[Illustration: Fig. 642.—Crease the cloth through the centre.]
[Illustration: Fig. 643.—Leave several inches of thread at the ends.]
[Illustration: Fig. 645.—Make a loop of the floss.]
When you have stencilled the entire design
move the stencil farther along on the curtain, tack it down and continue stencilling until the border is finished; then take the small stencil of the single flower (Fig. 640) and stencil the flower at irregular intervals over the curtain. For
which finish the curtains use cheese-cloth colored with the green dye. Cut a strip of cheese-cloth two and a half inches wide, spread it flat on the board and paint it with the dye, using your bristle paint brush for the purpose. When the cloth is dry cut it into pieces four inches long. Dye a number of strands of white linen floss, or use green linen or silk floss for tying the tassels.
[Illustration: Fig. 646.—Run another gathering thread across each half of the tassel.]
[Illustration: Fig. 647.—Wrap the thread around to form the neck.]
[Illustration: Fig. 648.—Trim off the bottom.]
Fold one piece of the dyed cheese-cloth crosswise through the centre and crease it (Fig. 642). Thread a coarse needle with a strand of the floss and run it through the crease, leaving several inches of the floss at each end (Fig. 643). Draw the material into gathers and tie securely (Fig. 644). Then bring the two ends together. Make a loop of the floss about one inch long (Fig. 645), and fasten by taking one or two stitches in the gathers. Open the fold, bring the ends of the floss on the underside of the tassel, tie close to the gathers and cut off the ends. Run another gathering thread across each half of the tassel, half an inch below the gathers at the top (Fig. 646). Draw the thread tight, wrap it around several times to form the neck (Fig. 647), and fasten with several stitches. Cut the floss close to the wrapping and with the scissors trim off the bottom of the tassel until it is perfectly even (Fig. 648). Sew the tassels several inches apart on the bottom edge of the curtains, as shown in illustration. When the curtains are
soak them for an hour or more in a strong solution of salt and water, then wash carefully in the suds of a pure white soap and rinse thoroughly. Do not rub the soap on the material, and before putting the curtain in water shake and brush out all loose dust. Dry in the shade.