292 FABRICS

The pattern or lack of pattern in the drapery material should
depend on the amount of pattern already in the room. See page
24. A patterned rug or patterned wall paper calls for plain dra-
peries. If a room has uninteresting furniture or is dull for other
reasons it should usually be enlivened by an attractive contrasting
pattern in the drapery fabric. Since draperies hang in folds, pat-
terns should be viewed in folds. See pages 240, 300, and 424.

The color of the draperies may be white, off-white, cream,
beige, ecru, or any grayed tints, or the exact color of the walls in
rooms where they are considered as part of the architectural back-
ground. On the other hand, where draperies are to be featured
they should have beautiful clear colors. Some draperies, by con-
taining all the different colors used in a room, help to unify it.

The texture of the drapery must agree with the mood and style
of the room, as has been stated before. Variety in texture is neces-
sary, but extremes of contrast are incompatible. Texture patterns
instead of color patterns should be considered in selecting fabrics.
See page 282.

MAKING DRAPERIES

Almost any woman can make her own draperies. They should
be cut extra long so that they can be altered and also because they
shrink from cleaning and from exposure to the air. An extra half
yard of material can be concealed in a curtain by making double
hems at the top and bottom.

Draperies and curtains of all types should be made very full, a
width or more of the material being allowed for each side of the
window. If the window is narrow, it is enough to have drapery
on only one side. An ample quantity of a cheaper fabric is far
more effective than a narrow curtain of more costly material.

A few miscellaneous observations are worth mentioning. Sel-
vages must be cut off some materials before hemming to allow cur-
tains to hang well. Hems intended for the insertion of curtain
rods should be sufficiently wide to allow easy movement. Net
curtains should be hemmed by hand, as it is almost impossible to
rip machine stitching on net. Small weights are sometimes sewed
along hems of draperies to make them hang well. The lower
lines of lining and drapery fabrics should not be sewed together,
for each one should be free to shrink or stretch independently.