240 
KERAMIC STUDIO 
pressed and fastened by a rope of floss, couched at the top 
with a ravelled thread of the burlap, (Fig. 1) this thread 
must secure the top of the hem to the curtain as well as 
Design for table runner. Peruvian motif. Showing paper units in place and 
threads marking the placing 
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Sketch for pillow slip 
Stems and oblique line 
hold the floss in place. This makes a firm heavy finish, 
far more suitable than fringe for large pieces of needlework. 
The next step is the planning and placing of the design. 
Having a rough sketch of it at hand, hang the curtain con- 
veniently over a door or screen, with the hem touching the 
floor, cut from paper the various units forming the design 
(in varying scales of size so the size, exactly suited to the 
curtain may be chosen) pin these paper patterns upon the 
material as nearly in accordance with the sketch as possible. 
Change and rearrange until the result is a well placed design. 
The scale and placing of such simple designs is so im- 
portant that many units are oftimes cut and many times 
placed; the merit of the paper forms is their quickness and 
ease of preparation and arrangement, they can be changed 
many times without injuring the material and give a better 
impression of the finished work than does an outline ; when 
once in place the difficult part of the work ends. 
Fig. 6. Design for portiere 
A certain freedom is gained by working in the design 
without further drawing, but, as this is often impossible, the 
outlines of the paper units, may be lightly sketched on the 
material with soft light crayon ; on darker fabrics a darker 
(never black) crayon should be used. The placing of a 
simple repeat like the Peruvian motif shown in Figure 2 
may be indicated by threads, the design wrought free-hand 
and the threads removed, no drawing being needed. Al- 
ways aim toward simplicity of line as well as of form — all 
lines to be structural should follow either warp or woof as 
the line is to be vertical or horizontal. If an oblique line 
is needed it should be approximated by a series of succeed- 
ing upright and transverse lines (Fig. 3). Masses must be 
simple and loose or intricate forms avoided. 
