Cutting and draping

by John W. Stephenson

Adjust the position of your left hand until you get the corners to satisfy you, leaving the corner F as low as you desire to have it. With the hands in the positions of Figure [33A] move the left hand over above the right hand, keeping the edge of the material still taut between them, and with the fingers and thumb of the right hand gather up all the goods across the dotted line X——X into small pleats and squeeze this tightly with the right hand as Figure [33B]. Half way between the two hands bend this bunch back, bringing the point held by the left hand under the fingers of the right hand where it is tied securely by a cord passed around the goods gathered there, and attach it to the wall, pole or door frame at point C, Figure [33].

The rosette is formed by spreading out the loop formed by bending back the point for tying. Spread it fan shape, Figure [33C], bringing each side around to form a complete circle, ending by tucking one within the other as Figure [33D].

Pick out the most prominent folds below the rosette to form pleats and form them as far back toward point B as you can follow them, making as many as are necessary to dispose of the fullness of the festoon; form a pipe dropping from the centre of the tied bunch beneath the rosette and pleat the rest of the fullness to form a double tail as illustrated.

Release the goods where they were temporarily tacked at B and form folds over the pole that will be continuations of the pleats radiating from the rosette.

Commence at the side nearest the rosette and tack each one as you form it, allowing the last one to be a nice full pleat, as illustrated in Figure [33E]. The point of the curtain which was attached at A is now drawn up slightly to make a few shallow pleats in festoon 2, and the point thrown back toward the wall, out of sight, where it is fastened to keep the pleats in place.

For festoon 1 spread the curtain out flat, as Figure [33F], and with one hand gather the goods into small pleats across the end on the bias and slightly curved, as dotted line. This is securely tied and thrown over the pole at point A, the short edge uppermost and next to the other curtain (see Figure [33G]), fasten it there and make a festoon rosette and tail with the balance of the curtain, as explained for festoon 3, Figure [33A].

Fig 36A

If you wish the single tail at A, formed by the end of the second curtain, to cascade the reverse way (with long side next to the other curtain), twist it where it is brought up behind the pole, but do not turn the whole curtain over, as you need the longest edge for the bottom of the festoon.

A study of the dotted and broken line edges of each illustration will explain how they are manipulated to secure the requisite length for the bottom of the festoon, how the surplus from the top of one festoon is used to increase the length of the next one, and how, by using alternate edges of the curtain, it is made to cover a larger space.