SCARF DRAPERIES
ALL draperies that are not regularly cut and made, according to some design, but depend for their appearance entirely on the way in which the fabric is put up, are classed under the heading scarf draperies. They are at best but an imitation of the cut festoon drapery, and for anything permanent much better satisfaction is obtained by the use of fabric properly cut and made up.
When the decoration is of a transient character, however, such as show-window decoration, festival decoration, or the temporary adornment of a door or window, very good effects can be obtained by practice and the exercise of a little ingenuity without cutting the material, and it is not a rare occurrence to meet men of long experience in the drapery business who employ this method altogether. As a knowledge of the methods used to obtain various results in this style will doubtless prove useful, we present herewith a number of illustrations which show the versatility of this principle.
Figure33(see diagrams on the opposite page) illustrates one treatment of a pair of tapestry, silk or chenille curtains to form a drapery over a six or seven foot opening.
To accomplish this divide the width of the opening into three spaces, the middle one slightly narrower than the others. At point A, Figure33A, temporarily attach the corner of one curtain and draw the other end of it up and over the pole B, from behind; without twisting the curtain, draw the top (or dotted line) edge Figure33Aover until the sag between A and B is nearly correct, then adjust the bottom (or broken line) edge, allowing it to sag considerably more than the upper edge to give the necessary depth to festoon 2. Note the stripes of the material in Figure33A, which illustrates how a straight cross-striped material would look if used in this way.
Fasten the goods temporarily at B with a few tacks and proceed with festoon 3.
Carry the (broken line) top edge, which was the bottom edge in festoon 2, to C, your left outside point, Figures33and33A, allowing it to sag slightly as the top of the festoon.
Hold the material at point C with the right hand, and with the left hand grasp the edge of the goods a short distance farther to the left and raise it above the right hand (at point C) until the edge of the goods between your hands is taut, as illustrated by Figure33A.
If you have allowed a sufficient distance between your hands, corner E of the curtain should be higher than corner F, as illustrated.
Adjust the position of your left hand until you get the corners to satisfy you, leaving the corner F as low as you desire to have it. With the hands in the positions of Figure33Amove the left hand over above the right hand, keeping the edge of the material still taut between them, and with the fingers and thumb of the right hand gather up all the goods across the dotted line X——X into small pleats and squeeze this tightly with the right hand as Figure33B. Half way between the two hands bend this bunch back, bringing the point held by the left hand under the fingers of the right hand where it is tied securely by a cord passed around the goods gathered there, and attach it to the wall, pole or door frame at point C, Figure33.
The rosette is formed by spreading out the loop formed by bending back the point for tying. Spread it fan shape, Figure33C, bringing each side around to form a complete circle, ending by tucking one within the other as Figure33D.
Pick out the most prominent folds below the rosette to form pleats and form them as far back toward point B as you can follow them, making as many as are necessary to dispose of the fullness of the festoon; form a pipe dropping from the centre of the tied bunch beneath the rosette and pleat the rest of the fullness to form a double tail as illustrated.
Release the goods where they were temporarily tacked at B and form folds over the pole that will be continuations of the pleats radiating from the rosette.
Commence at the side nearest the rosette and tack each one as you form it, allowing the last one to be a nice full pleat, as illustrated in Figure33E. The point of the curtain which was attached at A is now drawn up slightly to make a few shallow pleats in festoon 2, and the point thrown back toward the wall, out of sight, where it is fastened to keep the pleats in place.
For festoon 1 spread the curtain out flat, as Figure33F, and with one hand gather the goods into small pleats across the end on the bias and slightly curved, as dotted line. This is securely tied and thrown over the pole at point A, the short edge uppermost and next to the other curtain (see Figure33G), fasten it there and make a festoon rosette and tail with the balance of the curtain, as explained for festoon 3, Figure33A.
Fig 36A
Fig 36A
If you wish the single tail at A, formed by the end of the secondcurtain, to cascade the reverse way (with long side next to the other curtain), twist it where it is brought up behind the pole, but do not turn the whole curtain over, as you need the longest edge for the bottom of the festoon.
A study of the dotted and broken line edges of each illustration will explain how they are manipulated to secure the requisite length for the bottom of the festoon, how the surplus from the top of one festoon is used to increase the length of the next one, and how, by using alternate edges of the curtain, it is made to cover a larger space.
Figure34is another treatment of a pair of curtains for a similar space.
The right-hand curtain is manipulated much the same as the left-hand curtain in Figure33, which has been already explained. The left-hand curtain is pleated into the space allowed for it at the top, either tacked over the pole as illustrated, or attached to rings. It is allowed to hang straight from the pole and either caught up with a rosette at the side or is gathered back and confined by a loop.
To make the rosette, allow the curtain to hang perfectly straight either just to the floor or even a half yard longer (if you desire the sweep of the bottom edge nice and full), and grasp the edge, without stretching it, at the point where you wish to make the rosette.
Then with the disengaged hand, Figure34A, catch the edge again lower down and raise it until the longest point of the curtain clears the floor or is as much higher as you want it to be when finished, gather across dotted line, Figure34A, and form the surplus into a rosette, as explained for Figure33.
Pick out the fullness of the curtain into pleats, form a pipe depending from the centre of the tied part beneath the rosette and pleat the balance into a double tail.
To gather the curtain back with a loop, as Figure34B, allow it to just nicely clear the floor, and then with both hands gather it into large folds commencing at the outside edge considerably below the position of the loop, and following the sweep indicated by dotted line across curtain in Figure34B.
Figure34Cis an illustration of how this can be accomplished neatly without the necessity of pulling the curtain through the loop after it has been caught up; Figure34Dis a cross section of a curtain while being gathered, illustrating the position of the fingers as they form each successive pleat, the thumbs remaining stationary and the fingers drawing the goods toward them to form each pleat.
Figure34Eis a back view of the end of the curtain that is pleated over the pole, Figure34, and shows also the corner of the curtain which forms the middle festoon. For Figure35, another treatment of a pair of curtains, gather the curtains, one for each side, as explained for festoon 1, Figures33Fand33G, and fasten the tied parts together to form the double tail in the centre, twist each curtain where it passes through the ring to bring the short edges to form the outside of the double tail, and form the festoons, rosettes and outside tails, as explained for Figure33.
Figure36is an illustration of a scarf drapery for a six-foot circular top window or archway, made of six yards of fifty-inch material, with a fringe sewn on one side and both ends.
Divide the space for the number of festoons you wish to make, mark the points where the attachments will be fastened, and put them in place, mark X the centre of the space and V the middle of your length of goods on the top or unfringed edge.
Temporarily attach V at point X and carry the edge of the half length to the right or left to A or B, the first point of attachment, allowing a slight sag for the top of the festoon.
With one hand hold the edge of the goods at B, Figure36A, and move the other hand twelve or eighteen inches farther along the edge, and with a gathering motion of fingers and thumb allow the two hands to follow the shape of the dotted line across the goods, Figure36A, until they meet at E, which you have judged to be as far from the bottom edge as the length you wish to make the pipe O, formed at B——B, Figure36.
As the hands meet gather all the goods into one and with the other tie a cord tightly around the gathering, the same as for the rosette, Figures33Aand33B; the surplus above the tying may be formed into a rosette or thrown back through a ring, as illustrated.
The same process is repeated at ring A——A, and the two outer festoons and tails formed as explained for festoon 3, Figure33. After all is securely attached pick the fullness into pleats that follow nicely from one point of attachment to the next; form pipes of the surplus bottom edge and fold and pick out the ends until you have a presentable double tail surmounted by a rosette, as illustrated.
As we have already stated, scarf draperies depend for their appearance on the way in which they are put up, and a little time spent in carefully adjusting the pleats and pipes so that they hang gracefully without drawing or twisting will be amply rewarded by the appearance of the finished product.
Some materials require an infinite amount of coaxing, particularly for scarf draperies, but patience and perseverance will usually conquer the most contrary fabric.
Figure37is a scarf drapery made with one reverse where it passes through the ring. By reverse we mean that the fringe instead of being all sewn on one side of the goods is for some distance transferredto the other side of the goods and sewn to the opposite edge.
If the material is reversible (finished alike on both sides) the fringe can be reversed, as Figure37A, without cutting the goods, and the fringe, instead of ending with the two ends opposite one another, is allowed to pass or overlap to about the position indicated by the extremities of the dotted A——A.
If the material is not reversible, as is supposedly the case in Figure37A, the goods are cut (in this case one-third the distance from one end) and sewn together at A1——A1, with the long end the reverse side up. Gather the goods across the broken line A1——A1 and draw through the ring until the seam is concealed; draw over the hook B, leaving the necessary sag to the bottom edge and allowing the top edge only a slight droop; gather and tie at the outside corner D, and then go over both the festoons and coax the pleats into shape.
You will find that the goods have become considerably biased where they pass over the hook B, and for that reason do not fasten them at C until the centre festoon is finished to your satisfaction. When this is accomplished proceed to finish the left festoon after the manner of festoon 3, Figure33A.
The top edge between B and C will be found quite full, and the surplus must be disposed of in the rosette at C. This is one of the most popular styles of small scarf draperies, and if nicely carried out in soft fabrics can be made to look quite neat. Before cutting the goods for reversing, we would advise the temporary draping of the goods, as hereafter explained for Figure38.
Figure38is an elaborate festoon scarf drapery, with the fringe reversed in four places.
To accomplish this successfully it is almost imperative that we use a reversible material that will permit of each side being alternately presented to view in the festoons without perceptible difference.
To calculate for reversing scarf draperies the best plan is to mark off on your drapery board the dimensions of your space or opening, and attach to it at requisite points ornaments, rings or poles similar to those you intend to attach it to when finished.
Cut off your material, allowing one yard of material to each foot in width of space, and temporarily attach the centre of one edge of your goods to the middle of your space; then bring it through or over the next attachment, drawing to about the desired proportion of the festoon, and repeat at the next point, and so on to the end rosette; bring the goods over and over each time without twisting it, as you would bind a bandage round a limb. When all temporarily attached go back over each festoon and be sure that it is correctly adjusted, and then tie up the ends to form rosettes. You can now readily see where fringe will be needed; mark it as it hangs, using safety curtain pins, placing a pin at the extremities of the bottom line of each festoon, the points toward the bottom of the festoon. (See Figure38B, points D and G.)
The bottom line of the next festoon runs up behind this one, consequently you must reach up underneath the first festoon and place the pins in the face side of the under festoon, points downward, as dotted out lines, E and F, Figure38B. Put a pin also in the outside corner of each tail, pointing toward the lower point of the tail. When all pinned take down and sew the fringe on the side from which each pair of pins was inserted, and from point to point of each pair. This will bring the fringe alternately first on one side and edge and then on the other side and edge, as Figure38A, which represents the fringe between points A——B, D——G and H——J, as being on the top side of the goods as it lies spread out, and that between points C——E and F——I, on the under side.
Figure38Bshows a variation from the style of Figure38, in that the festoon does not form a wind round the pole, but is as a loop dropped over it, both ends of the festoon showing in front of the pole. It is seldom employed more than once or twice in a large drapery, and then in the centre or at equal distances on each side of it.
In scarf draperies, as in cut draperies, study to produce a symmetrical and well-balanced effect, and at the same time avoid having each side the exact duplicate of the other. Figure38, for example, is an illustration of this thought.
If for architectural reasons it is necessary that both sides be alike, as Figure35, then plan to have them as exact as possible, but, as a general rule, a slight variation adds character to the decoration.
Avoid, also, too many rosettes, two being quite sufficient in almost any drapery that is not of a temporary character.
We do not advocate the use of scarf draperies for permanent treatments, but the knowledge and skill acquired by practice in this style of decoration is a valuable possession.
BUNTING DECORATIONSRED WHITE BLUEENGLANDNETHERLANDSPARAGUAYWHITE BLUE REDRUSSIABLUE WHITE REDUNITED STATESFRANCE
BUNTING DECORATIONS
RED WHITE BLUE
ENGLAND
NETHERLANDS
PARAGUAY
WHITE BLUE RED
RUSSIA
BLUE WHITE RED
UNITED STATES
FRANCE