HOUSE AND GARDEN 
June, 1911 
441 
used in a fairly low 
room if the curtain 
material is chosen 
with discretion and 
is not of a marked 
design. If the win¬ 
dows are narrow 
they can be made to 
seem wider by hav¬ 
ing the rod for the 
side curtains ex¬ 
tend about eight 
inches on each side 
of the window, and 
the curtain cover 
the frame and a 
part of the wall. 
This leaves all the 
window for light 
and air. A valance 
connecting the side 
curtains and cover¬ 
ing the top of the 
net curtains will 
also make the win¬ 
dow seem broader. A group of three windows can be treated as 
one by using only one pair of side curtains with a connecting 
ruffle, and a pair of net curtains at each window. Curtains may 
hang in straight lines or be simply looped back, but fancy fes¬ 
tooning is not permissible. There is another attractive method of 
dividing the curtains in halves, the upper sections to hang so they 
just cover the brass rod for the lower sections, which are pushed 
back at the sides. These lower sections, which have the rod on 
which they are run fastened to the window-sash if one wishes. 
They will then go up with the window and of course keep clean 
much longer, but to my mind it is not so alluring as a gently blow¬ 
ing curtain on a hot day. I have seen a whole house curtained 
most charmingly in this manner, with curtains of unbleached 
muslin edged with a narrow little ruffle. They hung close to the 
glass and reached just to the sill with the lower part pushed back 
at the sides. The outside view was most attractive, and the in¬ 
side curtains varied according to the needs of each room. 
Stenciling curtains for summer use requires 
very little labor, considering the effects 
obtainable 
Casement win¬ 
dows should have 
the muslin curtains 
drawn back with a 
cord or a muslin 
band, and the side 
curtains should 
hang straight, with 
a little top ruffle. 
The muslin cur¬ 
tains may be left 
out entirely if one 
wishes. Net cur¬ 
tains on French 
doors should be 
run on small brass 
rods at top and bot¬ 
tom, and the heavy 
curtains that are 
drawn together at 
night for privacy's 
sake should be so 
hung that they will 
not interfere with 
the opening of the 
door. There should be plenty of room under all ruffles or shaped 
valances where the curtains are to be drawn to allow for easy 
working of the cords, otherwise tempers are liable to be suddenly 
lost. 
All windows over eighteen inches wide need two curtains, and 
the average allowance of fullness is at least twice the width of the 
window for net and any very soft material, while once and a half 
is usually enough for material with more body. Great care must 
be taken to measure curtains correctly and have them cut evenly. 
It is also a good plan to allow for extra length, which can be 
folded into the top hem and will not show but will allow for 
shrinking. 
Stenciling can be very attractively used for curtains and por¬ 
tieres for country houses. Cheesecloth, scrim, aurora cloth, 
pongee, linen and velours, are a few of the materials that can be 
used. The design and kind of material used in a room should be 
(Continued on page 476) 
Cretonne steadily gains favor. For French 
windows, have the main rod long, to keep 
the curtains back from the opening 
There is a pseudo-valance here—a short 
length of cretonne hung on the same rod 
The shaped valance is coming into favor 
again. Allow plenty of room inside of it 
Occasionally the side curtains extend to 
the floor rather than only to the sill line 
