Cutting and draping

by John W. Stephenson

The top edge between B and C will be found quite full, and the surplus must be disposed of in the rosette at C. This is one of the most popular styles of small scarf draperies, and if nicely carried out in soft fabrics can be made to look quite neat. Before cutting the goods for reversing, we would advise the temporary draping of the goods, as hereafter explained for Figure [38].

Figure [38] is an elaborate festoon scarf drapery, with the fringe reversed in four places.

To accomplish this successfully it is almost imperative that we use a reversible material that will permit of each side being alternately presented to view in the festoons without perceptible difference.

To calculate for reversing scarf draperies the best plan is to mark off on your drapery board the dimensions of your space or opening, and attach to it at requisite points ornaments, rings or poles similar to those you intend to attach it to when finished.

Cut off your material, allowing one yard of material to each foot in width of space, and temporarily attach the centre of one edge of your goods to the middle of your space; then bring it through or over the next attachment, drawing to about the desired proportion of the festoon, and repeat at the next point, and so on to the end rosette; bring the goods over and over each time without twisting it, as you would bind a bandage round a limb. When all temporarily attached go back over each festoon and be sure that it is correctly adjusted, and then tie up the ends to form rosettes. You can now readily see where fringe will be needed; mark it as it hangs, using safety curtain pins, placing a pin at the extremities of the bottom line of each festoon, the points toward the bottom of the festoon. (See Figure [38B], points D and G.)

The bottom line of the next festoon runs up behind this one, consequently you must reach up underneath the first festoon and place the pins in the face side of the under festoon, points downward, as dotted out lines, E and F, Figure [38B]. Put a pin also in the outside corner of each tail, pointing toward the lower point of the tail. When all pinned take down and sew the fringe on the side from which each pair of pins was inserted, and from point to point of each pair. This will bring the fringe alternately first on one side and edge and then on the other side and edge, as Figure [38A], which represents the fringe between points A——B, D——G and H——J, as being on the top side of the goods as it lies spread out, and that between points C——E and F——I, on the under side.

Figure [38B] shows a variation from the style of Figure [38], in that the festoon does not form a wind round the pole, but is as a loop dropped over it, both ends of the festoon showing in front of the pole. It is seldom employed more than once or twice in a large drapery, and then in the centre or at equal distances on each side of it.

In scarf draperies, as in cut draperies, study to produce a symmetrical and well-balanced effect, and at the same time avoid having each side the exact duplicate of the other. Figure [38], for example, is an illustration of this thought.

If for architectural reasons it is necessary that both sides be alike, as Figure [35], then plan to have them as exact as possible, but, as a general rule, a slight variation adds character to the decoration.

Avoid, also, too many rosettes, two being quite sufficient in almost any drapery that is not of a temporary character.