WINDOW SHADES AND BLINDSPART II.

All other shades except the previously mentioned styles are provided with a slat to which is attached a screw-eye and tassel, as illustrated. Always attach the tassel above the insertion on insertion shades, as Figure79and X, Figure87, as the strain of pulling the shade will stretch the insertion out of shape if fastened below. (See diagram on page 40.)

The cloth is not hemmed at the sides, but left as trimmed, and the top is tacked on to the roller in a straight line, as Figure93. Most shade rollers have a line drawn the length of the roller as a guide for the shade cloth, and one-ounce tacks are used to tack it to the roller. Several kinds of clips or clasps are also used, but the tacks are most popular.

Standard sizes of shade rollers in both wood and tin are guaranteed by the makers to carry ordinary cloth up to a certain size for each roller, but it is safe to underestimate their assurance by a little rather than work up to the limit.

The roller is cut to be one and a-half inches longer over all than the width of the cloth, and is mounted to allow the same play at each side, though in special cases this rule may be departed from, and a smaller allowance for play will sometimes work quite freely if hung perfectly true. It is customary to allow only one inch difference between cloth and roller for inside brackets, as they are usually made narrower than those for outside brackets, and, the bracket being much smaller, they work freely with the smaller allowance.

Dark-colored shades are most opaque, but light-colored shades give a more cheerful appearance to the exterior of a house. Combination-colored shades are frequently used; light on the outside to the glass and dark on the inside to the room. This gives the necessary density and preserves the cheerful exterior of light-colored shades. In making combination shades the bottom hem is cut off, reversed, and sewn on as illustrated by Figure89. The chief objection to combination-colored shades is the fact that the dark color is exposed to view in the room whenever the shade is pulled down, and the window cannot be at all obscured without this feature.

Fig. 97

Perhaps the best plan for correctly shading and obscuring a window is to use double shades, as illustrated by Figure90; the outer shade next to the glass made of a light-colored material, which may be ornamented and decorated in any desired manner. This may be fastened to the window stop as at A, Figure79, with inside brackets, or at C, Figure90, with outside brackets.

If placed on the stop at A, Figure79, a plain shade of dark green or other opaque color is placed on the frame at C-C, Figure90, and is made wide enough to effectually shut out all sunlight at the sides.

If the light shade is placed on the frame at C-C, as Figure90, the dark shade is placed just beneath it at D-D, and is made about two inches wider than the light shade, so that the cloth of the light shade passes freely between the brackets at D-D and does not interfere with the dark shade.

The advantage of this plan is that the light shade may be used all the time and is decorative from both sides, while the dark shade is only used when needed, and when not in use is only a small dark roll at the top of the window, where it is not objectionable.

The dark shade must be provided with a small cord or chain reaching down a convenient distance when the shade is completely rolled up at the top. Roller shades are hung perfectly level and square, noFig. 95 matter how much the window may be out of true, as they will only work satisfactorily when so hung.

The two different kinds of brackets used are illustrated by Figures93, outside brackets, and 93 A, inside brackets—outside meaning on the face or room side of the window frame and projecting toward the room; inside meaning some portion of the woodwork facing to the centre of the window (see diagram 94).

Wood rollers are made with two slots or notches in the spring-post, in which the pawls drop when slowly revolving, and as they are on opposite sides of the roller, it is immaterial which side is uppermost as it lies in the bracket.

Fig. 95

Most tin rollers, however, have only one slot, and if dropped into the bracket with the slot down, thepawl, which depends on its weight for its action, will not come in contact with the slot, and the shade will not remain down when unrolled. Should you accidentally place a shade in the brackets thus wrong side up, unroll it altogether and push a small wire or stout pin through the hole you will find punched through the roller directly behind one of the pawls and force the pawl up into the slot, when the tension of the spring will hold it in place so that it can be taken out and put in properly.

It is sometimes necessary to run shades from the bottom of the window instead of the top, as in the case of a 10 ind-top window (Figure95), or when the object is obscurity without excluding necessary light, as in some office windows. This is accomplished by placing the brackets at the bottom of the window, as illustrated by Figure95, the slot bracket to the right, placed upright on the sill, and a small nail inserted in the little holes found near the edge of the opening, to prevent the roller from leaving the bracket. Stop the action of the pawls after the shade is adjusted by a clip made for the purpose (squeezing soap in behind them answers very well), so that all the tension of the spring is exerted on the cloth and on the cord, which passes over a pulley at the top of the window.

This pulley may be an ordinary pulley and the cord attached to a small cleat at the side of the frame to hold the shade the required distance, or an eccentric stop-pulley may be used, which binds the cord at the will of the operator, the latter being the more convenient method.

Round-top shades are provided with extra slats at various distances, as illustrated by Figure95, which prevent the edges of the shade from flapping as they might unless so supported. These slats are perfectly flat, made of clear wood about one-eighth of an inch thick and one inch wide, or larger, according to the strength required, and, being flat, they readily roll up with the shade.

The slat used in the bottom of shades is usually made wedge shape, as Figure92, and possesses more strength than the perfectly flat slat.

As we have already stated, roller shades are usually made of painted cloth or glazed holland, and while for years they have been, with few exceptions, plain and undecorated as to the fabric itself, we are pleased to note recent efforts on the part of manufacturers to produce something more distinctive and artistic, shade holland now being produced in delightful damask effects in a variety of weaves and colors, while the painted goods are also being made to order in beautiful hand-decorated patterns of artistic merit.

The Austrian shade illustrated by Figures96and96Ais a very pretty and effective method of diffusing and softening the glare of the sun without excluding the light.

They may be made of a great variety of fabrics, including challie, casement cloth, plain and brocaded silk, silk or wool damask, madras, net, or other soft material of sufficient strength and fast color to withstand the sun, and are a very effective combination of shade and sash curtain. They are simple of construction, but must be accurately and neatly made to insure satisfaction.

Having secured the size of the window and determined the space the shade is to cover, the goods are joined up to the required size, allowing a third of the space (four inches to the foot) each way extra for fullness, with about three inches allowed in addition for double hem at the top and also for a single hem on each side. Calculate so that the seams will come on one of the shirrings each time when joining for the width, as they will not show there and are very unsightly anywhere else.

The material, when ready, is spread flat on the table, as Figure97, and the width divided into the requisite number of panels and marked in straight lines for shirring. Turn the double hem at the top for the rod, and a single hem on each side of one or one and a-half inches. Baste these hems and sew them. Then spread the material on the table again, as illustrated, and with a stout thread gather each shirring line into the required length, fasten each end of the thread to the table with tacks as you gather them, and when all gathered go over each one and adjust the fullness until it is nicely distributed the length of the curtain. Leave the lower one-third of the curtain slightly less full than the upper two-thirds, for when in place it is generally left fastened about half way up the window, and if this is done, the lower end, which is all pleated on the strings, does not look so much more full than the upper portion, which is hanging as shirred.

Cut strips of paper one inch wide and as long as the shirring-thread and pin them along each shirring, the pins sufficiently close to hold the fullness in place. When all pinned in place, the tacks are drawn and the curtain turned paper side down and run through the machine (the paper is used to prevent the machine feed from disturbing the fullness), using the thread as the line for stitching. The paper is then torn away and the shirrings run through the machine a second time for safety if very stretchy material is used.

Spread it out on the table once more, face side down, and on the back of the shirrings baste a quarter-inch baby ribbon or tape to match the goods, and stitch this also. Sew small brass rings to these tapes, as illustrated in Figure96, about six inches apart, along the full length of each tape or ribbon. Shirr the double hem at the top to the required length and stitch a tape to it also, to keep the panels equally divided, and trim the bottom with a fringe.

The bottom of the shade need not be scallopedunless the material is heavy, as the act of shirring it lengthwise and across forces the fullness to take that shape.

The bottoms of the shirrings are weighted to keep the lines perpendicular. This is accomplished either by a small rod covered with the material, as left of Figure96A, or by small bags of shot covered with the material and attached to the bottom of each shirring.

The rod, while not so unobtrusive as the bags, has the advantage of keeping the bottom spread full width, separate weights having a tendency to swing toward the centre.

The shade is drawn up and lowered by means of cords passed through screw-eyes at the top of the window, down through the brass rings and attached to the bottom weights. After passing through the screw-eyes at the top they are led to a pulley at the side, as indicated by Figure96, and all adjusted to draw evenly, fastened together and attached to a cleat. They may also be manipulated by attaching the cords to a shade roller after they pass through the screw-eyes.

The roller is provided with spools either turned up in wood or made by tacking a ridge of leather around the roller, allowing a spool-like space between, and the cords are wound several times around these, while the shade hangs full length; the free bottom ends are then attached to the weights, as before explained, and the whole manipulated by the free cord at the end (X, Figure96B), as explained for raising and lowering the shade illustrated in Figure90.

If the roller is swelled toward the centre by wrapping with leather or by using graduated spools, as Figures98and96B, the shade will draw up in an arching shape, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure96A, the larger spools in the centre consuming more cord each revolution than the smaller ones at the ends, and hence drawing the curtain up faster in the centre, producing the arched effect.

If the cords are mounted on a plain roller without spring-winding attachment, as Figure99, the manipulating cord is wound on it the reverse way, and is all wound on when the shade is down, so that pulling on it causes the roller to revolve, winding up the other cords, and, releasing it, allows the weight of the shade to unwind the roller and causes the shade to descend.

In measuring for shades, some decorators measure for the cloth only and have the rollers cut and mounted accordingly, either at the house or in the shop. We have found it best to measure for the rollers by selecting the most convenient place for the bracket and making the cloth to fit the rollers. Figure94illustrates a modern window trim, showing by crosses the most convenient places for placing shade brackets, those enclosed in circles representing inside brackets and the plain crosses outside brackets.

The illustration of a window’s elevation, Figure78in the chapter on sash curtains, also shows the positions of double shades on the face of the window frame—C, the roller of the light shade, and H the bottom of the shade, and D the roller of the dark shade, with F the bottom of the shade.

Always measure for shades with a rule, as tape-lines are unreliable, and put down the measurement accurately in feet and inches, being careful to make a decided stroke or dot between the feet and inches, as 2 = 2—6 × 9—0 means two shades two feet six inches wide by nine feet long, and the obliteration of the strokes between vastly alters the sizes.

If there is anything peculiar about the windows that should be noted in their manufacture, jot it down also, leaving nothing to memory. In measuring the length, allow about one foot extra for a couple of laps around the roller when the shade is all pulled down. Austrian shades need no extra length, but should just clear the sill when down full length.

Shades running horizontally, as across the bottom of a skylight, are treated exactly the same as explained for Figure95, and if very large, stretch a number of wires lengthways beneath the shade to help support it.

Put up shade brackets with the slot or open bracket to the left side of the window and the hole or closed bracket to the right, leaving a little play between the brackets and the roller. Place the shade in the brackets and pull it down full length. If the spring is too weak to carry it up smartly, take it out of the brackets and roll it partly up, replace it in the brackets and try it again. If still too weak, take it out and roll up a little higher.

If the spring is too strong or will not allow the shade to come down full length, take it out of the brackets when rolled up and unroll it a little.

Do this until the roller will carry the shade smartly without too much tension, and if you find the roller is not strong enough it is always better to replace it with a heavier one before the customer makes a complaint.

ARCHWAYS AND ALCOVESFig 100

ARCHWAYS AND ALCOVES

Fig 100

Fig 100A Fig 100B

Fig 100C Fig 100D

Fig 101

Fig 102

Fig 103

Fig 104

Fig 105

Fig 106

Fig 106A

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