In this guide 6 sections
Give every window its own line, with room, width, drop, track or rod, pleat style and lining, recorded at the site. The quotation, fabric order, stitching slip and fitting job then read from that one line. GullySystem adds this sheet to its Furniture Showroom Management Software. A register works too, if nobody copies it twice.
Decide what one window line must hold
A curtain order goes wrong most often at the copying stage. The measurer writes a slip, the counter retypes it, and the tailor reads a third version. Each copy is a chance to misread a drop.
So the sheet starts from the window, not the order. One line per window holds what the tailor, the fitter and the counter each need. Nothing on it is written twice.
- Room name and window number, as the customer calls them
- Width along the track or rod, not the glass
- Drop from the track to the finish the customer chose
- Track or rod type, brackets and pelmet
- Pleat style, lining and fullness
- Design and shade number from the sample book
Measure at the site, the same way every time
Windows in a flat are often not identical, even in a matching pair. Measure each one on its own. Taking the drop at two or three points along the width shows an uneven floor before fabric is cut.
A phone form helps because it can ask for every field before it saves. A missing drop is then caught at the window, not at the tailoring unit. Photos of the wall, the switchboard and anything in the way go on the same line.
Turn the lines into a quote by running metre
Once the lines are in, the counter works out running metres of fabric and lining for each window. Width, fullness and the fabric’s roll width decide the number of panels. Drop, hems and pattern repeat decide the cut length.
Tracks, pelmets, stitching and fitting charges are added per window. Blinds are priced by area, while upholstery and wallpaper follow their own rates. Keep each as a separate line. A customer who drops one room then changes one line, not the whole sum.
Carry the same line into the fabric order and stitching slip
When the advance is paid, build the distributor order from the design and shade numbers on the sheet. Check what arrives against those numbers before cutting. Look-alike design numbers are where wrong shades slip in.
The stitching slip for the tailor copies the window lines and adds a due date. The fitter’s job lists the same windows, with the tracks and brackets to carry. Tailor and fitter charges are recorded against the job.
- Fabric ordered by design, shade and metres
- Arrival checked against the sheet before cutting
- Stitching slip with window lines and a due date
- Fitting job with tracks, brackets and the address
Close the order, then review the sheets monthly
After fitting, collect the balance or set a reminder date for it. The invoice is raised against the order when it closes. Ask your accountant how it should read for your mix of goods and stitching work.
Once a month, pull the sheets for curtains that came back short or long. Find where each error began: the window, the counter or the tailor. Then change that field or step. That review is why one sheet is worth keeping.
Window measurement sheet
One page, one line per window: room, width, drop at two points, track, pleat, lining, design and shade number. A last column notes who checked it before the fabric order. Use it on paper first, then turn it into a phone form.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Should the measurer note the glass size or the track size?
The track or rod. Curtains hang from the hardware, so width is taken where the track sits or will sit. If the track is not up yet, fix its position first and measure that.
Can a normal retail billing app hold the measurement sheet?
No. A billing app records items and amounts, not windows. Cushions, mattresses and other ready items bill well in one. Made-to-measure curtains and blinds need the window line behind the bill.
Will the software track what we owe the fabric distributor?
No. Fabric received can be checked against the order. Purchase bills and supplier dues stay with your accountant, because the software holds the selling side.
Does a small curtain shop need software for this?
Not always. If one person measures, quotes and follows up the tailor, a printed sheet kept in one file may be enough. Software helps when several measurers, tailors and fitters share the same orders.