folds, and with enough body to hold their shape.
• Expect a taller stack than a typical flat Roman shade — plan your mounting accordingly.

The good news? It's really not much more work to fabricate than a standard Roman, and the result is a premium window treatment your customers will absolutely love!

Hobbled shades offer a meaningful step up in elegance for your customers — and the good news is they require only a little additional effort on your part. Pair that with the Widget's clean, smooth operation, and you have a finished product that truly impresses.

We had a terrific turnout of Widget enthusiasts on last Wednesday’s Widget World Wednesday Zoom call, where the focus was Concealed Hems. As always, the conversation was lively and full of practical tips from across the workroom community.

Judi kicked things off by walking through the Centurion method for concealed hems. She demonstrated how to calculate the correct fabric lengths and how to create concealed hem grips that keep the hardware completely out of sight—resulting in a clean, polished finished shade.

The session also featured several great contributions from the community. Lynn Scott shared her technique of placing the weight rod at the row of rings and using a permanent fold to cover the top stitching, creating a neat and professional appearance. Mary Dwan demonstrated her approach using a permanent fold with stiffener and fiberglass rods to create the grip points needed for the concealed hem.

As the discussion continued, the group explored a variety of related details, including different ways to handle ribs, approaches to top stitching, and strategies for balancing weight distribution across several shade configurations. It was a great example of the kind of collaborative problem-solving that makes these sessions so valuable.

Following the call, we updated the PowerPoint presentation to include the fabric-length formulas discussed during the session, along with photos illustrating Mary Dwan’s method.

If you missed the live call—or would like to review the techniques—a recording of the one-hour session and the updated slides (PDF) are both now available on the Widget World Wednesdays page of our website:

https://www.centurionrs.com/widget-world-wednesdays.html
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Looking ahead, our next Widget World Wednesday will be a general Q&A session on Wednesday, April 8. In a few weeks we’ll be asking for question submissions, so start thinking about what you’d like to ask—and be sure to save the date!

We spent some time this week updating our customer files and couldn’t resist taking a step back to look at the bigger picture—literally. The map of where Widgets are being used turned out to be pretty interesting, and we thought you’d enjoy a quick “geography lesson” of our own.

(Quick note: this data was pulled last Friday—so if you purchased your very first Widget after February 20, don’t worry… we know you’re out there!)

What We’re Seeing

As we looked across the map, a few patterns jumped out—some expected, some a little surprising:

The Southeast is a Roman Shade Hotbed
We had a feeling this might be the case, and the data confirmed it. The Southeast is full of busy workrooms and fabricators who clearly have a soft spot for Roman shades—and for Widgets.

Massachusetts = Widget E-Z Pass Lane
Our workroom friends in Massachusetts have a bit of an advantage. With our proximity, many orders arrive in just one day, at no extra charge. Fast, reliable delivery makes a difference when you’re on a deadline, and we’re glad we can help keep things moving.

Everything’s Bigger in Texas (Including Widget Orders)
The Lone Star State showed up strong. Texas continues to be a big supporter of Widgets, and we’re grateful for the steady stream of orders from across the state.

Across the Pond (and Over the Border)
We’re also proud to support customers beyond the U.S. Workrooms in Canada and the UK continue to order Widgets, and we’ve worked hard to make shipping—including customs and brokerage fees—as smooth and reasonable as possible.

A Milestone in Sight

Alongside this little geography snapshot, we noticed something else worth celebrating:

​We’re now within 10 wholesale accounts of reaching 300 accounts “in the trade.”

That’s a milestone we’re incredibly proud of.

Supporting fellow workrooms has always been at the heart of what we do. At the same time, we remain committed to helping retail customers access the specialized components they need—without having to jump through hoops or pay unreasonable prices.

Thank You
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Whether you’re across town or across the ocean, we appreciate every order, every project, and every workroom that trusts Widgets to help get the job done.

And if you’re not on the map yet… we’ll be updating it again soon. 😉

We’re pleased to announce that we are once again shipping two Hem Grips in our 4-cord Widget kits!
When our 4-cord Widget carried a 5.3 lb. weight capacity, it was beautifully smooth and easy to lower and raise. But we heard from some of you that with larger shades, it occasionally didn’t have quite enough oomph to pull the shade all the way up without a little more of an assist.

As we’ve always said, we curate our Widget Kits based on what we learn from you — our users.

So we made an adjustment.

We moved to a slightly beefier 4-cord Widget with a 6 lb. capacity, and the consensus seems clear: the lifting issue is resolved. The added strength gives larger shades the confident pull they need.

Because the new spring is a bit stiffer, we recommend that shades be planned and presented as a two-handed operation. Using two hands makes raising and lowering smoother and more comfortable for the end user.

And that’s where the return of two Hem Grips comes in. Placed at a comfortable distance apart, they naturally encourage two-handed operation — making the experience intuitive and easier from day one.

If you currently have 4-cord Widget Kits in stock and need additional Hem Grips, just let us know with your next order and we’ll be happy to ship some extras your way.
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As always, thank you for the feedback. It’s how we keep making Widgets better.