30 
House & Garden 
HOW TO SELECT SPRING CURTAIN FABRICS 
Their Combinations and Finish, Together With Directions and 
Designs for Making Fitted Valances 
F or several 
seasons past 
we women have 
willingly denied 
ourselves the 
pleasure of little 
r en ov a tions 
here and there 
throughout the 
house, those 
touches which 
impart such 
charming 
freshness at 
small expense, and without which the bugbear 
of spring housecleaning seems to have brought 
no reward. But now that we may, without 
reproach, once more frivol a bit in our homes 
we cast our sternly disapproving glance 
around the room all at once grown shabby, 
and decide that something must be done, that 
some renovation is necessary. “Shall it be a 
rug, new furniture covering, or colorful win¬ 
dow hangings ? How can I get the best effect 
with the money I can put into it?” After 
pondering over the matter Madame wisely 
concludes that the given sum spent in dressing 
up the windows will do more to freshen up 
her room than the same money put into any 
other single item. 
The lot having been cast in favor of new 
curtains, she turns shopward and with delight 
visits the counters whereon are temptingly dis¬ 
played window fabrics of newest design and 
coloring. 
If the new draperies are to be really suc¬ 
cessful and give your room the hoped-for 
transformation, do not make a selection hap¬ 
hazard, simply because the design is stunning 
or the price irresistibly low, but choose with 
certain definite points in mind—the character 
and the use of the room, its background, and 
its color scheme. 
There should not be too great a contrast in 
tone between the drapery and the wall, as 
dark hangings against light walls are as in¬ 
artistic as the reverse. To be truly harmoni¬ 
ous the hangings must repeat the color of the 
wall, a note of the decorative scheme, or both. 
After finding a piece which meets these re¬ 
quirements, should you make the unpleasant 
discovery that the price seems prohibitive, 
consider whether the width will permit of 
splitting. 
For Living and Dining Rooms 
You begin quite naturally with the living 
room or dining room, which, being most used, 
receive the most wear and tear. If the room 
is of formal style the window hangings should 
be of corresponding character, of such niate- 
rials as are found among the luxurious array 
of richly colored velours, damasks, armures 
and heavy reps. When these fabrics are used 
as overhangings they should be softened and 
relieved by casement curtains of taffeta, heavy 
net of square or round mesh, madras, or scrim, 
in white, cream, or ecru, as the color scheme 
demands. The informal living room and 
dining room permit of greater freedom in the 
matter of texture, color, and pattern; and 
ance from which the cut¬ 
ting is made 
ALICE F. and BETTINA JACKSON 
from the fascinating profusion of cretonne, 
warp print, and blocked linen you can easily 
make a selection. 
Many of the imported textiles show dainty 
garlands, quaint old-fashioned nosegays, or 
exotic foliage and birds of gorgeous feather. 
Other lengths sport stripes in brilliant or pastel 
hues, or a riot of colors in Oriental, Egyptian, 
or Slavic design, all of these having an exuber¬ 
ance which gives to a room a pleasing vigor if 
used with restraint. Still more informal and 
very effective are the natural-color monk’s cloth 
Fig. E 
The type of valance to use depends on the size and 
height of the window and the height of the ceiling. 
Fig. A is for a wide, low window; Fig. E is for one 
that is narrow and high. Fig. F is for a group of 
windows. Figs. B and C are formal and for heavy 
materials 
and Russian crash, with applied bands of solid 
color or figured. 
Cotton fabrics of delicate coloring and pat¬ 
tern are charmingly consistent with the ac¬ 
cepted informality of the bedroom, and are 
particularly attractive when combined with 
casement curtains of crisp ruffled muslin, plain 
or dotted. Valance of the same material as the 
side curtains may be used, the valance running 
across the top or between the curtains. 
The Walls and the Fabric 
When it comes to choosing draperies for 
any room, either plain or figured fabrics may 
be used, but more often an interesting note 
can be struck by a combination of the two. 
If your walls are plain, you will avoid the 
danger of monotony by introducing figured 
curtains; but should you prefer plain ones 
it is best to have them several tones lighter 
or darker than the walls. 
Figured goods will also look well against 
a paper which has an unobtrusive stripe or an 
inconspicuous geometric pattern. If, on the 
other hand, the wall shows a decided pattern, 
pass coldly by all figured temptations. 
So many harmonious combinations im¬ 
mediately suggest themselves that you will 
have no difficulty in finding just the right 
one. In plain colors variation may be ob¬ 
tained by using different weaves, as, for ex¬ 
ample, side curtains of rep, armure, or heavy 
silk, with valances and broad, loose tie-backs 
of velour edged with heavy silk cord, or 
banded with silk or metal thread galoon. 
With side curtains of brocade, damask, or 
heavy striped silk a valance of plain velour 
finished with a rather short heavy fringe is 
interesting. Velour or rep may be appropri¬ 
ately used to top cotton or linen of handsome 
quality and formal design. To be success¬ 
ful such a valance must emphasize a par¬ 
ticular note in the pattern or repeat the color 
of the stripe; for example, in a gray room 
you might use green lambrequins over En¬ 
glish warp print of soft gray patterned with 
birds and foliage in which rich greens pre¬ 
dominate, or dull blue-and-taupe striped silk 
with dull blue lambrequins in a room with 
walls of pale taupe. Equally pleasing is a 
reversal of the order, i.e., figured valance over 
plain curtains, especially if the pattern adapts 
itself to the outline of the lambrequin. 
Curtain Designs 
In planning your window draperies, re¬ 
member that valances or combinations of ma¬ 
terials tend to make small windows look 
smaller; and that combinations are not in 
keeping with an usual informal bedroom. 
Whether the side hangings shall be full or 
in narrow, flat panels depends partly upon 
the character of the room, the shape of the 
window, and the pattern of the goods. As 
a rule, the panel is more formal than the 
fulled curtain, particularly if made of velour 
or other heavy stuffs. Panels are helpful 
when you wish to increase the apparent 
height of a window; as are valances when the 
opposite effect is sought. 
(Continued on page 64) 
