DRAPERIES
_Full Length Window—48″ Material_ 6 YARDS
_Full Length Window with Valance_ 6½ ″
LINING—_Full Length Window_ 5¼ ″
These figures are the approximate requirements. Always, where
possible, take careful measurements for more accurate estimate. It is
much better to have extra material than not enough.
When using materials with a large floral pattern or plaid, allow one
full length of the motif for each additional length required for
draperies.
_Color and Design_
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Color has a language all its own—It expresses, it soothes, it
stimulates, it creates; it can give you a lift. And color as a home
decorator can be made to work like magic. With color, the dullest rooms
can be made to sparkle with warmth and good cheer. Any color scheme is
good as long as it is balanced and it pleases you. A number of colors,
tints and shades may be used in one room, but one color should be
dominant and it should be used in different areas of the room. The
second color should be subordinate, not of the same value. Then a third
color may be used for accent or contrast. The neutral colors: gray,
white and black, are good background or accent colors.
Do not overlook the possibilities of accessories, such as pillows,
vases, china, lamps and books to supply an accent color to complete your
color scheme.
Your color scheme may be taken from a favorite picture, a family
heirloom or may express the interests and personalities of the family.
Consider also the location of the room—East, West, North or South—and
how the light enters the room.
There are three primary colors—red, yellow and blue. These colors are
mixed to obtain secondary colors. For example, red and yellow produce
the color orange; red and blue, the color violet and blue and yellow,
the color green. By blending these six colors we complete the color
wheel which is made up of red, red orange, orange, yellow, yellow green,
green, blue green, blue, blue violet and violet.
We refer to certain colors as warm, others as cool and still others as
neither warm nor cool. The warm colors are red, yellow and orange. The
cool colors are the blues. Green is neither warm nor cool but if mixed
with yellow, it becomes warm; when mixed with blue, it becomes a cool
color.
Color and line apparently change the size of the room. Cool, light
colors and vertical lines make walls appear higher and the room larger,
while warm colors and horizontal lines seem to lower the ceiling and
draw the walls nearer.
For North and East rooms, use warm colors. If little light enters in,
use light shades of the warm colors. Use the cool colors in rooms with
South or West exposures.
When purchasing your fabrics for curtains, draperies and slip covers,
keep in mind the overall effect. Consider the room exposure, light, size
of room, furniture arrangement and what color and design will do to
create a room you will always enjoy. Since windows are a very important
part of the room as a unit, the fabric chosen for curtains or draperies
should also be used to slip cover a sofa or chair, a dressing table
cover, or a dust ruffle for the bed.
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_Selection of Needles and Thread_
Sewing thread should blend as nearly as possible with the fabric in
color, fiber and size. Silk and wool fabrics are stitched with silk
thread. Cottons, linens and some blended fabrics are stitched with
cotton thread or mercerized thread. The synthetic fabrics and blends of
the pure and man-made fibers may be stitched with silk, mercerized
cotton, nylon or Dacron (DuPont) thread. The needle is selected with
consideration to both the thread and the fabric.
With fabrics used for glass curtains and for sheer curtains, such as
organdy, voile, “Dacron,” dotted Swiss, marquisettes, batiste and sheer
linen, use a fine cotton thread, size 80 or 90, or a mercerized thread.
Use a size 14 needle for mercerized thread and a size 11 for finer
threads, including “Dacron” for “Dacron” fabrics, organdy, “Dacron,”
marquisette, dotted Swiss, lawn, batiste and rayon lend themselves
beautifully to the use of sewing machine attachments for ruffling,
tucking, hemming, etc. Fiberglas stitches well and is best suited to
straight panel type curtains with pleated headings. Use a mercerized
thread and size 14 machine needle for Fortisan, synthetics and the many
blends.
The average machine stitch length for these fabrics should be about 12
stitches to the inch and the tensions easy enough to prevent puckering
the fabrics, particularly sheer fabrics, such as batiste, nylons, ninons
and soft rayon blends.
For Damask, brocades, taffetas, satins, etc., use silk or mercerized
thread, size 14 or 11 needles of 12 to 14 stitches per inch.
Heavy weight fabrics, namely, linens, cotton Damasks, sailcloth,
ticking, denims, etc., require a heavy-duty thread, a size 16 needle and
a 12 stitch length.
For light or medium weight fabrics comparable to polished cottons,
Chintz, linens, Glosheen, percale, antique satin and faille, use a
mercerized thread, a size 14 needle and a 12 or 14 stitch length.
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[Illustration: uncaptioned]
RETURN
RETURN
FIXTURE
WIDTH
FLOOR LENGTH
FRAME
JAM
SASH
SILL
SILL LENGTH
APRON
APRON LENGTH
BASEBOARD
CLEAR RUG
_Window Measurements_
Before taking measurements, there are several points that should be
taken into consideration: Is the window in proportion to the room? Will
it contribute properly to the effect you wish to achieve? Do you have
the right rods for hanging the type of drapery selected?
When you are satisfied with the window, then it is time to consider the
type of materials for draperies and decide on the type of rod required.
It is a good idea to make a sketch of the room, noting the placement of
windows and arrangement of furniture. Also take the width and height
measurement of each window. Then visit the curtain and drapery
department to get an idea of the type of fixtures available. At the same
time, obtain small samples of the fabrics suited to the type of drapery
you have in mind. Examine them in the room where they are to be used.
Are they the right texture? Are the colors lively enough? Will they
create the desired effect?
Purchase and mount the rods for the draperies. Fixtures should be
mounted so that draperies, when hung, will cover the window frame. Now
you are ready to take measurements.
There are three correct lengths for draperies—to the sill—to the lower
edge of the apron—or to the floor. Full length draperies should just
clear the floor or be long enough to crush on the floor.
_For length_—Measure from the top of the rod down—to the sill—to the
lower edge of apron—or to the floor.
_For width_—Measure from edge to edge of window frame or from outer
edges of fixture brackets. To this measurement add the “return” at
either end; that is, the length from curve of rod to the wall.