#IWCENC2023
WORKROOM CENTRAL & SCHEDULE
Join Us at Workroom Central for a Hands-On Experience!
Workroom Central is the place that brings the industry full circle. Annually, designers, fabricators, installers, and upholsters gravitate toward the booth to be inspired by the creative aspects of vignettes, gain valuable information from instructional presentations and learn new skills during hands-on demonstrations. This is also where beautiful fabrics, trims, hardware, and supplies our vendors so generously donate are brought to life by the artisans and showcased in their final form. Over the years, due to the visual and interactive aspects of the booth, it has become a gathering place to meet new friends, reminisce with old ones, and share our knowledge and vision of what’s to come.
Interested in donating products? Please email Workroom Central Director Sandra VanSickle at sandra@sandravansickle.com. Thank you for your consideration.
THANK YOU 2023 SPONSORS
Thursday, April 20, 2023
10:00 AM
Conference attendees become the artisans in this special Design to Install Project! Cathy, known as The Traveling Workroom Temp, will guide attendees through the steps of taking a client's project from design to install. After Cathy explains the steps, attendees will begin working on the chosen design during the course of the day. This is a great hands-on learning experience! We invite attendees to watch, ask questions and help create this beautiful treatment. Upon completion, it will be put on display.
10:30 AM
Scissors 101: Choosing the Right Tool for the Right Job
Presented by: Caleb Snead
Location: Hands-On Tables
Caleb will walk through the anatomy of a pair of scissors and how to choose the correct pair of scissors based off the type of cut and material being cut.
11:00 AM
Programming R-TEC Automation Draperies and Shades in 5 Easy Steps
Presented by: Donna Cash
Locarion: Rowley Wall
Learn to program draperies and shades to work individually or together using single-channel or multichannel hand-held remotes.
11:30 AM
Pleat and Space Calculations Made Easy
Presented by: Ann K. Johnson
Location: Eyes & Ears Presentation
Calculating the size of and marking pleats and spaces on a panel can sometimes be a challenge. Ann provides a step-by-step process and worksheet for calculations and quick tips to mark the panel for pleating.
12:00 PM
The Ins and Outs of Creating a French Mattress Cushion
Presented by: Connie Valente
Location: Hands-On Tables
Connie presents a few tips for creating a French mattress.
12:30 PM
Sewing Shade Rings With a Sewing Machine
Presented by: Joann Wieberdink
Location: Eyes & Ears Presentation
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Joann will demonstrate how to sew shade rings on with a sewing machine with no pinholes of light.
1:00 PM
Custom Embellishments for Pillows, Panels, Bedding and More
Presented by: Donna Cash
Location: Hands-On Tables
In this hands-on presentation, Donna will inspire you to take your custom products to the next level to wow your customers. The attendees will make a custom embellishment of their own that may be used on a pillow, a panel, bedding or any other custom product.
1:30 PM
How to have your workroom work more efficiently.
2:30 PM
Linda will demonstrate how to finish the corners of cornices with welt and facing. She will explain how to remove the extra bulk out of the corners and get a smooth finish on the inside and returns for the most professional finish inside and out. You get to practice on small samples to bring the lesson home. Linda will also show how to finish shaped cornices and how to avoid puckers on the face.
3:30 PM
Workroom Table Talk
Panelists: Cathy Tucker, Ann Johnson, Carlette Cormier, Sandra VanSickle
Location: Workroom Table
If only our workroom tables could talk! Moderated by Elizabeth Gerdes, our four panelists—Cathy Tucker, Ann Johnson, Carlette Cormier and Sandra VanSickle—will come together to share what it's been like being a workroom owner over the years and what valuable lessons it's taught them. With a combined 125-plus years of fabricating around a workroom table, you can be sure there are stories to tell, experiences to share and advice to be given. Join us for this lively discussion!
4:30 PM
Taking the Guesswork Out of Mock Roman Valances
Presented by: Kristen Vince
Location: Eyes & Ears Presentation
Kristen will show you how to make a quic- mock roman valance and how to quote fabric at a glance.
Friday, April 21, 2023
10:00 AM
Ann presents a very easy, methodical method of analyzing half-drop pattern repeats in order to determine if the fabric is a straight match or a drop match that requires A-B cuts. Always add one additional repeat to every fabric quote and you will never be caught short on a half-drop fabric again.
10:30 AM
Motorizing a Roller Roman Shades
Presented by: David Cross
Location: Workroom Table
David will show you how easy it is to motorize the popular roller roman style shade. David will take a manual roller roman shade and turn it into a motorized roller roman shade The new standards and regulations eliminating cord locks combined with increased availability and interest in Automation mean there are big changes coming to the way Roman Shades are made.
But don’t worry! Fabricating both manual and Automated shades using a roman roller system is easy to do and can be made on wood boards as narrow as 1 ½”. Moreover, these shades comply with all CPSC regulations and WCMA standards. Best of all, your customers will love them!
You’ll also learn how simple it is to Automate shades using reliable battery-powered motors. Today’s battery motors can lift 25 lbs shades, have easy to use Automation apps and can integrate with popular Automation products like Apple Home Kit., Control 4 and Savant. It’s simple to do once you know how and this seminar will show you how
11:00 AM
ColorWorks Digital Print Program by RM COCO
Presented by: RM Coco
Location: Eyes & Ears Presentation
Join Heath Watson as he explains the ColorWorks program by RM COCO, which allows you to become the fabric designer.
in this session learn how you can create your own exclusive prints and patterns on an exquisite selection of luxurious base fabrics. Choose from silk, sateen, viscose, linen, linen blends, and cotton. You can design your own artwork, choose one of RM COCO’s, or have them design something for you. All they need is your idea!
11:30 AM
Make a template for arched pinch pleats and turn it into a pattern.
12:30 PM
How to Use an iPad in the Drapery Business
Presented by: Anna Davis
Location: Eyes & Ears Presentation
How to measure, do work orders and use the iPad in the drapery business. Shortcuts we all need to know.
1:30 PM
We will demonstrate when and how to cut welt on the bias or straight grain and have you follow along with your kits. Then we will show how to make top welt for valances or cornices, bottom welt with attached facing for cornices, and double welt.
2:00 PM
Upsell With Point-to-Point Drapery Swags
Presented by: Ann K. Johnson
Location: Eyes & Ears Presentation
The Point-to-Point drapery swag is a beautiful custom add-on to drapery panels. Ann's simple steps to drawing your own pattern and techniques for fabrication make these swags a very profitable up-sell for you.
2:30 PM
Roman Shade Savvy Part 2 is reserved for students that took the "Roman Shade Savvy" Seminar on Wednesday.
In this hands-on session, students will learn how to assemble a sample shade with ribs.
3:00 PM
A new approach to Ripple Fold panels. Challenges and solutions for every case.
4:00 PM
Layering banding on banding has become a popular embellishment for treatments. Join Cathy as she teaches the technique on how to master the double-layered mitered banding.
4:30 PM
Sheer fabrics are incredibly beautiful and classic. Ann provides excellent techniques for cutting and tabling that are precise and efficient in overcoming challenging characteristics of sheer fabrics every time.