The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-02-05
WINDOW SHADES.
A Country woman's Economical Manner
of Making Them.

of Making Them.
I'VE weren't living exactly sixty
miles from lemon, but we were living
a good way from any place, and when
it came to fitting up the house, we were
amazed at the number of windows
which required shades, and the small
supply of material on hand. Indeed,
those we had were either too short or
too narrow, and didn't seem to answer
the purpose at all At the nearest point
where such things could be purchased,
the price, 81. 90 window, struck us as
so utterly unreasonable that we de-
clined to disburse the necessary amount
of cash. especially as there was some
thing like twenty-four windows in the
building. The timely arrival of an
ingenious friend helped us out amazing
ly. She had written us that she was
coming, and we wrote her the particu-
lars of our dilemma about the shades
When she arrived, she brought among
other luggage parcel which was duly
turned over to the hoad of the family,
with the laughing remark;
There, my dear, are all the neces-
sary supplies for your windows, and the
bill is just SO. So
1.-The parcel contained two dozen
shade rollers with fixtures, lot of
fringe and some white muslin, the pur-
pose of which we did not at first under
stand. The next day our friend went
to work, measured the windows, sawed
the rollers, and put up the fixtures.
She then, with very sharp shears, cut
the curtains of exactly the size required,
out of the muslin, and fastened them to
the rollers with the smallest gimp
tacks, which were also in the parcel.
The hens of the curtains were finished,
and the fringe put on, and sticks put in.
The curtains were then tackled to q
crossbeam in the garnet. this being the
most convenient place. They were
fastened by the sticks in the hens, very
slender nails being driven through at
each end and in the middle. The cloth
was then saturated with starch, in
which was dissolved some white glue,
and weights were attached to the
rollers. They were then allowed to dry
without being touched Having been
cut by the thread and tackled, so that
the cloth fell in exactly perpendicular
line, the curtains dried perfectly square,
and, when put up, rolled as easily as a
holland, which they very closely resem-
bled.
I'm large cities curtains are SO mex
pensive that it is scarcely worth while
to take the trouble to make them, but
in country districts or where goods are
very high-priced it pays excellently
well to make the curtains at home. 1t
is really very little work, requiring
only careful attention to cutting of the
cloth and saving the sticks, and a
mechanical eye to put the fixtures mp
straight. Some homemade curtains
have been so neatly finished that the
casual observer would never imagine
them other than the work of a profess
sional Fine heavy sheeting, Pride of
the West, or even cambria, makes ex-
tremely pretty shades, if carefully man
aged. Fringe or any other desired finish
may be used, and will add greatly to
the neatness of the job. A fine quality
of size may be used instead of starch
and glue. but must be very carefully
applied, and permitted to become
thoroughly dry before using. IN. Y.
Ledger.