I just made a relaxed Roman shade last weekend using this tutorial and found it very thorough. It also included a ton of photos which were so helpful, especially since I didn't have much sewing experience. I think she also has a tutorial for other shade types as well.

Thanks! Do you have a photo? How long did it take you to make?

I have made three sets of roman shades using this tutorial. It is wonderful. We love the results!

Just to throw a monkey wrench in the system before you start sewing : ) , take a look at NikkiDesigns, http://nikkidesigns.ca. I found her shop on Etsy, but she also has a website. She is reasonably priced anyway, you get 10 percent off for subscribing to the newsletter, and because she's in Canada, if you're in the U.S. you get the benefit of the weak Canadian dollar. Also free shipping over $300 if I recall correctly.

She has Best of Houzz badges for 2016 and 2015, too.

jtb2004 -- Oh wow, that looks great!!

I found some pretty great fabrics today, so I might actually attempt this this weekend...

Thanks! Good luck with yours!

Much more math than sewing in a roman shade. Before you cut the "good" fabric, do a mock up with some old fabric, (an old sheet works) to ensure you have calculated the correct measurements.

I have some blackout grommet-top curtains that I'm not using, so I can practice with those.

I started looking at continuous loop and/or cordless mechanisms, but they seem hard to find. Does anyone know anything about the Rowley cordless system? It's listed on the Rowley site for $40, which is very doable!

While I haven't used them, Rowley is a very good company. I've made several roman shades from directions in the Singer Sewing for the Home series (not home now, so I'm not sure which specific book as I have the whole set). Also good is the Sunset book "Curtains, Draperies, and Shades".