Made-to-measure guide

Ordering made-to-measure always raises the same questions. Here are our answers, exactly as our workshop and our manufacturers apply them — with precise figures, not approximations.

This guide has three parts:

1. Roller blinds — measuring, fabrics, maximum dimensions
2. Choosing a fabric — width, pattern repeat, light control, care
3. Ordering from us — sign-off sheet, lead times, returns

Get this guide as a PDF — 8 pages, to keep or to print.

1. Roller blinds

Measuring up

This is the step that worries people most, and it is the simplest once you know the rule.

• Finished width = recess width minus 1 cm
• Finished height = recess height

Measure the width at the top and at the bottom of the window, and keep the smaller figure. Measure the height on the left and on the right, and keep the smaller figure. A window is rarely perfectly square.

Recess fit or face fit

Recess fit — the blind sits inside the window reveal. This is the most discreet installation. The rules above apply as they stand.

Face fit — the blind is fixed to the wall, in front of the window. It must then be wider and taller than the opening, so that light does not escape down the sides.

The point that catches people out most often

Always give us the finished dimensions — those of the completed blind, not those of the window. Unless you tell us otherwise, the measurements you send are taken to be finished dimensions.

Rest assured: before anything is made, you receive a sign-off sheet to approve, which restates your measurements. Nothing goes into production without your agreement.

Choosing your fabric

Four families, from the most translucent to the darkest.

What does "3% screen" mean?

Screen fabrics carry a percentage: 1%, 3%, 5% or 10%. It is the proportion of open space in the weave.

• The lower the percentage, the stronger the solar protection and the greater the privacy
• The higher it is, the clearer the view out remains

A 3% gives better protection from the sun; a 10% gives a better view outside.

For genuinely complete blackout

A blackout fabric on its own still lets a thin line of light through at the sides. To remove those lines, you need the PLUS cassette with side channels. It is the choice for bedrooms where you want total darkness.

Child safety

A European standard governs internal window coverings: EN 13120, supplemented by EN 16433 and EN 16434, addressing the strangulation risk posed by cord and chain loops.

All our internal blinds comply. It is the first thing to consider for a child's bedroom.

How large can a blind be?

These limits come from manufacturing. We check them with you as a matter of course before any order is placed.

Dimensions in centimetres, width × height.

What if my blind is wider than the fabric?

Our fabrics are around 290 to 300 cm wide. Beyond that, the fabric has to be joined.

If the height stays below the fabric width, the fabric is turned through ninety degrees and supplied without a seam. If the height also exceeds the fabric width, a horizontal seam becomes necessary — it is then placed as high as possible.

We advise against both. Turned fabric holds less well: the risk of side rippling increases. A seam remains visible. We will tell you plainly if your project comes close to those limits.

2. Choosing a fabric for made-to-measure curtains

A fabric can win you over at first sight through its colour, its pattern or its handle. Those qualities are not enough to guarantee that it will suit your window, your room or the intended use.

For a made-to-measure curtain project, the technical data sheet matters as much as the sample. Knowing how to read it means avoiding unpleasant surprises when the quantity is calculated, when the curtains are made and when they are installed.

Start with how the room is actually used

Before looking at any figures, you have to define what the curtain is for. In a living room, you are usually after pleasant light, a degree of privacy and a beautiful drape. In a bedroom, blackout becomes the priority.

The questions to ask are very practical:

• Do you need to filter the light, or achieve near-complete darkness?
• Is the window strongly exposed to the sun?
• Do you want privacy without losing natural light?
• Will the fabric need frequent cleaning?
• Are you looking to improve the acoustic comfort of the room?

A technical data sheet only has value when read against the real use of the space.

Fabric width, and why it changes everything

Fabric width is the dimension from one selvedge to the other.

A wide width often allows a curtain to be made railroaded — run sideways — with fewer vertical seams. That is particularly useful for sheers, plain fabrics and large glazed openings.

Be careful: a 300 cm fabric is not automatically usable in both directions. The design, the weave, the selvedges or the technical characteristics may impose a specific orientation. We check this for you.

What goes into calculating the quantity

The width of the window is not enough to determine how much fabric is needed. The calculation takes in:

• how far the track or pole extends beyond the window;
• the fullness chosen to form the pleats;
• the number of panels;
• any pattern repeats;
• the hems and making-up allowances.

A curtain with too little fullness quickly loses its elegance, even in a very beautiful fabric.

Pattern repeat on a figured fabric

The repeat is the interval at which the design starts again. The vertical repeat gives the height needed before the pattern begins afresh; the horizontal repeat, its recurrence across the width.

Some designs have a straight match: the motifs line up at the same level from one width to the next. Others use a half-drop match, offset from one width to the following one.

This information is essential for aligning the design across the widths of a curtain. It has a direct effect on the quantity required — here is an example.

A finished curtain 230 cm long is to be made in a fabric with a vertical repeat of 74 cm. The heading and hem allowances bring the required cutting length to roughly 270 cm. Three repeats are no longer enough: they come to only 222 cm. So four repeats are needed, that is 296 cm.

That extra fabric is not waste. It is what preserves the continuity of the design and produces two visually balanced panels.

Weight, drape and fullness: three different things

The weight of a fabric is a useful indication, but on its own it does not tell you how the fabric will drape. Two fabrics of comparable weight can behave very differently: one soft and fluid, the other drier and more structured. The fibres, the weave, the finishes, the lining and the method of making up all play a part.

Fullness is the ratio between the width of fabric used and the width to be covered. A wave heading, a Flemish pleat or a gathered sheer do not call for the same generosity.

Blackout, dimout, thermal, acoustic: do not confuse them

These four terms are often used together although they describe different functions. Each has to be verified separately.

Three points that prevent misunderstandings:

• Colour affects blackout. Within the same range, some pale colours let more light through than a dark shade.
• Thermal performance depends on the fitting. The dimensions of the curtain, its proximity to the window and the gaps left at the top, at the bottom and at the sides all change the result.
• Perceived acoustic comfort is not a measured acoustic performance. Where a project sets a specific target, the corresponding test results must be requested.

Martindale, light fastness and care

The Martindale test measures resistance to abrasion. It is particularly relevant to seating, which is subject to repeated rubbing. It is not the first criterion to examine for a curtain — a curtain does not rub.

Close to a window, light fastness matters more. Prolonged exposure to sunlight can degrade certain fibres or certain shades. A suitable lining protects the decorative fabric while improving both the drape and the blackout.

The care symbols should be studied before ordering: washing, dry cleaning, ironing, drying. It is worth checking that the recommended care can realistically be carried out, without weakening the fabric or distorting the making-up.

Fire rating

A commercial claim such as "flame retardant" or "fire treated" is not enough. What is needed is a valid certificate or test report corresponding to the reference, to the colourway and, where specified, to the way the fabric is used.

Classifications vary between countries and fields of application. If your project is subject to a fire safety requirement, tell us: we will establish which standard applies and provide you with the corresponding document.

Beyond general claims

The words "natural", "sustainable" or "responsible" do not, on their own, allow a product to be assessed. A serious choice rests on verifiable elements: full composition, available certifications, any proportion of recycled fibres and how that is verified, substances subject to testing, care conditions, expected service life, and end-of-life recommendations.

The checklist before approving a fabric

Ten points are worth confirming before any order:

1. the use of the room and its constraints;
2. the exact dimensions of the opening and of the fitting system;
3. the width of the fabric and the direction in which it may be used;
4. the vertical and horizontal repeat of the design;
5. the level of transparency or blackout;
6. light fastness;
7. care requirements;
8. the fire rating, where one is needed;
9. the certifications and documents available;
10. how the sample looks in the real light of the room.

This check protects the budget, the schedule and the final quality of the project.

Frequently asked questions about fabrics

Is a blackout fabric necessarily thermal?
No. Blackout concerns the passage of light. Thermal contribution depends on the construction of the fabric, the lining, the dimensions and the quality of the installation.

Is the Martindale test essential for a curtain?
Not as a rule. For a curtain, light fastness, drape, care and dimensional stability are often more relevant.

Why order a sample if the technical data sheet is complete?
Because a screen does not reproduce colour, handle, transparency or the way a fabric behaves in folds. The sample must be looked at in the room concerned.

What increases the quantity needed for a printed fabric?
The vertical repeat, the alignment between widths, the making-up allowances and where you want the design to sit.

The decorator's eye

A technical data sheet cannot, on its own, tell you how beautifully a fabric will drape. For that you have to handle the sample, fold it, look at it against the light and see it in the real light of the room.

The same colour can look cooler in a north-facing room and warmer in late-afternoon light. The transparency of a sheer cannot be judged on a table: it has to be seen in front of the window.

The data makes the project safe; the decorator's eye and hand make it right.

The Bellevue view

The fabric, the making-up and the fitting system must always be considered together. A perfectly suitable fabric can give a disappointing result if the track is too short, if the fullness is insufficient, or if the repeats are not aligned. Conversely, well-judged making-up brings out all the depth of a relatively plain fabric.

• For printed fabrics, we prepare a placement plan before cutting.
• For large glazed openings, we check the total weight of the curtains, so as to specify a track, brackets and, where appropriate, a motor of the right capacity.

3. Ordering from us

How an order works

1. You choose your fabric. A sample can be sent to you to confirm the material and the colour. We strongly recommend it: a colour cannot be judged on a screen.
2. We draw up the specification. Dimensions, type of fitting, roll direction, control, finish. This is the point at which your lead time is confirmed in writing.
3. You sign the sign-off sheet. A manufacturing sheet, together with an actual sample of the fabric, is sent to you by post. Nothing goes into production without your signature.
4. Manufacture and delivery. Made by hand. Every product is delivered with its care sheet, also downloadable as a PDF.

Lead times

• Made-to-measure products — a maximum of 6 weeks between order confirmation and delivery to you
• Items not made to measure — 2 to 4 weeks

Those 6 weeks include around 4 weeks of manufacture, plus signature of the sign-off sheet, dispatch from the workshop and transport. This lead time assumes the sign-off sheet is returned to us signed without delay: any delay in signing pushes delivery back by the same amount.

We deliver within France only, via Route Transport. Charges are calculated by weight.

Returns

Made-to-measure products cannot be returned. Only manufacturing defects are accepted back: a fabric with a flaw, or measurements that do not match the order sheet.

Items not made to measure may be returned within 10 days if they are faulty or the wrong colour.

That is precisely why the signed sign-off sheet exists: it removes the risk of a measuring error before anything is made.

A question that is not answered here?

Write to us. Forty years in the trade means a great many unusual cases already encountered: corner windows, conservatories, sloping casements, large glazed openings.