The bottom looks crooked to me.

I don't think you are being unreasonable if you are complaining about the bottom being uneven! It looks pretty obvious to me!

The bottom is curved, but what bothers me more is that the fabric pattern does not run straight with the shade causing it to look like it's hung crooked.

Yes, the fabric pattern being crooked is what I should have said also.

Yup, very obviously crooked.

No, you are not being unreasonable. The pattern is clearly crooked.

Someone owes you your money back. Too bad they don't have to pay you "pain and suffering" too.

As the others have said, the fabric was cut off-grain and thus the pattern is off, even if the overall dimensions of it are square/level.

lily, who made the shade, if you don't mind me asking?

Thank you all for looking at this. I did not think for a minute I was being unreasonable but, then again, I could be wrong and I wanted to know what others would see.

Yes, the bottom is crooked and that's bad, but what bothers me even more is the fact that the damask pattern was not cut straight on the shade. I wondered if it was as noticeable to others as it was to me. The overall shade is square/level (except for that bottom hem) but, if you choose a point of reference on the pattern at one side and follow it across to the other side, you arrive at a point one inch higher.

The photo above is 31" wide x 38" long. I also ordered 2 other shades in the same fabric for a double-ganged window with a center mullion. These 2 are 23" wide x 52" long and one of them has the exact same problems, as you can see:

Anyway, yesterday I called to tell them about the problems, explaining the whole thing, each problem with all 3 shades. Instead of being anxious to make it right, the person I spoke with put me on hold for a few minutes, then came back to tell me she had "taken this under advisement with my supervisor" and they would call me back within 72 business hours. What???!!! I was dumbfounded! I wondered, don't they have a set policy to follow under these circumstances? Why do I have to wait several days for them to call me back? And of course, the thought occurs, will they REALLY call me back?

You would die if you heard how much I paid for these things. The fabric itself is very nice, and the hardware and loop control mechanism is all fine, but the workmanship is hideous. It's as if they took these nice materials and gave them to someone to cut out and sew who was either incompetent or just didn't care. I'm no seamstress myself but I was truly shocked to see these defects. The shades simply are not well-made, period. The two pictured, anyway. And the 3rd one is damaged.

I've already paid for them too, by credit card. The bill came just before the shades were delivered. That was a mistake, but being custom-made, they took a little while to get to me and I always pay off the cc each month, not wanting to carry a balance. What can I do now? I guess I'll just see if they DO call me next Tues. or Wed. I am SICK! These were expensive shades and I was expecting a reasonable level of quality. I could've done far better at JC Penney!!!! At least I've never gotten anything of obviously poor quality from Penney's.

brutuses, I will gladly tell you who made the shades if they don't call me back next week!!! I will tell everyone I know and broadcast it everywhere I can if they don't make this right. Stay tuned.

Call your credit card company. I think they just pull the money from them to cover a dispute. There may be a time period though.

Can you send them a photo in an email?

It's amazing, in my small circle, how often this sort of thing comes up. For those high custom prices, they sure don't seem too worried about who does the actual work. And the fact that they hope the buyer will not notice or just accept some of these things is really low. While we sit here wondering if we're being 'too picky!'

I think there may be a problem with the fabric itself being skewed. Try taking a yardstick and laying it along the pattern from top to bottom. Then lay another yardstick along the pattern from side to side. Where the two form a corner, are you getting a true 90 degree corner? It looks to me like the sides follow the pattern but if you cut the bottom along the pattern the sides will not be cut along the pattern. This can be a common problem with patterned fabric.

Good thing that you used your credit card! That will be in your favor. Let them know you are having a problem. You may have to do it in writing, but you should go ahead before you even hear back from this company.

Good luck. That is a shame someone would actually send those to you and expect you to pay for them.

Looking down the sides, you can see the cut moving on the design. More and more of the petals are disappearing. Enlarging the pic, it does look like the pattern is off-grain though.

I would contact the credit card company (you can call them and they will probably then send you some forms to fill out). This way you can calm yourself and know that you are protecting yourself. Maybe the curtain place will call you and make everything right, and in that case you can then let the credit card company know it was resolved, but I would definitely call and let the cred card company know you are disputing the item. (it doesnt matter that you paid for it already). Start that process just for your own peace of mind- it really works pretty well.

That is absolutely unacceptable--examining the grain and straightening it if needed before doing any cutting of a fabric is just basic Home Ec 101. Good luck on getting it addressed.

Prints that are "off grain" are common in the drapery business. The rule of thumb is to FOLLOW THE PATTERN, always. Your eye must "understand" the pattern and the relatively minor fluctuations in grain can usually be easily addressed in the construction process.

I would not accept that sort of oversight, either. Frankly, that's a really basic "bonehead" mistake. One they shouldn't make.

Lily, you sound like a really patient kind person to be so sure before you complain about this or give names, but as the others have said, and kim hit it on the head, this is basic home ec, and they really should immediately resolve it for you.

I had a similar experience with an area rug that arrived damaged and I was very reluctant to believe they wouldn't make it right. But they drug out the process so long (over 3 months)and appeared to be stalling so I became concerned that I had foolishly not reported it immediately to my credit card company. I think I would have received better service if I had notifed both the company and my credit card that I was disputing this charge until the matter was resolved. Thankfully this finally turned out well and likely yours will, too, but the stress about it is helped by knowing you have recourse. It's a disappointment when something we wait for so long isn't well-done. Good luck with it.

I personally would be very unhappy with the way those shades turned out. If you look at the photo showing the full shade in the down position, you start losing the flower pattern that is in the middle of the square (if you will). If you look at it from the top where you can see the full flower to the bottom, it looks like you're lost 1/2" of the flower. I am looking at the righ side of the shade in the photo. The fabric was clearly not cut properly. I would notify my CC company immediately by phone, and follow up with a written letter (fax that in if you can and mail it as well).
I'm a real stickler for this sort of thing, I admit. If I had to live with those, knowing I had paid lots of money, it would irk me every time I looked at the window!

Thank you all so much for the advice and support. I am definitely going to call the credit card co. 1st thing Mon. a.m. So glad you all mentioned that - I was just thinking it's already too late. But if I can still dispute the charges, it may very well speed up the resolution of this problem.

Like I said, I'm not a seamstress, but I'm old enough to have been required to take home ec. way back in jr. high school and I agree, that crooked fabric-cutting thing is basic home ec. 101.

Though I haven't mentioned the company's name, how I wish I had thought to come on here and ask you all if anyone's ordered from them before. Maybe someone has had experience with this co. or has heard something about them that would indicate whether or not this lack of quality is commonplace or just a fluke. The elementary nature of the mistakes makes me wonder - even if they agreed to re-do all 3 shades - makes me wonder if they can be trusted to deliver a decent product.

Is the face fabric fused to a backing of some sort?

It will be interesting to learn if they try to tell you they had to cut the goods on grain and the pattern "has" to be skewed.

Following the grain lines is important, but as I mentioned above, following the pattern is more important to assure a pleasing visual effect. Most fabrics are printed slightly off grain, it's very, very common. And every year yards and yards of goods are rejected at the mills because the variations are too great to be easily handled by professionals and the prices cannot be justified.

Good luck on this and stick to your guns.

Instructions for filing a dispute with a merchant with your credit card company should be printed on your cc statement. Follow those instructions - all in writing - with return receipts , certified mail. Document your attempt to correct this issue with the merchant. Do not wait - if the merchant corrects this - great. You also want all the shades cut from the same dyelot, even though I think you said one of the shades was okay.
Chelone gave you the answer and basis for your dispute, both with the merchant and your cc payment.

Try doing a google on the company name. That often turns things up. You might also check BBB for their headquarters area to see if there are many disputes or unresolved ones. I would be hesitant to continue for the same reason and would probably just ask for my money back to move on.

Well, I called the credit card co. As some of you said, the cust. svc. rep. told me I can still dispute a charge even if already paid. They are sending me dispute forms that should get here in 7-10 days. If I had not gotten your input and feedback here, I'm sure I would've just waited for them to call back - and no telling how long this would drag out, maybe 3 months of this headache, like sujafr had with her rug. So I can't thank you all enough for heading me in the right direction on this.

chelone, this is what the back of the fabric looks like. It's white.

It really is a disappointment because I really do love these shades - if they were made right, that is - they're the perfect color and style that I wanted. I feel like a total fool for taking at face value their guarantee printed in the catalogue:

"Along with exceptional quality and beauty, all window treatments come with something extraordinarily rare in custom-made products: a Satisfaction Guarantee. If you spot a problem within 30 days of receiving your order, please notify Customer Service immediately. If you have provided accurate measurements and conformed to our recommended product specifications and limitations, we will expertly repair your treatment, or remake it completely. 20 years of satisfied customers give us the confidence to offer this Guarantee. We invite you join them."

That guarantee doesn't mention the option of just getting a refund. But now I'm wary of what the replacements might turn out to look like!