Choose a pattern from the wide range of valances featured by Pate-Meadows Designs (205/424-1770; www.patemeadows.com), and your friends will ooh and aah at the dressmaker details and custom-like style of your decorative dressings.  Leigh Pate and Caterina Meadows specialize in designing and constructing window treatments at their workroom in Alabama.  They offer patterns of some of their designs, such as Claudine, far left, Emily, top left, and Kasey, bottom left, on their Web site.  Window-treatment packages come with a full-size pattern, step-by-step instructions, and a materials list ($29.95).

(Copyright-Better Homes & Gardens Window & Wall Ideas, Winter 2003)