420 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



December, 1913 



Curtains for Winter 



By Ida J. Burgess 

 Photographs by T. C. Turner 



1 _ 



Jute tapestry fabric 



HEN the thermometer descends on the way 

 to zero from the mild heat of Autumn days, 

 it rather makes one shiver to see windows 

 clad only in their thin Summer draperies, 

 even though one knows the window frames 

 to be quite tight and well protected against 

 the outer cold. The sense of chilliness is 

 much lessened by the sight of warm heavy 

 looking outer curtains that may be drawn 

 over the large surface of glass exposed to 

 zero weather acting like a refrigerator on 

 the air within. However well windows are 

 protected by blinds and shades one instinct- 

 ively draws heavy curtains over windows at 

 night to shut out the nippy air and keep the 

 house cozy and warm within. 



The choice of suitable fabrics for these 

 heavy draperies and curtains is a matter of 

 some difficulty at times, since they must not 

 be of a stuffy character nor of a material sure 

 to catch and hold the dust, nor yet of a fab- 

 ric in appearance only adapted to Summer 

 use. Without doubt much depends on the 

 way the curtains are made to give this ap- 

 pearance of warmth so necessary for Winter 

 use. Unless heavy interlinings are used al- 

 most any fabric will look thin and the only 

 way to insure rich looking folds is to have both a lining and 

 interlining for the heavy draperies. 



Silk with an interlining of fleeced cotton has all the qual- 

 ity of a much heavier material, and is often more suitable 





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A printed velvet, 

 About $3. 



Green and cream colored 



than velvet, at the windows of the important rooms of a 

 house. Velvets seem richer and nothing quite takes their 

 place since no other material falls naturally into such rich 

 looking folds giving protection against the cold of ice 

 and snow without. 



In rooms where it is desired to carry the plain color 

 tone of the side walls into the heavy curtains 

 at the window, these may match the color 

 of the walls, or in the instance of velvet, a 

 tone darker may be chosen. The short pile 

 English cotton velvet is a most durable fab- 

 ric, will even withstand washing, it is said, 

 and is made in almost every color. The 

 printed velvets are of great variety in pat- 

 tern, some two tones of one color, others a 

 dark blue, red or green background with the 

 pattern in a number of colors. 



The patterns printed are of a great vari- 

 ety with the constant revival of old patterns 

 first made by designers of a hundred years 

 and more ago, when the importations into 

 England and France of fabrics and porce- 

 lains from the Orient suggested to the de- 

 signers of those countries the adaptation of 

 those masses of twisted vines with bunches 

 of the quince blossom scattered in irregular 

 volume over the fabric or the dwarf pine 

 with birds of paradise on the wing, miniature garden scenes 

 and even animals and people. These old block patterns re- 

 vived in numerous colorings are more suited to heavy linen, 

 jute or cotton materials than to velvets, and when of suit- 



five-color fabric 

 50 a yard 



Blue and white stripes, pink roses. About 

 90 cents a yard 



Cotton tapestry, Wistaria blossoms. About 

 $3.00 a yard 



Futurist pattern, black and white. About 

 $2.00 a yard 



