Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-08-05
NEW STYLES FOR WINDOW DEC.
GRAFTON.
A Growing Demand for More Color
Stained Glass Drapery Effects-NKater.
iaIs for Madras Curtains.
From the Carpet Trade Review.

From the Carpet Trade Review.
With the architectural revival Of stained glass
effects for the windosSs, curtain manufacturers
find new field opening to them for the outlet
OF Madras curtain goods, which are now being
made in patterns copied from cathedral win
dows, wherein cubes, squares and picturesque
subjects are executed in bottle green's sage
greens, yellows. browns and other somber tints
giving to the windows behind which they are
hung with no folds or wrinkles, an excellent
stained glass effect.
The opportunities and possibilities of window
decoration embody an endless variety of princi-
pies. all OF which seem now in vogue There is
a growing demand for more color and less of
the ''nOnOtonOusy pure and chaste" In lace
curtains. and in this era of color revival we are
prepared to find a big demand experienced
during the next SIX months for the spice of
color and relief from the many years prevalence
of white goods The tendency of the market
has pointed this way for some years back in the
constantly growing demand for ecru and cream
tnts.
There can he no laws of interior decoration
written other than the laws of good taste.
which must be intuitiye to be appreciated.
Heavy curtains should be confined to large
| rooms. So should curtains Of large patterns.
| For the reason simply that In the one case the
atmosphere becomes denser and impure with
heavy fabric impeding the circulation of
| draughts. and in the latter the recognized up
| hOlsterers' apOthegm THE smaller the room
the smaller the pattern, may be regarded as
an indisputable fact, too obvious init sound
ness to require solution. Lace curtains, there
| fore, have always been used for window dec
Oration-and always will be-for their pecuari-
ties of construction which allows the unob-
structed admission of air.
But while recognizing the adaptiblity of lace
goods for windows, much MAJ be said upon the
character of the fabric used, according to style
or shape OF the window and its location. With
the opening of the fall trade an incacuable
amount of Madras curtains will DRIFT into retail
stores. and unless artstcally applied. great dis
satisfaction will be felt with them, and the sale
of them be brought summary to close.
1t would be well tor the retail dealer to en-
phasZe in his sales the deSirability of hanging
the fabric at windows of sufficient altitude to
give it the effect OF stained glass. If draped at
windows on the ground floor the artificiaity
will be so apparent as to cheaper the goods in
the eyes of many people. For although the de-
STABILITY OF the goods does not end with its APP
pearance to stained glass it will be- neyerthe-
less. that one especial feature which will recon-
mend 1t to the consuming class and that point
must be met and protected from the preiuliccs
which would surely beset it if it has too I'M
natural an aspect.
Many windows are now being treated by a
strip only, or more properly speaking freZe
OF Madras goods trayersng the upper part, and
hanging about a foot and Il half deep. Bel Ow it
a brass rod extends across the easement and
the curtain Itself Is Ufaped rom this. The
fashion at present is TO have the curtain Just
tip the floor. but the rule is not at all arbi-
trary. Wherever the freZe can be OF genuine
stained glass so mrch the better. Ii not and if
the freZe of Madras is not desired. an appear
| ance of ground glass can he obtained by wrap
ping piece ofputty in muslin and rubbing the
pad thus made over the glass. The stain which
results can then be vanished, and an excellent
substitute for ground glass, so far as appear
ance goes. is formed. To decorate this ground
glass, form OF stencilng can be res0rted to.
the pattern being cut out of paper or bristol
board. laid upon the glass and rubbed over with
any glass cleaning preparation which readily re-
moves the putty stains, and the pattern APP
pears
This fashion is the latest of those transitions
which commenced when the cornice was sue
ceeded by poles. and whether the wire beneath
the frieZe will long remain the novelty in this
branch of decoration remains to be seen. 1t
certainly offers an almost neXhaustble Oppor-
tunity for ingenuity which. if we mistake not.
uphOlsterers will make the most of