The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-12-22
Living Within
Your Meager
Income
BY IDA BAILEY ALLEN.

BY IDA BAILEY ALLEN.
IN THIS day, city living is restricted.
Do you live in an apartment? Does
the sunshine really come in your
window or has the building built next
door cut off your light?
If your home doesn't get the sun
shine in some of the rooms some of
the time move-and move quickly.
Even moving is cheaper than doctor
bills and you must have sunshine to be
healthy. If you have a sunny home
don't exclude Gods greatest gift with
the wrong curtains.
Women love fussy curtains and men
hate them-there is a happy meeting
place where every one is pleased.
Curtains can be found that will
soften the lights. What could be more
charming than the little ruffled dotted
Swiss ones that hung in your room
when you were a kid. Easy to laun-
der, Inexpensive to make and fashion
able today, extensively fashionable if
made by decorator.
You can get a piece of Swiss, net,
scrim or organdie often at wholesale
prices or you can buy it at the Ten
Cent Store If you watch. If you
don't want the usual white or ecru
curtains and love color you can get
all these materials in the pastel
shades to go with your other fur
nishings. Rods to hang them on are
only 10 cents and the new curved
one give such q pretty effect.
Hang them as far to the sides as
you can, so you will have the whole
windows free when you want light and
air. Glass curtains are only neces-
sary when your neighbors are too
near, and when they are used, they
should be of the sheerest quality.
There Is a wonderful, inexpensive
metallic tissue that can be hung at in
side windows that gives a sunshiny
effect to the darkest corner.
There are silk muslins, chintz and
even checked ginghams that make
adorable side and overdraperies if
you like your windows to look dressed
up, and properly selected and care
fully measured they will fit in any
home.
Make the, silk muslin ones with the
valance with headings and castings at
both edges. This makes a puffy tied
down effect when both edges are
tackled in place and this effect is now
considered very smart. The sid e
pACSCS Sdh udfC at Tic DOItOih.
I wonder if you know that while
the under curtains go on rods, the
over ones can be hung beautifully if
tape or heavy cord in run in the cas-
ings, the ends carefully tucked out of
sight and they are tackled to the win
dow casing or If the room is low,
the picture moulding above them.
The chintz curtains can be shaped
and bound with bias colored binding
to harmonic, from the piece bag or
from part of a remnant picked up to
cover sofa cushions.
The Bingham ones with a bold cross
stitched design in black can for less
than dollar exactly duplicate cur
tains that cost at one shop $25 a win
dow, and they have a gayety that is
unbelievable unless you see them.
Red and white or yellow and white
curtains in room where all the odds
and ends of furniture have been
painted black and red or black and
yellow, with lights and cushions that
harmonic, are really joy.
Do you know about the new colored
window shades, plain, striped or
lowered, that are used by many
people that just can't stand draperies
and still feel their windows must have a
bit of color?
You can make them yourself on
your old rollers. Take off the cloth
and cut new shades of sunfast mate
rial exactly like them; hem them, run
in the sticks, then tack them on the
rollers.
In selecting curtains, remember that
rooms are like the people who live
in them-they have personalities. So
be sure to select materials that go
with the particular type of room
otherwise your windows will be too
conspicuous-rather than frames for
sunshine, the luxury" that's free and
within any ones income.