What You Should Know About Curtains 
THE NEW SUMMER FABRICS AND DESIGNS—THE VARIOUS METHODS OF HANGING CURTAINS 
AND DRAPING WINDOWS—WHERE THEY APPLY—HINTS FOR MAKING CURTAINS 
by Lucy Abbot Throop 
I N nearly every well-reg¬ 
ulated family the cur¬ 
tain problem crops up once 
in so often and has to be 
struggled with and solved 
to the satisfaction of every¬ 
one, and the improvement 
of the appearance of the 
house. Curtains are neces¬ 
sities without a doubt, for 
they soften the hard edges 
of a room, as good man¬ 
ners smooth the rough 
places of life. 
The part of the country 
in which we live has some¬ 
thing to do with the kind 
of hangings we choose, for 
where the sun shines cheer¬ 
fully all the year round heavy curtains would be oppressive, but 
here in New York, where we have our ups and downs of climate, 
very up and very down, we can use all kinds. One has also to 
consider the kind of house it is, the amount of light, the style of 
furniture and the sum one wishes to spend. One point I wish to 
make especially emphatic: Do not take down the curtains in the 
summer and have staring, blank windows all through the hot 
weather. If the winter curtains are too heavy or will not stand 
the wear and tear of constantly open windows, it is a good plan 
to have some simple net and chintz ones to take their places, and 
one will have the comfort of shaded light and the pleasure of 
seeing them softly blow ill 
the breeze, which will make 
everyone feel a bit cooler, 
A curtainless window on a 
hot day is a horror ! 
The design of the cur¬ 
tains must be regulated by 
the room in which they are 
and by the shape of the 
window. A formal draw¬ 
ing-room should have a 
different method from a 
comfortable, cozy living- 
room, but a living-room's 
curtains have much in com¬ 
mon with the other rooms 
of a house. 
The average window 
should have net curtains 
next the glass, with side curtains and a valance. They are usually 
made so they can be drawn at night, and have either a shaped or 
gathered valance to carry the color harmony and balance across 
the top of the window. Windows in groups of two or three can 
be treated as one window in regard to side curtains, with a valance 
extending the whole width. This makes a composition or unit of 
the windows and adds to the charm of the room, especially when 
there is a window seat with cushions piled invitingly upon it. 
Each window should have a pair of net curtains next the glass. 
Bay windows may be treated in this manner. A room appears 
broader if so treated, whereas a pair of side curtains, if hung at 
Two-bird motives in chintz, at the left an English glazed fabric in pictorial treatment; at the 
right a conventionalized design 
Do not leave the windows bare in summer; half of the charm of the country home and most of its colors may be in the curtains. If you do not have one of the types suitable 
for all-year use, at least put up some of the light net fabrics. Here an insertion of cretonne adds the requisite color without loss of light 
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