286 FABRICS

WINDOW TREATMENTS

Draperies Cornices

Casement curtains Bamboo shades

Glass curtains Reed shades

Roller shades Interior Venetian blinds

Valances Interior shutters

Swags Exterior Venetian blinds

Ropes and cords Exterior shutters

Draperies. Overdraperies may be used alone or with glass cur-
tains, roller shades, or Venetian blinds. They should reach the
floor, and ordinarily they should be made so rhat they can be
drawn over the windows to exclude the blank night view.

Casement Curtains. Sill- or apron-length draw curtains, often
made of standard casement cloth or a plain medium-weight opaque
material, usually function in place of shades or blinds to give
privacy. They may be used alone or with draperies. See page 9.

Glass Curtains. Sheer curtains hung next to the window may
be used with or without draperies. Net, organdy, dotted Swiss,
voile, Celanese, scrim, marquisette, rayon gauze, madras, lace, or
ninon are used for this purpose. Glass curtains give daytime
privacy, soften the light, and modify the harshness of the frame
and shade. They may be hung at the ceiling line if the draperies
are hung there. They should be exactly the right length, stop-
ping at the window sill, bottom of the window frame, or 1 inch
from the floor. They should be very full, well tailored, and per-
fectly clean. Plain white, translucent material is desirable. Sheer
ruffled curtains are effective without draperies, in some Early
American or Colonial rooms.

Roller Shades. Roller shades are practical, as they are easily
adjusted to give privacy or to exclude light. Although there is
structural unity in having all the shades at the same level, a shut-in
feeling results from keeping them all halfway down the windows,
as many women do. It is often advisable to keep them rolled up
out of sight unless utility demands otherwise. As a rule, it is well
to have roller shades light in color, preferably like the walls or
woodwork. Roller shades are sometimes made by tacking oil-
cloth, chintz, or other fabric to rollers.