The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-01-20
WINDOW CURTAINS.
How to Make a Room Attractive at al
Uncomfortable Cost.

:
How to Make a Room Attractive at an
InconsiderabIe Cost.
Pretty curtains on the windows 90 a
great way to make room attractive,
for, if cared for properly, no matter
how cheap the material of which they
are made, they will always present a
good appearance. To be sure, it is adj
visable that the material shall be suit
able, as a soft, clinging goods would
never do for roller shade, nor a stiff
goods for drapery curtain. Holland
is the kind of goods most suitable for
shades, and almost any kind of pretty
soft material can be used for drapery,
from Swiss muslin, scrim, Madras. ETC.,
up to the heavy tapestries. When the
windows are of an ordinary size it is
best to purchase the shades and fixt-
ures all ready to put up, but where the
windows are peculiarly constructed it
is advisable to have the shades fitted
to the windows by a person acquainted
with such work. When buying Hol-
land shades attached to the rollers, all
ready to put up, examine them very
closely for spots or stains. Unroll
them their full length, and if no spot
is observed on them when holding
them between you and the light. you
may be very certain they are all right.
Ii there is no window near, when pur-
chasing them, have some one hold
them unrolled near the window, so
that the light will strike directly on
them, and if there is stain or spot, it
will show out verv quickly. Very
often a flaw in the Holland, which APP
pears to be nothing more than snarled
thread when the shade is down, will
look very different when under strong
light. Examine the end of the roller that
is capped with brass or nickel, with the
square piece of iron in the center. Take
hold of the piece of iron. and
if it turns quite easily, the spring is
unwound and should be put in proper
order ere it is bought Where dura-
bility is wanted the roller with the un-
covered spring end is the best when
understood. Around the inside edges
Of the brass at the end, at equal dis
tances apart, are three small square
notches. into which set three tiny bits
of brass when the spring is wound
up, but when unwound they cluster
around the iron end of the spring in
the center. To wind the spring, turn
this piece of iron around until it
works quite stiff, then holding it so it
will not slip, push the bits of brass
into the notches to hold it fast. As
often as the spring gets out of order it
can be wound up in this way, and will
last for years. Before putting up the
shade see that it is tackled securely
to the roller, for, in most cases, the
tacks are too far apart, and after the
shade has been up for awhile it will,
with slight exertion on any ones part,
pull away from the roller. Put two
tacks quite close together at the ends,
and the rest about an inch and half
apart. By seeing to this before the
shades are put up you will save great
dead of annoyance. In putting up
fixtures that have two screws, one
above the other, if the top screw is
put in firmly there is no necessity for
the other screw being used, for the
one will do as well as the two. This is
a very little thing, but to person un-
accustomed to this kind of work it
means a great deal. Be sure that each
screw is put in straight, and that no
part of the head protrudes, for if but
the rim of the head is above the iron,
in a very little while the curtain will
have a ragged side edge.
When wishing to put new shades on
old rollers, for this purpose get the
Scotch Holland the length required.
Do not get it SO wide that you will
have to make side hem, for unless
you are an adept at this work it will be
very annoying and fussy. Have it just
wide enough for the window, and
make deep hem at the bottom.
When sewing it on the machine, have
the tension quite loose and use long
stitch. When lacking to the roller,
turn under the edge a quarter of an
inch and tack firmly. Where cotton
is used for shades it should be wide
enough to allow for broad hem at
each side, and tackled to the roller the
same as the Holland. Never attempt
to wash Holland shades if there is any
way of sending them to laundry, for
they seldom look as well when done at
home. When washing shades, first
put them through boiled starch, dry
and then wiring them out of thin cold
starch. Roll them in cloth and set
aside short while, then, commencing
at the raw end, iron for about foot
in length across the shade until per-
fectly dry. Tack to the roller, after
turning in the edge, and roll the dry
part upon it. Continue ironing, a
short piece at a time, and rolling it up
until the whole is done Ironing
shades in this way will keep them
from creasing, and if done carefully
they will not pull awry, which is the
general fault where they are done up
at home, but work perfectly straight.
Boston Budget.
Flowing Frozen Ground.
Sometimes land may be proftably