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The Editor will gladly answer queries pertaining to individual problems of interior decoration and furnishing. When an immediate reply is desired, 
please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope. 
Curtains Made of Japanese 
Toweling 
ERY attractive curtains for a bunga¬ 
low or country house may be made 
out of Japanese toweling. 
Japanese toweling, unlike that we use, 
is made of cotton, and is only twelve inches 
wide, of more artistic value than economic 
use. However, it is with the artistic 
value we are dealing, and the Japanese 
have not failed to make these homely ar¬ 
ticles of everyday use, things of beauty. 
Almost all of the Japanese toweling 
comes in blue, with the design left white, 
or a white background with a design in 
blue of one or more shades. Morning- 
glories, leaves of trailing design, chrysan¬ 
themums, pine trees, bamboo, waves, and 
birds and flowers of many varieties, are 
the designs usually employed on these 
narrow strips of goods. 
Where a full curtain is required, from 
two to four widths can be joined, either 
by “whipping" the widths together, or by 
joining them with a little braid of unob¬ 
trusive design. 
The towels seem to have been printed 
in double lengths of about a yard each, 
the top of each design coming together 
where the double length is unfolded. For 
this reason where a bird is the motive 
used in the design, each towel length will 
have to be cut and reversed, joining them 
together with a neat seam or with braid, 
otherwise every other heron or crow, as 
the case may be, would be standing on his 
head. 
Where the design is a trailing one of 
flowers or vines, this difficulty does not 
arise, for the up-and-down of the design 
will not make any difference. 
If merely a valance and over curtains 
of the toweling are to be used, one width 
of the goods at either side of the window 
will suffice. If the design permits of it, 
one running width may be used for the 
valance. As a rule, however, each repeat 
of the design will have to be cut and the 
lengths joined, a hem being made at the 
top and bottom of the valance. 
These very effective curtains are par¬ 
ticularly appropriate for a dining-room or 
bedroom. As the color is almost invaria¬ 
bly blue, they have to be used where the 
color scheme of the room is blue. 
I have one very charming pair of yel¬ 
low curtains made from Japanese towel¬ 
ing, but it is most unusual to find any 
but the blue goods. The design of these 
yellow curtains was made in a most un¬ 
usual way, and it is worth describing, as 
it show the great ingenuity of the Japanese. 
At regular intervals on the twelve-inch 
cotton strip a little stone was tied, bound 
tighly around with cord. The whole 
length of cloth was then put to soak in a 
brook in which there was a deposit of 
Three strips of Japanese toweling are suf¬ 
ficient for curtains and valance. The 
flower designs can be used without cutting 
iron. The material was left for some time, 
and when taken out and dried was a beau¬ 
tiful yellow tone. The cords were then 
untied and the stones taken out. The very 
tight wrapping of the cord prevented the 
water from permeating under the string 
and an irregular wheel-shaped design of 
white on the yellow background was the 
result. Between these wheel-like designs 
were then pressed fresh maple leaves and 
pine needles, which were left until they 
had stained their shape in brown on the 
yellow background. An ingenious method 
of designing, I am sure you will say! The 
little Japanese from whom I bought this 
toweling told me it was made in a north¬ 
ern province of Japan. 
Where curtains of Japanese toweling 
are used, the same material may be used 
for the other draperies and furnishings of 
the room. Bedroom, bureau and dress¬ 
ing-table covers may be made, or a pin¬ 
cushion and pillows for the couch, and if 
it does not introduce too much of the same 
kind of design a bedspread and shams may 
be made of the same toweling by joining 
several widths together in an effective de¬ 
sign. Be sure before starting your fur¬ 
nishing with this toweling to know just 
how much you will need, and have it in 
the house. Otherwise you will run short 
and will be unable to procure more towel¬ 
ing of the same design. It comes in pieces 
of various lengths, and costs from fifteen 
to twenty-five cents a yard. 
Where Japanese toweling is used for 
the hangings and furnishings of a bed¬ 
room, I would suggest the furniture be 
white or stained cottage furniture of sim¬ 
ple design. Some willow furniture may 
be introduced. A Japanese matting, pref¬ 
erably a plain color, will be pretty on the 
floor. An imitation of grass-cloth paper 
of tan, blue or gray, depending upon the 
color of the furniture and matting, will be 
appropriate as a background for the sim¬ 
ple water colors or inexpensive prints that 
should be used in this simply furnished 
bedroom. Select a plain paper, as the de¬ 
sign in the toweling will be ample orna¬ 
mentation, and other design introduced in 
the paper or floor covering will give an 
overcrowded and confusing effect to the 
room. 
( 42 ) 
