Dear Miriam - How very sad that the curtain has been so badly treated. You did not say how you have tried to pull the stitches in the right direction...
First, I think I'd soak the curtain in water. Then, I'd block it on a frame. You may have to do this in stages, making it a little bigger each time. The best way to do this is with a frame made specifically for blocking lace curtains and tablecloths. I don't think they make them any more, and you may have a challenge just finding one to borrow. If you can't find one, make one. Cut two 2.5 X 5cm boards a little longer than your curtain need to be when it is the right size again. Cut two more a little longer than the width of your curtain. Use a drill to drill holes through which you can insert a bolt and wingnut in each corner. The first stage corners will be just an inch or so bigger than the curtain is presently. After your frame is tightened so that it has 90 degree corners, you will start attaching the curtain. The old-fashioned frames used nails or heavy pins which were inserted into pre-drilled holes. (Some of the frames simply had combs of teeth over which the lace was placed...) With your frame, you'll probably want to use push-pins which come from stationery supply stores and have a bit of a top to grip. Start in the middle of one side of the curtain. Pin it in place and then go to the opposite side of the curtain and pin again. Then go to the top and then the bottom. After that, work away from the middle pins, always putting an opposing pin on the other side. This is just the same concept as stretching canvas over a stretcher before painting a picture - except that you don't yank quite so hard!! If the curtain begins to feel like it's drying out before you're finished, spray it with water to keep it damp. Once the curtain is completely stretched, let it dry completely. If you're not happy with the results, repeat the process, stretching a little further or spacing your pins a little differently. It's possible that you have some particular motifs in the main body of the curtain that don't respond to the edge treatment. In that case, you may want to start with these motifs and get them in the proper shape before working on the entire curtain from the edges. I think your curtain can be salvaged... but it may take a lot of work! Sounds like it's worth it! Clay ----- Original Message ----- From: "Miriam Gidron" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 2:05 PM Subject: [lace] Crochet curtain > Dear Spider, > > I'm in need of ideas. > > I have a crochet curtain, which I have made in my living room. It is about > 70 cm wide and 150 cms long. After the fire, the people who cleaned the > house just took the curtain off the rod and sent it to the cleaners. (I was > in the States at the time, remember?) Well it came back all distorted. It > shrunk in odd ways. The long sides of the curtain got wavy and it looks > horrible. I tried to add several rows to the length and to pull it in the > correct direction but to no avail. The odd shape stays there. > > Any idea how I can save my curtain? It took me years to make it and I > definitely won't make another one. It has a lovely design of a weeping > willow and at night against the dark background it is beautiful. Only my > heart aches when I look at it. > > Miriam > in Israel > > - > To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: > unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
