Stitch Witch Décor entered their design of the cuff top valance pictured above in the 2009 Window Fashion Vision magazine International Design and Workroom Competition. The Stitch Witch was awarded 2nd Place in the Decorative Hardware and Trimmings category within the Envision Design Competition for their creative window fashion design, which was designed and fabricated by Susann Schneider, owner of Stitch Witch Décor.

The Window Fashion Vision Design and Workroom Competitions have been held annually for the past 23 years and are open to window fashion designers and workrooms worldwide. In 2009, more than 200 entries were submitted from designers and workrooms located throughout the U.S., Canada and Japan and were judged by a panel of 10 industry experts.

The design process started when The Stitch Witch first met with her client. “I want it to be something classy, but not stuffy…more like casual elegance” was the look the client wanted for window treatments in her recently re-decorated guest bedroom. Armed with this idea, the cuff top valance was chosen for its simplicity. But by selecting the perfect fabrics, trim and hardware, a classy, casual elegance could be achieved from a very simple line. In short, it would be the show-stopper for the room.

To achieve the elegance requested, a soft green fabric with a wandering vine pattern with embroidered cream and pink flowers was selected. As the face fabric, this would set the formal tone for the treatment. To add the casual element, a sage and cream gingham check silk was chosen to contrast the formality of the embroidery and create the perfect balance. Interlining provided the body needed so the treatment would hang beautifully. To complete the look, and really add pizzazz, a beautiful, unique, rose tassel fringe in the exact colors of the face fabric was added. The trim made the entire treatment dance in the sunlight.

To avoid a look that would be too formal, medallions were chosen, not only as a function of installation, but to bring the window treatment from nice to spectacular. Medallions would add the casual and relaxed dimension while keeping the treatment off of the wall, allowing it movement and flow. A wonderfully talented artist hand painted each medallion in a different floral/vine design mimicking the face fabric. To tie the gingham check into the medallion a cheery gingham border was painted around the perimeter of each medallion. The hand painted medallions provided the right amount of whimsy to attain the overall design of ‘casual elegance.’