Local Woodstock business STITCH ABOVE THE REST, LLC, Receives Top Honor at Vision13: International Window Coverings Expo Elizabeth Gerdes, Owner of Stitch Above The Rest, LLC, is recognized at the window-treatment industry’s elite convention

New Orleans, LA., (STITCH ABOVE THE REST, LLC) April 19, 2013 – STITCH ABOVE THE REST, LLC received first place in the Curtains & Draperies category at the prestigious 2013 Envision Design and Ingenuity Workroom Competition, presented by Windows Fashion Vision magazine. The 29th annual “best of the best” awards ceremony was the culmination of the central competition that recognizes the industry’s best designs and fabrications in a variety of categories.  This one-of-a-kind competition is the “Academy Awards” of the Window Covering Industry.

A panel of distinguished window covering design and fabrication experts reviewed over 200 entries received from designers and workrooms in Japan, Canada and throughout the United States. Winners were announced at the U.S. window-treatment industry’s only trade show, Vision13: International Window Coverings Expo at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA., which took place April 19-21, 2013.

Elizabeth Gerdes, Owner of Stitch Above the Rest, LLC, received the first place honor for her full room integration of Toile Roman Shades. The client home had Toile fabric upholstered walls and the client wanted roman shades fabricated out of the same material to make the dining area look as if one large piece of fabric had been rolled out across the room and just the molding of the windows was cut out of it. Though the job was not a typical custom drapery job, Gerdes was able to take the very expensive fabric and match up the pattern both vertically and horizontally to give the client the desired look.

“It’s not as easy as it sounds,” said Gerdes. “There was only 11 yards of this fabric remaining and it had been discontinued by the manufacturer. There was no room for error. I only had one chance to get it right.” Gerdes got it right. “Lining up the 25” pattern repeat both horizontally and vertically for five windows took a lot of time, consideration and trips to the client home.” In the end, the client was so happy with the final outcome that she popped open a bottle of pink champagne to celebrate. The ultimate reward was received when Gerdes won the first place award listed above.

Now located in Woodstock, GA, Elizabeth Gerdes opened Stitch Above The Rest, LLC in 2003 in Marietta, GA to fill a need in the community for high end custom window treatments, bedding, nurseries, and more. Her client’s continue to refer her on the basis of the quality of her work and the attention to detail she provides on each job.

The Envision Design and Ingenuity Workroom Competition highlights the skills and design achievements of individual designers, design firms and window fashion designers. Each year, the competition features a wide range of categories including curtains & draperies, specialty treatments and commercial design. To receive an award in this competition is a high honor to any business professional in the custom drapery industry. 

About Window Fashion VISION
In addition to publishing VISION magazine, WFV produces educational seminars, conferences, and trade shows for the window-coverings industry. Since 1997, the company has produced the International Window Coverings EXPO, and additional interior design shows followed. Complementing the trade shows, WFV developed the Window Fashions Certified Professionals Program™ in 1990, the leading education program for the window-fashions industry, featuring CEU-accredited seminars. For more information and media requests, contact Susan Schultz, Editorial Director at susan@spacedowntown.com or Grace McNamara, Publisher at grace@wf-vision.com