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.

This week’s blog post is about community—and what that word truly means to us.

In the world of Widgets, community means staying connected. It’s sharing tips and wins, asking questions, learning from each other, and passing along skills we’ve honed over time. It’s the conversations that happen through this blog, our Widget World Wednesdays monthly Zoom calls, our newsletter, and the many phone calls and emails we exchange with you. That connection is at the heart of what we do.

​But community doesn’t stop at Widgets.
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Community is also where we live—and how we show up for the people around us. So if you ever notice that early in the week we’re a little slower to respond to a question or ship an order, there’s a good reason. Chris volunteers one morning a week as a cook at Gather in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, an organization dedicated to ending hunger on the New Hampshire Seacoast.

Chris is part of Gather’s “Cooking 4 Community” team, a group of volunteers and staff who transform donated food—much of which might otherwise go to waste—into delicious, nutritious meals that are free to take away. The team prepares homemade soups, meals, sides, and desserts, packaging everything into ready-to-go containers so community members have wholesome food when they need it.

So if you ever wonder why we’re a little less responsive now and then, just know that Chris may have set Widgets aside to whip cream—or stir pasta—for a few hours. He’s proud of his weekly contribution to fighting hunger, and we’re proud to support the work he does to strengthen our broader community.
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Community, after all, is about showing up—wherever you’re needed most.

When fabricating a Roman shade, the details you don’t see can make all the difference in how the shade performs. One of those behind-the-scenes heroes? The weight bar.

At Centurion Roman Shade, we recommend using steel weight bars—either flat or round—in Roman shade construction. While some fabricators choose aluminum because it’s lighter and easier to cut with a simple hacksaw, aluminum often doesn’t provide enough weight. The result can be a little bounceback when the shade is fully extended, which means adding extra weight later to get the smooth, tailored look you’re after.

Steel, on the other hand, gives you the weight you need right from the start. The tradeoff? It does take a bit more effort to cut.

If you only make Roman shades occasionally—or if you’re looking to squeeze in a quick arm workout—a hacksaw with a fresh blade will absolutely get the job done. That’s how many of us started.

In our workroom, though, we’re producing enough Roman shades that we’ve upgraded our tools. We now use a battery-powered portable bandsaw, which makes quick, clean cuts through steel flat bars—and even threaded rod. It’s a serious time-saver (and arm-saver), especially when you’re cutting multiple bars in a row.

Judi recently shared a short video on our Instagram page showing the bandsaw in action—just a little tease of how smoothly it works. We’re not endorsing any specific brand here, just the concept of choosing tools that match your workload and help keep your process efficient.

Whether you stick with a trusty hacksaw or step up to powered tools, the takeaway is simple: proper weight matters. Starting with steel helps your Roman shades hang beautifully and function the way they should—no bounceback required.

What You’ll Make

In this two-session online course over two weeks, you’ll learn how to construct a 24" wide x 42" long flat-fold, lined Roman shade, mounted on a board using the Centurion RS Widget lift system, complete with components that meet current cord safety standards.

What’s Included

• Two live, interactive 1-hour online lessons with instructor Susan Woodcock
  • Classes are recorded and available for replay
  • Includes 6 months of online access after the course ends
• Written, step-by-step how-to instructions you can reference anytime

Course Outline

Lesson One

• Measuring the window
• Overview of Roman shades and how they work
• Calculating yardage and working with pattern repeats
• Selecting fabrics
• Measuring and cutting fabric
• Sewing hems and adding lining

Lesson Two

• Finishing hems
• Adding the weight bar
• Planning lift lines
• Sewing shade rings and ladder tape
• Board mounting
• Installing the lift system
• Final installation

Don't miss 2026's first Widget Word Wednesday, on Wed., January 14 at 12:00 noon ET! 

Judi's going to walk through an overview of the Widget kits, as well as some tips for enhancements to your Roman shades! 

Pre-register to join this one, but even if you end up missing it, the recording will be on our website!

Here’s a bit of Roman shade construction wisdom worth tucking away.

When you build a Roman shade using the Widget, the shade is raised and lowered from the bottom hem—either directly or with a hidden hem, as we’ve described in previous blog posts. What’s easy to overlook is where the tension from the lift cords is actually applied.

The cords exert their force at the point where they’re secured. In our work, we always secure the cords to brass rings that are stitched directly to the top edge of a Skirtex hem stiffener. The reason is simple but important: the hem stiffener spreads the load evenly across the full width of the shade.

Without a hem stiffener, the cords pull directly on the fabric at each attachment point. Over time—and often immediately—you’ll see visible dimples forming where the cords are anchored. It’s not a hardware problem or a fabric issue; it’s a force-distribution issue.
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In the photos below, you can see what happens when cords are anchored directly to the shade fabric rather than to a hem stiffener.