Bold Fabric, Thoughtful Function: Roman Shades That Do Both

Roman shades have long been a favorite in interior design—for good reason. Their tailored look, simple operation, and versatility make them a natural fit in everything from cozy cottages to sleek modern homes. But perhaps the most beautiful thing about Roman shades is how they showcase fabric.
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Whether raised and softly folded or lowered to lie flat, the fabric is always on display—bringing color, personality, and polish to a space.

Design Meets Practicality

In addition to looking great, Roman shades can serve a very practical purpose. By adding blackout or thermal dimout lining, the shades can offer better insulation—making rooms more energy-efficient during hot summer days or chilly nights.
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These beautiful examples by Mary Dwan for Trinity Home in Decatur, Georgia prove that functionality doesn't have to compromise style. The bold fabric choices reflect the personality of each space, while the blackout lining allows for light control and privacy, even as the shades remain a visual highlight.

Details That Make a Difference

Each 52” wide shade uses dual Centurion 3-cord Widgets, which make them easy to operate and child-safe—an essential feature for today’s homes.
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Mary added another thoughtful detail: to preserve the full bottom width for decorative trim, she sewed a slim “grabber” bar into the same seam as the weight bar pocket. That same seam also forms the one permanent fold on the shade, creating a clean and structured finish.

A lightweight fiberglass rod stabilizes the rod pocket and allows the “grabber” to function as a hidden handhold—making it easy to raise and lower the shade without disturbing its neat appearance.

Smart Design with Heart
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These shades are a wonderful example of how beautiful design and clever construction can go hand in hand. With a few smart choices—like fabric that reflects the home’s style, blackout lining for performance, the child-safe Centurion Widget lift system, and thoughtful fabrication techniques—you can have a Roman shade that does it all.

Thinking about Roman shades for your customers?
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We’d love to help you bring beauty, simplicity and safe functionality to your windows. 

How to Properly Secure Cords When Mounting the Centurion Widget
Installing a Centurion Widget on a Roman shade? One of the most important steps is securing the lift cords at full extension before pulling the pin to tension the Widget. It’s a small step that makes a big difference—and skipping it can cause major frustration.

Why Cord Security Matters
If the cords aren’t anchored using orbs and knots, they can slip right through the brass rings and retract all the way into the Widget. Fixing this requires fully re-spooling the unit—not something you want to deal with mid-project!

Step-by-Step: How to Secure the Cords

1. Thread the cords through the ladder tape and the brass ring at the bottom of the shade.
2. Attach an orb to each cord, sliding it up so it rests snugly against the brass ring. This ensures the cord remains taut from the ring all the way up to the Widget.
3. Do not trim the excess cord just yet! Instead:
4. Pass the cord below the orb back through the button opening accessible above where the orb is clamped on the cord.
5. Temporarily knot the cord back on itself to prevent slippage while you finish handling or installing the shade.

​After You Pull the Pin
Once the Widget is tensioned and you’ve tested the shade (either in the workroom or onsite) and confirmed it’s working properly, then you can trim the excess cord.
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Leave enough length below the orb to tie off the cord permanently using a double half-hitch knot. This is our recommended method on the CenturionRS.com FAQ, and we even include a diagram to guide you through tying it correctly. Remember: two half-hitches = one full hitch knot.

If you've ever wanted to make your own custom Roman shades but didn’t know where to start, Susan Woodcock’s Workroom Tech Online classes are the perfect place. And good news—you don’t need to be a professional workroom operator to take part.
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In fact, Susan’s classes are a wonderful resource for home sewing enthusiasts who want to build their skills, explore a new hobby, or even start a side business. With the right guidance, tools, and instruction, you’ll be surprised how quickly you can go from “curious” to “confident.”

A Perfect Beginner Project
Roman shades are one of the most popular window treatment styles today—and for good reason. They’re practical, stylish, and beginner-friendly. A flat-fold Roman shade doesn’t require a large sewing space or as much fabric as draperies, making it an ideal first project.
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In this two-week online course, Susan will guide you through the process of making a lined, flat-fold Roman shade (24" wide x 42" long) mounted on a board and operated using the Centurion Roman Shade Widget Kit—a professional-grade, cordless lift system that meets child safety standards.

The Centurion Roman Shade Widget Kit
The Centurion Widget Kit is the only Roman shade system sold as a kit to both workroom professionals and everyday retail customers. It includes nearly everything you need to make a child-safe shade—just add your own fabric, a wood headrail, and a steel weight bar (the last two readily available at most hardware stores).

What You’ll Learn in Class
The course includes:

• Two live, 1-hour interactive lessons with Susan Woodcock
• Recorded video access for 3 months after the class ends
• Step-by-step written instructions to follow along and reference later

Lesson One: Getting Started

• Understanding Roman shade construction
• Measuring your window
• Calculating fabric needs and handling pattern repeats
• Choosing and cutting fabric
• Creating hems and adding lining

​Lesson Two: Assembly & Installation

• Finishing hems and inserting the weight bar
• Planning lift lines, rings, and ladder tape
• Mounting the shade on a board
• Installing the lift system
• Final installation tips

Who Should Take This Class?

​This is a beginner-level course, perfect for anyone with a basic understanding of sewing. You’ll need a few general tools and supplies, and once you register, you’ll receive a full materials list—plus an exclusive discount code for the Centurion Widget Kit.

Start Sewing Like a Pro
Whether you want to build beautiful window treatments for your own home or take the first step toward a home-based sewing business, this class is a fantastic introduction to Roman shades—and a fun, rewarding way to grow your skills.

Ready to get started?
Visit Workroom Tech to register and begin your Roman shade journey with Susan Woodcock and the Widget!

Relaxed Roman shades—sometimes called soft Romans—are known for their graceful swooping shape at the bottom hem. Unlike traditional Roman shades, which are squared off and structured, a relaxed Roman shade is designed with a gentle swag through the center. That’s the “relaxed” part—it’s not held rigidly in place by cords, giving the shade a more casual, elegant drape.
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This softer shape makes relaxed Romans a favorite in bedrooms, sitting rooms, and other spaces where a bit of romantic style is welcome. But it’s important to understand how they function—and how to help your client love their finished shade.

Set Expectations: These Shades Like to Be Left Alone

Relaxed Romans look best when left mostly in the down position. That doesn’t mean they can’t be operable—but if your client is particular about things being perfectly symmetrical, they may find the shade needs a little adjusting after each time it’s raised or lowered. Sometimes the fabric behaves and settles back into place with no effort, but often, a little fluffing or patting is required.
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Letting your customer know this ahead of time helps ensure they’re delighted with the final result.

Don’t Skip the Weight Bar
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Whether your relaxed Roman is flat, banded, trimmed, or interlined, all versions require a weight bar or rod at the bottom hem. This critical component does two things:

• It keeps the vertical ring columns evenly spaced, so the shade doesn’t pinch inward at the sides.
• It provides structure to help the shade raise and lower cleanly.

Even with that swooping shape, structure matters!

Use a 2-Cord Widget for Clean Operation

We recommend using a 2-cord Widget system, mounted directly to the headrail. This simple hardware setup gives you smooth, child-safe lifting power with minimal hardware, making it ideal for the more delicate look of a relaxed Roman.

You’ll see in the image above how discreet and effective the Widget is in a finished shade.

​Inspired to build a Relaxed Roman? Order your Widget Kit today!