Workroom Wednesday – Designs by Donna

I have started a series that will showcase a different drapery workroom each week.  These talented artisans can take an idea or a photo and a bolt of fabric and turn it into an amazing creation that adds so much to your home.

Designs By Donna is a custom home furnishing design and fabrication studio serving the greater Atlanta area since 1989.  Although Designs By Donna is experienced in creating a wide range of home furnishings, they take pride in their outstanding ability to create beautiful treatments for those difficult two story windows.  Ladies, you know you don’t want your husband on a ladder 20’ in the air trying to hang curtains.

Do you have a room that needs something more special than plain panels ?  This panel has an attached swag with beaded trim on the edge.

Roman shades can be simple or elaborate and these have a scalloped edge and banding on all three sides as well as on the valance. 

This valance has contrasting pleats and banding at the lower edge. The custom painted finials are from House Parts.

This is a fancy treatment that has probably the most difficult cascades for any workroom to make. It is something that you would find in the times of King Louis XV in France.  She has updated it with a contemporary and modern fabric.

These London shades are elegant and tailored. They combine the simplicity of a Casual Roman Shade and the fullness of a Balloon Shade.

This pull up swag valance shows all the details like contrast banding, tassel and flower medallion.  A treatment like this works well on an arched window or a window with a lot of wall space above.

Donna has created a slipcover that has an amazing amount of detail.  Notice the pleated ruffle, contrast cording, buttons and tassels. 

Donna has spoken at the International Window Coverings Expo as an expert panelist on Pricing in the Industry and on Embellishing Window Treatments and Working with Difficult Drapery Panels as well as teaching classes on designing and fabricating window treatments at Gainesville College.

        

She is a member of  the Window Coverings Association of America, Window Fashions Certification Program, The Custom Home Furnishings network, Designers Workroom Council, and Drapery Pro  Network.

To see more of her beautiful window coverings go to www.designsbydonnaatlanta.com

Workroom Wednesday Palmetto Drapery

I have started a series that will showcase a different drapery workroom each week.  These talented artisans can take an idea or a photo and a bolt of fabric and turn it into an amazing creation that adds so much to your home.


Palmetto Drapery is a custom home furnishings workroom located in Anderson, SC.  Serving upstate SC and surrounding areas since 1995, owner Judy Peters moved her growing business into a 12’ x 18’ custom built addition to her home in 2003.

Below are some creative and fun options for shower curtains.  There’s Teto and Jerome from my kitchen window treatments !



Judy used three different fabrics on this valance to really make the details stand out.  Bandings and buttons are a great way to add interest to a simple valance.

This little girl’s room has coordinating fabrics and treatments that are bright and happy.



I love the way she mixed paisley, stripe and dragonfly fabrics.

I asked Judy what she like most about owning a custom workroom and she said,
“I have always had a passion for sewing, even as a young child. I believe a person is most contented and happy when they are doing something they enjoy and believe in.  A person's dream home should be more than just a dream.  I feel privileged to be in a position to help others live there best lives in surroundings they love. It is my desire that no matter where my clients may travel, they always look forward to coming home.”
Judy is a member of the WCAA, WFCP and the Drapery and Design Professional Network Forum. 
You can visit her website here http://www.palmettodrapery.com/
       

Please take a moment to enter my Dwell giveaway HERE

Workroom Wednesday – Decorate My Windows

I have started a series that will showcase a different drapery workroom each week.  These talented artisans can take an idea or a photo and a bolt of fabric and turn it into an amazing creation that adds so much to your home.

 

KC Designs, LLC is a company focused on creating custom window treatments.   KC Designs is located in beautiful Vestavia Hills, Alabama and is owned by Kim Coleman.  Kim has been creating custom window treatments since 1992 and has owned her own window treatment business since 1998.  Prior to relocating her business to Vestavia Hills, Alabama, Kim maintained a select clientele in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Decorate My Windows is her website dedicated to the creation of custom window treatments and accessories.  Here is some of her gorgeous work.

I love the contrast panel on this cornice and the tassel is a perfect finishing touch. 

This valance hanging from medallions is an excellent way to treat a bow window.

I love how the swags follow the curve of the arch window.

The header on this panel is called a Euro pleat and is a more up to date version of a pinch pleat.  Notice the tassel fringe on the leading edge and the gorgeous gold hardware.

What little girl wouldn’t love this happy bedroom.  The fabric has little poodles all over it and the panels have a real “poodle skirt”. 

 

This bed received the royal treatment with a swag corona and  lots of pillows. Gorgeous !

Have you ever seen anything this cute ?  I’m hiding Zoe’s eyes so she won’t be jealous!

I think London shades are one of my favorite treatments right now (If you’ve noticed I’ve had one in just about every WW post) I love the combination of fabrics and cording and tassel fringe, such a beautiful shape.

It seems I always save the pillows for last……. I love this arrangement: toile, ruffles, braid, embroidery, oh my !

This pillow reminds me of a framed piece of art but even better because it has fringe !

Thanks Kim for participating in Workroom Wednesday, your work is outstanding.

Workroom Wednesday – threadneedle studio

I have started a series that will showcase a different drapery workroom each week.  These talented artisans can take an idea or a photo and a bolt of fabric and turn it into an amazing creation that adds so much to your home.

Angie Knowles started her slipcover business in 2000 on the front porch of her home.  She eventually moved to the garage and then to a retail space.  In 2005 Angie and her husband purchased a home with space specifically for her business.

Angie came to slip covering in a round about way.  After receiving her certificate in Pattern making and Apparel Design from Bates Technical College in Tacoma, WA Angie and her family moved back to her home town of St. Petersburg, FL.  Angie had intended to use her skills as a freelance pattern maker, but was unable to find work in St. Petersburg.  To pass the time she worked part time at a local fabric store.  The fabric store offered a home décor services, to include slipcovers.  When the local slipcover maven suddenly retired due to health reasons, Angie realized there was no one else in the area doing slipcovers.  She reasoned, “if I can make a dress, surly, I can make a slipcover.” Thus her slipcover business was born.

Angie loves the challenge of fitting the slipcover to the clients specifications, whether it is skin tight or loose and shabby.  Angie has recently started offering custom screen printing services to her clients.  They really like being able to have a screen printed monogram on their slipcover.

 

 

 

 

In addition to fabricating custom slipcovers Angie is also an instructor at the annual Slipcover Summit; having taught at the Summit since 2004.  She also hosted the Summit in sunny St. Pete in 2005.  Angie says “I have always enjoyed teaching sewing and the Summit offers me the chance to help keep the art of slip covering alive.”

This cute project was published as a one yard wonder………

 

 

Angie is a member of the Slipcover Network and the Custom Home Furnishings.

Angie hosts a Slipcover Showoff Party at her blog threadneedle studio go have a look or link up your own if you are lucky enough to be able to make them too !

 

Just a reminder to go enter my fabric giveaway at The Stories of A to Z

Workroom Wednesday – Artisan Designs

I have started a series that will showcase a different drapery workroom each week.  These talented artisans can take an idea or a photo and a bolt of fabric and turn it into an amazing creation that adds so much to your home.

For the past nine years Annie Davis has owned Artisan Designs, a to the trade only workroom in  the Omaha area.  She loves to do hand detailing and specialty techniques because of her background in quilting. 
Cornices are a specialty of Artisan Designs.  These are shaped at the bottom with a banding and nail head trim.

Lambrequins are hard cornices that have longer legs that come down the side of the window. 

This cornice is custom designed to fit into a corner.  The detail on this one is amazing with banding, cording, two fabrics and tassels.

This is a very unique drapery panel.  It has a sheer panel inset into the fabric with bead trim at the top and bottom.

The panels in this bedroom are pulled back by a technique called Italian stringing.

Swag and horn valances are hanging from knobs or medallions.  This is a good example of keeping continuity by mounting all your valances at the same height in an open floor plan.


Using a fabric panel is a great option for making a closet door.

They also build and upholster custom vanity stools and ottomans.

This pillow is an example of the fine details in Annie’s work.  It has a hand ruched trim between the pleated banding and the center panel with a box pleated ruffle around the outside.  The origami flower is the center is called a fennel. It’s gorgeous !


Annie has attended many educational seminars and keeps up with all the latest techniques in our industry and that is obvious looking at her work.  She is also a member of the WCAA and is a Drapery and Design Professional Network Member.
To see more of her beautiful creations in her online photo album go to www.artisandesignsomaha.com