HINTS AND WRINKLES No ll

Part of a large set of linen/silk mix 19c. chateau curtains, lined and interlined, with heavy silk cord trimming.  For Sale..

Curtains hang much better and keep out the cold more efficiently if they are interlined.  You can use thin blankets, or flannelette sheets instead of the usual Bump cloth and it does a good job and the odd repair, hole, stain cannot be seen!   Old sheets will do for linings and you can always do a washing machine Dylon dye if you like, this can an quite a good touch in the right colour scheme.  If you do 'piece' good remnants of other old curtains together, try and line up the pattern by ironing the seams exactly to match on the repeats and they will not show so much.   When it comes to rails for hanging the curtains, any pipe or pole will do as long as it can carry the weight, and plumber's copper pipe looks rather good, or old brass or iron rods.  You can make finials by painting tennis or other balls and pushing them on to the ends after making an X cut.  Big old French butchers' meat hooks will make brackets to hold the poles.
Tool and ironwork stalls at the larger antique fairs often have useful bits, together with window fittings and door furniture and can be very useful for matching up oddments.
Good brass fittings are quite expensive now and the cheap ones from India do not wear well.