Cutting and draping

by John W. Stephenson

Fig 96A Fig 96B

Fig 98 Fig 99

A convenient way of providing these is a flat steel rule about one-eighth inch thick, three inches wide and eighteen inches long, marked with inches from one to twelve, and with a small button at the end for convenience in moving it. This will be heavy enough to lie where placed, and by placing it at the side of the table between the lines, as in Figure [82], the measurement of a piece of cloth can be accurately gauged.

The other sections of the table and their purposes can be readily understood from the illustration, the shelves being used for rollers, drawers one, two, three and four for shade hardware and accessories, and drawer five for tools.

The trough at the right end of Figure [82] is made so as to slide in out of the way when not required, and is used when cutting the ends off rollers. It is marked in inches along its entire length, and the cutting end is faced with metal, or has a true saw-cut a short distance back as a guide for the saw. In the latter case it should be made of hardwood, and the saw-teeth should have very little set.

The table should be placed so that the operator faces the light, and his stock of materials should be as convenient as possible to the cutting table.

Having gauged the length of the shade with the small steel rule, as Figure [82], place the roll of cloth with the end of the material resting at the mark. Weight it with a small weight and unroll the cloth until the roll reaches the receptacle at the end; a touch of the hand will tighten the slack by revolving the roll; adjust it evenly and run the knife along the steel edge, severing the piece from the roll. If more than one shade of the same length are to be cut from the same roll, allow this length to lie as cut and unroll over it as many more pieces as you need, cutting each one as you get the cloth adjusted evenly.

When the lengths are all cut, if care has been taken to have the cloth running true with the edges of the table, the cut ends will have been trimmed square by the action of severing them from the roll. Adjust the edges nearest the cutting side of the table so that they lie even and project about a half inch over the edge of the table, as Figure [82], and the cut ends lying true and even with the table end, the cloth is securely weighted at each end and the projecting edges trimmed true by running the knife along the cutting guide, as illustrated.