Instructions on making a cascade blind

Making Cascade Blinds:

A Cascade Blind, or cascade shade as it is sometimes known, is a simple solution for a small window where curtains would be impracticable, such as a bathroom or small kitchen window. It is best to use a lightweight fabric as heavyweight's do not give the desired effect. These free sewing instructions will enable you to make your own Cascade Blind as a window treatment.

	Requirements:	A Simple Cascade Blind.
	Fabric.
	Lining
	Velcro or touch and close fastener.
	Small brass rings (.5 inches or 125mm diametre approx).
	A wooden batten, 1 inch * 1 inch (2.5cms * 2.5cms) the width of the window frame.
	Cord.
	Brass eyelets.
	Wooden or brass acorn and a wall cleat.

	Making the Blind:
	Measure the width to the outside of the window frame, add 16 inches (40cms) to this figure.
	Measure the depth of the window frame and add 8 inches (20cms) to this figure.
	Cut your fabric to these measurements making sure that any pattern on the fabric is centred.
	Fold over 8 inches (20cms) of fabric down each side and 4 inches (10cms) along the top and bottom to the wrong side of the fabric and press.
	Open the folds out again and fold the corner point over until the point of the pressed fold meets the fold of the corner, trim away excess fabric from the mitered corner. Do this on all the corners.
	Fold the sides, top and bottom of the fabric again.
	Cut a piece of lining the size of the window frame (width) and the depth of the window frame plus 4 inches (10cms).
	Along each side and the bottom of the lining fold a hem 1 inch (2.5cms) wide to the wrong side of the lining. Fold 4 inches (10cms) along the top edge. Press all folds. You should now have a piece of lining which is 2 inches (5cms) narrower and 1" (2.5cms) shorter than the blind.
	Lay the blind, right side down, on a flat surface. Lay the lining, wrong side down, on top of the blind positioning it level with the top of the blind and centrally across the width of the blind. Pin the lining into position.
	Hand slipstitch the lining in position along the bottom and both sides. Take care not to catch the front fabric of the blind in your stitches.
	Pin a strip of Velcro along the top edge of the blind and machine stitch in place.
	Lay the blind face down on a flat surface and mark a 3 lines (using chalk or a fabric pen). These lines should divide the blind width into 4 equal segments. Important: Make sure these lines are parallel to the blind's outside edges.
	Measure, mark and pin 12 inch (30cms) intervals from the bottom to the top of each line. Sew brass rings into position at each of these points.
	Cut 3 lengths of cord each measuring 1.5 times the length of the blind plus the width of the blind. These will be trimmed at a later stage.
	Attach a wooden batten to the top of the window frame, this can be painted, stained or fabric covered.
	Screw a brass eyelet into the underside of the batten at a position exactly the same as the rings on the blind. Also place an eyelet at either the extreme left or right depending on which side you wish the blind to be operated from.
	Glue Velcro onto the front face of the batten.
	To cord the blind, tie a length of nylon cord to each of the rings at the base of the blind; run the cords through the rings above and along the screw eyelets on the batten. Extend the cord to approximately halfway down the blind, either to the left or to the right, depending on which side the blind is to pull up from.
	Attach the Velcro at the top of the blind to the Velcro on the batten.
	At a convenient height and to the side of wall that the cords are to fall, screw on the cleat. Pull up the blind and level off the cords and trim them. Thread the cords through the acorn, knot them together.

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Making Cascade Blinds:

Requirements:

Making the Blind:

Measure the width to the outside of the window frame, add 16 inches (40cms) to this figure.

Measure the depth of the window frame and add 8 inches (20cms) to this figure.

Cut your fabric to these measurements making sure that any pattern on the fabric is centred.

Fold over 8 inches (20cms) of fabric down each side and 4 inches (10cms) along the top and bottom to the wrong side of the fabric and press.

Open the folds out again and fold the corner point over until the point of the pressed fold meets the fold of the corner, trim away excess fabric from the mitered corner. Do this on all the corners.

Fold the sides, top and bottom of the fabric again.

Cut a piece of lining the size of the window frame (width) and the depth of the window frame plus 4 inches (10cms).

Along each side and the bottom of the lining fold a hem 1 inch (2.5cms) wide to the wrong side of the lining. Fold 4 inches (10cms) along the top edge. Press all folds. You should now have a piece of lining which is 2 inches (5cms) narrower and 1" (2.5cms) shorter than the blind.

Lay the blind, right side down, on a flat surface. Lay the lining, wrong side down, on top of the blind positioning it level with the top of the blind and centrally across the width of the blind. Pin the lining into position.

Hand slipstitch the lining in position along the bottom and both sides. Take care not to catch the front fabric of the blind in your stitches.

Pin a strip of Velcro along the top edge of the blind and machine stitch in place.

Lay the blind face down on a flat surface and mark a 3 lines (using chalk or a fabric pen). These lines should divide the blind width into 4 equal segments. Important: Make sure these lines are parallel to the blind's outside edges.

Measure, mark and pin 12 inch (30cms) intervals from the bottom to the top of each line. Sew brass rings into position at each of these points.

Cut 3 lengths of cord each measuring 1.5 times the length of the blind plus the width of the blind. These will be trimmed at a later stage.

Attach a wooden batten to the top of the window frame, this can be painted, stained or fabric covered.

Screw a brass eyelet into the underside of the batten at a position exactly the same as the rings on the blind. Also place an eyelet at either the extreme left or right depending on which side you wish the blind to be operated from.

Glue Velcro onto the front face of the batten.

Attach the Velcro at the top of the blind to the Velcro on the batten.

At a convenient height and to the side of wall that the cords are to fall, screw on the cleat. Pull up the blind and level off the cords and trim them. Thread the cords through the acorn, knot them together.