Palatial Lace Period Cotton Panels

IDEAS FOR HANGING COTTON LACE CURTAIN PANELS.

LACE curtains that are to hang under long curtains should be arranged so they can be easily removed without taking down the other work. The practice of attaching them to the same rings that support the other drapery when poles are used is a bad one, as it brings them all too close together to allow either to drape well. The best method is to turn a hem at the top to receive a rod which is supported by hooks or brackets on the casing. See that in hanging they do not show over the other work. The laces will gather nicely on the rod, and always hang well. They can thus be quickly taken down, and there are no hooks or rings to rip off when laundered. Use a brass,wooden dowel or hard-wood rod.

I like to see the excess lace pooled on the floor ..it looks very elegant

Another way is to bring the lower back corner up to the side hook, gathering in the pleats fan-shape, and allowing the bottom border to hang vertically, the front corner just lying a few inches on the floor.

The best method is to cut them to reach the floor..always cut from the top,never the borrom as this normally has a scalloped finish the same as the sides, and then they can be allowed to hang straight and still be of proper length to loop back. The excess lace tops could be used as sash curtains or to create valances if one so desired.

A very pretty way of treating the cream and colored madras curtains is to cut them off the proper length and use the top as a valance, fringing the bottom and gathering the top in with the head of the curtains. They should be cut off, as simply turning them over would show the wrong side of the goods. They could also be made with a hem at the top, run on a rod, while the tops were made up separately into a pleated valance to be hung to the pole over the curtain. The latter is preferable and could of course be carried out with any description of curtain. When necessary to clean the laces, it is best to treat them like a Cashmere pullover.

See next page for laundering help

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