What Interior Designers Should Know About Difficult Fabrics for Window Treatments

The designer/workroom relationship is crucial when creating beautiful window treatments for a client’s home. Part of navigating that relationship includes knowing how to successfully collaborate with your workroom partner to make both your jobs easier and improve the final outcome for your client. 

Part of a successful partnership includes understanding the limitations of a window treatment workroom. Today, I will share some of those limitations and clear up a common misconception I often hear when working with interior designers: "workrooms are magicians.” 

Many designers believe workrooms can make any type of window covering out of any fabric. Sadly, that just isn’t true, as much as I wish it were. The right window covering workroom can help you determine the best material for the job and offer suggestions that match the look you want to create for your client. 

Keep reading to learn more about some of the most challenging fabrics and how a window treatment workroom can help you select materials.

Are some fabrics more challenging to work with than others?

Yes, some materials are more difficult to work with, and not all fabrics are ready to roll out, cut, iron, and sew. Materials like velvet, linen, and wool are harder to work with because they often have a mind of their own, making them difficult to tame.

Velvet

Velvet is a stunning material that drapes beautifully and provides a high-end, elegant look. It can be made from cotton, polyester, rayon, acetate, or silk. Each type of velvet performs differently, which is one of the challenges of working with it. Besides that, the velvet can crush if sewn in the wrong direction. It also wrinkles easily and cannot usually be ironed to remove those wrinkles. Additionally, some velvets easily show marks from a sewing machine, meaning the fabric requires hand-stitching from your workroom partner.

Linen  

Linen gives a room a light and airy appearance and is resistant to pilling and fading. But it’s a natural material, which means anything can happen; it might grow or shrink by half an inch, an inch, or more after being installed. Temperature can be a significant factor in how linen reacts, so it is not usually the best option if the window treatment will be near an air vent or in a space that experiences significant temperature changes. Additionally, linen often soils easily and must be professionally cleaned to avoid additional shrinkage. 

If your client prefers a perfectly smooth look, there may be better fabric choices than linen because the material tends to wrinkle easily. Some wrinkling is unavoidable, but your workroom will take extra care to minimize the wrinkling caused by the sewing process and installation. This makes the fabrication of linen draperies more labor-intensive.

There are many different types of linens, with some being stiff and textured and others more limp and pliable. If you want to use linen for a window treatment project, your workroom will need to roll the fabric out and test its drapability to test it thoroughly. If you need help deciding whether to use linen in a project, consider asking your workroom partner to test the fabric in front of you to get an idea of how it will behave.  I have been known to crumple a linen to show a client just how easily it wrinkles to ensure they knew what to expect from the final product.

Even with thorough testing, your workroom partner may not know precisely how the linen will grow or shrink until it’s installed in your client’s home. If you want a drapery panel to hover, your workroom may not hem it before installation to give the material a chance to react to its home environment. A panel that breaks or puddles tends to be less risky because these lengths allow for more leeway.

If the linen is soft and stretchy, your workroom may be able to add a fusible backing to stabilize the material and help minimize growth or shrinkage. This often works well for linen roman shades because the backing will also add body and help the shade fold neatly.

Casement and sheer fabrics

Casement and sheer fabrics, though different materials, can both provide an ethereal feel by allowing soft light to filter into the space. Casement fabrics typically let less light in and create a more textured appearance than sheers. 

Both types of fabrics come with challenges and limitations for your workroom. The transparency means that any cords, rings, or ribs used on shades will likely show through to the front of the window treatment. Depending on the material, you and your clients may only see a shadow of these elements.

The combination of transparency and instability also means casement and sheer fabrics are not suitable for valances. For draperies and shades, workrooms can oftentimes overcome the instability by adding an iron-on stabilizer or a sheer lining. This will help prevent stretching or sagging in the final product. 

Sheer draperies, in particular, require extra attention during the fabrication process. Some sheer material is quite slippery, so your workroom partner will take extra care to ensure the hems are straight. Other sheers must be hemmed by hand to achieve the look you and your clients expect. These small details are essential and create a beautiful product, but they also mean that fabricating sheers can be quite labor-intensive. 

3 tips for choosing a suitable fabric for your next window treatment project

Although some fabrics are naturally more challenging to work with, that’s not the only limitation window treatment workrooms face. Not every material will be suitable for every type of window covering. For example, a fabric may work really well for a roman shade but not for a valance or drapery panel. An experienced workroom can help you determine if a material is right for the job and help you choose a more suitable option, if necessary. 

When narrowing down your options for a particular project, keep the following tips in mind:

Tip #1: Consider the fabric’s weight

The weight of a material typically falls into one of three categories: 

1. Lightweight fabrics weigh less than four ounces per square yard. They’re great for filtering light while still providing your clients with some privacy. Lightweight materials can often be used for drapery panels and roman shades.

2. Medium-weight fabrics weigh between five and eight ounces per square yard. These materials are very versatile, blocking some light and providing privacy. When combined with a lining, medium-weight fabrics tend to hang well without being too heavy, making them a good choice for large drapery panels or roman shades.

3. Heavyweight fabrics weigh more than eight ounces per square yard. They typically block out quite a bit of light and provide additional insulation, so they seem like a good choice for bedrooms, media rooms, and dens. But, heavyweight fabrics can be difficult to hang and use, especially for larger window treatments. That means they’re often better suited for stationary treatments.

Tip #2: Test the drapability

To test a fabric’s drapability, gather a section in your hand to see how it falls. If it falls into place along the folds, it may work well for drapery panels, swags, and valances. Velvets and linens tend to hang beautifully and make wonderful drapery panels because of this.

Tip #3: Partner with a window treatment workroom you trust

Although the weight of a fabric and its drapability are vital for determining whether a material is suitable for your window treatment project, there are many other things to consider. Every fabric will perform differently, but an experienced workroom can help you determine and source the right material that will match your design vision.

Lisa Jones Interiors is the workroom you can trust

I have been sewing since I was a little girl and have focused strictly on fabricating beautiful, custom interiors for over 25 years. This experience has taught me a lot about fabrics, and I can recommend the right material or window treatment style without compromising your vision. Throughout the process, I will connect with you every step of the way to ensure the finished product is something your client is proud to own. If you’re ready to partner with a window treatment workroom you can trust, contact me today!