Cutting and draping

by John W. Stephenson

Temporarily attach V at point X and carry the edge of the half length to the right or left to A or B, the first point of attachment, allowing a slight sag for the top of the festoon.

With one hand hold the edge of the goods at B, Figure [36A], and move the other hand twelve or eighteen inches farther along the edge, and with a gathering motion of fingers and thumb allow the two hands to follow the shape of the dotted line across the goods, Figure [36A], until they meet at E, which you have judged to be as far from the bottom edge as the length you wish to make the pipe O, formed at B——B, Figure [36].

As the hands meet gather all the goods into one and with the other tie a cord tightly around the gathering, the same as for the rosette, Figures [33A] and [33B]; the surplus above the tying may be formed into a rosette or thrown back through a ring, as illustrated.

The same process is repeated at ring A——A, and the two outer festoons and tails formed as explained for festoon 3, Figure [33]. After all is securely attached pick the fullness into pleats that follow nicely from one point of attachment to the next; form pipes of the surplus bottom edge and fold and pick out the ends until you have a presentable double tail surmounted by a rosette, as illustrated.

As we have already stated, scarf draperies depend for their appearance on the way in which they are put up, and a little time spent in carefully adjusting the pleats and pipes so that they hang gracefully without drawing or twisting will be amply rewarded by the appearance of the finished product.

Some materials require an infinite amount of coaxing, particularly for scarf draperies, but patience and perseverance will usually conquer the most contrary fabric.

Figure [37] is a scarf drapery made with one reverse where it passes through the ring. By reverse we mean that the fringe instead of being all sewn on one side of the goods is for some distance transferred to the other side of the goods and sewn to the opposite edge.

If the material is reversible (finished alike on both sides) the fringe can be reversed, as Figure [37A], without cutting the goods, and the fringe, instead of ending with the two ends opposite one another, is allowed to pass or overlap to about the position indicated by the extremities of the dotted A——A.

If the material is not reversible, as is supposedly the case in Figure [37A], the goods are cut (in this case one-third the distance from one end) and sewn together at A1——A1, with the long end the reverse side up. Gather the goods across the broken line A1——A1 and draw through the ring until the seam is concealed; draw over the hook B, leaving the necessary sag to the bottom edge and allowing the top edge only a slight droop; gather and tie at the outside corner D, and then go over both the festoons and coax the pleats into shape.

You will find that the goods have become considerably biased where they pass over the hook B, and for that reason do not fasten them at C until the centre festoon is finished to your satisfaction. When this is accomplished proceed to finish the left festoon after the manner of festoon 3, Figure [33A].