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[SJC <indexer AT localnet.com>]

I can help with this, having just finished up my 67th one.....obviously 
not all for myself.


You need several layers of something.  The best I've found yet (lucky 
me, have used other folks' money to make up what they want, but I get to 
see/assess the results of all.) is to actually fork over the $$ for a 
product called Warm Window, then make up with it a window quilt that can 
somehow be fastened right down the the wall or window frame.  After 
using the wrong materials the most common mistake I see is that folks 
try to hang them from a curtain rod, then the air just goes right up the 
backside (window side) of them like air in a chimney---not what you want.


The first ones I made for myself with Warm Window are now over 20 years 
old and have been washed quite a number of times.  The product itself is 
a batting swedged to a layer of mylar, and backed with a UV resistant 
layer for the window side.  Make your shade, and they recommend 
magnetized rubber strips to hold the shade against the window frame or 
wall, but I use Velcro, since I'm in it for blood :-) .  I prefer the 
Roman shade type usually and I fasten the top right to a mounting board 
(which can have a cornice added over the top front or not, as one 
wishes), then I Velcro the sides.  The side pieces of my window frame I 
have hinged at the window edge, so when shade is up they look like 
regular window trim.  When I put the shade down, I turn the side trim 
piece toward window, exposing a strip of Velcro that's mounted to the 
wall (longleg staples).  The shade I then stick right to that Velcro 
along the sides.  The bottom I have weighted and it rests right on the 
sill on some of them, others I have Velcro at the base of the window 
trim (bottom piece) and a corresponding Velcro strip on the curtain.  
Net result you are aiming for is to have the thing tight against the 
wall/window frame all the way around.  Made this way, they save me 20º 
overnight in the winter, hold summer heat back equally well.  Using 
these judiciously, we got along 2 winters/summers on the VA coast 
without either heating or air conditioning, but were not always 
comfortable.  Here I rarely use them in the summer, but they're up now 
for the winter, you can believe!  So far I haven't had to make a fire, 
but I can see it coming.......


Some of mine are on big, big windows where the sun moves across the 
window; those shades are made in 3 vertical strips each, and each 'join' 
is Velcro-ed along the sides, so I can have 1,2, or all 3 strips down 
depending on where the sun is hitting the window.  On those each section 
has separate pullcords, kind of a PITA to rig  but works pretty well.   
The other windows are all smaller and those are one panel traditional 
Roman shade types.  All of the ones I've done for myself recently have a 
pieced or appliquéd top (front) piece, but they are nice, too, with an 
old quilt as the top (all my old quilts burned, so that's out for now, 
for me.)  Most of the ones I do for pay have a light upholstery fabric 
for the top.  They are OK and faster, therefore cheaper, but look too 
'magazine-y' for me.....


Warm Window has pretty good instructions on their site, will add a 
link.  I hate the price of the stuff but usually can get it half off at 
JoAnn's, it's the only thing I ever buy there anymore.  I have scrounged 
leftovers from various jobs and occasionally get enough for a whole 
shade that way, but try hard to buy for each job as I go---bulky to store.


I have tried to make many imitations of the Warm Window product and have 
never come close to getting what they have.  Either my rigs have not 
been anywhere near as efficient or they didn't hold up to 
use/washing/moving materials about.  At one point I was fairly 
determined I was never going to buy more of the stuff, but I have 
crumpled.  When I make them for other people, I don't offer an option, 
because they are a PITA to make and no way I'm gonna spend all that time 
and effort, even for pay, for a substandard result.  If they don't want 
to pay the price, I just tell them to hang a wool blanket tight to the 
wall, as it's the next best thing I've found.


http://www.warmcompany.com/wwpage.html  is the link for WW instructions, 
near the bottom of the page.  After 15 years or so of lousy 
instructions, they finally got a set that's accurate and easy to 
follow.  It is, or was, a PDF and takes a while to d/l if you have 
dialup but worth it to save time/materials and get the job done with 
least bit of hassle.


SJ, in VERY windy, rainy, Maine.  Friends are here in an RV and I got 
them to move it, afraid tree would get 'em.  We just did this a couple 
of days ago, thought that was our turn.....