_The Design._--Curtains of one colour or of several are woven on the
simple loom with two harnesses. They may be of the soft cream tint,
the material for which is easily obtained and the effect of which, in
softening the light passing through them, leaves little to be desired.
But if a little colour be required, the weaving design may be easily
changed to secure this result. One may, for example, weave at first 7
inches of the plain cream. This will give woven material enough for
a 2-inch hem at the bottom of the curtain and 5 inches before the
beginning of a coloured border. The border may consist of two threads
of colour alternating with two threads of the cream, thus making a
stripe of about 7 inches in width. Following this may come 8 to 10
inches of the plain cream, followed in turn by a narrow stripe of the
same colour as the border, 3 inches wide, in turn followed by another
10 inches of the plain cream and another narrow stripe, and so on,
alternately, until the required length of the curtain has been woven.
If desired, a top border may be woven in, though it is well to make it
somewhat narrower than the one at the bottom--say about 5 inches--and
it must be added so that it will show below the hem. In any case the
top of the curtain should be woven plain, allowing for hemming, and
also for shirring if a rod is to be inserted for hanging the curtain.
Vertical stripes are often desirable in curtains, especially if the
room is so low studded as to invite the employment of every possible
means for making it seem higher. Such stripes may be made by using two
colours for the warp--as, for example, blue and white or green and
white--with one of these colours as woof.
[Illustration: An Alcove With Window Draperies, Pillow Covers, Window
Seat Cover, Chair Seat and Moss Green Rug. All Hand Woven]
_Importance of Selecting Good Warp._--The successful working out
of this problem depends very largely upon the proper selection of
materials. While many things may be used for warp with a certain
degree of success, there are fine points to be observed in weaving as
in all the art-crafts, and the real beauty of the result depends upon
giving due attention to these points. It is always well to remember
that in all weaving the warp plays a most important part. Mercerized
cotton warp works out effectively with silk or linen woof or with a
combination of both, and retains its beauty after being laundered many
times. In the soft cream shade it has almost the appearance of silk,
at a much less cost. But silk may often be obtained at a low price
if the weaver lives in the neighbourhood of a silk mill. Bargains in
small lots of unsalable colours may be secured with which the weaver
may do wonders; and if the colours are not good the silk may be dyed
at small expense. Our grandmothers saved their tea grounds for a week
or more, boiled them, and made a dye which gave a beautiful gray warp.
They were, in fact, very particular about their warping threads. Not
everything would suit them. They learned from experience that the
wearing quality of goods is improved by having the warp stronger and
harder twisted than the filling. It was common for them to spin a
certain thread for this purpose. Exquisite results follow the use of
a fine linen warp in white or natural colour with linen or silk for
filling. Striking and beautiful also, in its way, is the very coarse
linen warp.
_Variety in Woof Threads._--A very pleasing effect in sash curtains
or in full length window draperies is produced by weaving heavy
threads alternately with fine threads, using two shuttles or bobbins,
one holding the heavy thread and the other the fine one. Two or more
threads may be alternated in this way as the fancy of the designer
prompts; and this style of weaving may be confined to borders, leaving
the body of the fabric plain, or the borders may be woven of the solid,
heavy threads and the body of the curtains or draperies ribbed with the
alternate coarse and fine threads. Such curtains are very beautiful in
cream white; but colour may be used if the colours are fast so that the
curtains may be successfully laundered.