05/26/2026
Celebrating 25 years in business by stepping out of my comfort zone and teaching a class!
Meet the CWC Speakers: Heidi Yoder
In 2001, Heidi Yoder established Smithland Custom Interiors, a full-service design-to-installation drapery studio in Harrisonburg, Va., focusing on window treatments, pillows, bedding, and cushions. While her mother taught her to sew and think creatively, she credits a year spent building houses with Habitat for Humanity for giving her a great foundation in measuring and engineering — as well as her time spent helping a family remodel a historical house — for sparking her love of fabricating soft furnishings. She is a current member and past co-president of the Richmond Chapter of WCAA. Find out more at www.smithlandcustominteriors.com, Facebook, and Instagram.
Heidi is teaching WT-2 Pleating to Pattern With Precision
While repeatedly stabbing pins into a drapery heading one day trying to determine pleat placement, Heidi Yoder knew there had to be a better — mathematical — way. So she developed a chart, which has since saved her hours of trial and error. In this class, she’ll show you how to use that chart to quickly figure multiple pleat-to-pattern options for any horizontal repeat, whether it’s every pleat or another spacing that best accentuates the motif. From there, you can easily calculate the exact flat panel width. She’ll also share how to use the chart to space vertical rings on Roman shades.
