Pleats 101
Start here.
Most designers can picture the drapery. What stops them is everything in between: how to measure it, what to send the workroom, what things cost, and what to charge.
Pleats 101 walks you through that middle part using the systems I use in my own window treatment business. Not theory. The actual process, including the parts nobody hands out.
What you learn
The language of the trade, so you can talk to a workroom without guessing
Measuring drapery, Roman shades, solar shades and cellular shades
What to send the workroom, and what comes back if you leave something off
Hardware, mounts and the details that decide whether it hangs right
Pricing and markup, so you know what you're actually making on the job
What comes with it
Self-paced video lessons you can watch on your schedule and pull up on a job site
The Pleats 101 field guide, with the charts, diagrams and measuring worksheets I use
My yardage calculator, for estimating before you order
Your guide to finding a workroom and drapery hardware
• • Live Zoom the first and third Thursday, 10am Mountain, questions emailed by 5pm the Wednesday before.
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ROMAN SHADES
Roman shades, start to finish. Which styles are worth your time, inside mount or outside mount, how to measure and mark your sheet, light gaps and blackout, stacking so your client keeps the view, mechanisms, figuring yardage, and what happens past 48 inches when you’re into seams. Plus the mistakes I’ve paid for, including why I don’t steam a Roman. You’ll be able to stand at a window, decide what it needs, and order it right the first time.
Roman shades, start to finish. Which styles are worth your time, inside mount or outside mount, how to measure and mark your sheet, light gaps and blackout, stacking so your client keeps the view, mechanisms, figuring yardage, and what happens past 48 inches when you’re into seams. Plus the mistakes I’ve paid for, including why I don’t steam a Roman. You’ll be able to stand at a window, decide what it needs, and order it right the first time.
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DRAPERY AND HARDWARE
Drapery is where the money is, and where the details decide whether it looks custom or homemade. This section covers pleat styles and what different workrooms call them, fullness, how to measure for a split or a one-way draw, stacking and why it’s the thing you’re really solving for, hardware and the deductions that come with it, beams and ceilings, and ceiling-mount math. You’ll be able to measure a window, pick the right pleat and hardware, and write an order a workroom can build from.
Drapery is where the money is, and where the details decide whether it looks custom or homemade. This section covers pleat styles and what different workrooms call them, fullness, how to measure for a split or a one-way draw, stacking and why it’s the thing you’re really solving for, hardware and the deductions that come with it, beams and ceilings, and ceiling-mount math. You’ll be able to measure a window, pick the right pleat and hardware, and write an order a workroom can build from.
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SOLAR SHADES, CELLULAR SHADES AND BUSINESS
Solar and cellular shades are where a lot of jobs start, and the business side is where they pay off. This section covers measuring and mounting for both, reverse roll, hem bars and the trim that catches a shade, the colors to skip, and when motorization is worth it. Then the part nobody teaches: side marking, the workroom order, what goes on your estimate, markup, on-site fees, payment terms, and what to do when you make a mistake. The business of window treatments, start to finish.
Solar and cellular shades are where a lot of jobs start, and the business side is where they pay off. This section covers measuring and mounting for both, reverse roll, hem bars and the trim that catches a shade, the colors to skip, and when motorization is worth it. Then the part nobody teaches: side marking, the workroom order, what goes on your estimate, markup, on-site fees, payment terms, and what to do when you make a mistake. The business of window treatments, start to finish.
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What's Included More Than Videos
The charts, diagrams and measuring worksheets I use on real jobs, in one guide you can keep open on a job site. Pleat styles, stacking, mount deductions, fullness, pattern repeats. No more hunting through a vendor book on your phone in someone’s living room.
The Field Guide
The first and third Thursday of every month at 10am Mountain, I go live and answer the questions you’ve sent in by 5pm the Wednesday before. Real windows, real jobs, real problems. Send yours any time during the month and bring it to the call. This is the part that makes the difference: you’re never stuck on a measurement with nobody to ask.
Live Group Q& A
Kelly Shropshire, Instructor
My yardage calculator, so you can work out fabric before you order instead of hoping. Put in your measurements, your fullness and your repeat, and get a number you can put on an estimate. It’s the tool I wish I’d had when I started.
The Drapery Yardage Calculator
I’m building a place where designers learning this work can talk to each other, share jobs, and ask questions between sessions. Coming soon, and students get in first.
Kelly Pleats Community