CARE OF CURTAINS STILL NECESSARY

Press, Volume C, Issue 29707, 28 December 1961, Page 2

CARE OF CURTAINS STILL NECESSARY

IBy ZALIA THOMAS)

LONDON, Dec. 13. It is a far cry from the heavy white lace curtains of the Victorian era to the delicate terylene net curtains of today, yet for all the obvious advantages of the man-made fibres the old-fashioned cotton lace still holds its own in price. Whilst talking with a member of a firm which produces nearly a million yards of window fabrics every month, and which celebrates its

ninetieth birthday this year, I was surprised to find him championing cotton-lace curtains, but regretting the fact that the modern generation does not seem to know how to treat cotton nets to get the greatest advantage from them. I can well remember the infinite care with which my grandmother treated her lace curtains. They were first soaked in cold water, carefully squeezed in a mild solution of soap then very gently lifted from the water to prevent the weight of water damaging the delicate strands. Grandmother’s “Ritual” Most important of all was the final stretching. She would get two members of the family to hold the curtain horizontally by each of its four corners and gently, but firmly gather each end into a tight frill. Then followed a “ritual” of pulling and shaking until the centre of the curtain was the same length as the outer edges, which tend to stretch and make an uneven hem. Whilst singing the praises of cotton nets, it must be remembered how pretty are the designs of the modern terylenes, in fact at a recent show in London one rosecovered terylene was so attractive that Janet Munro, the actress. immediately ordered several yards from which to make a negligee. Today, with drip-dry and easy-care finishes, cotton lace does not stretch or shrink to the same extent, but I am told that a little attention to the rules followed by our grandmothers -culd be well rewarded.