Isn’t this a pretty curtain? It has quite a farmyard of animals on it. First, there is the stately cock; then two rabbits, one running along and one sitting down; and then quite a group of ducks and ducklings. Perhaps if you were to ask mother, she would let you make some like it for your own bedroom.

Cream Congress canvas was used to make the curtain, and it was lined with sateen of the same shade. The animals and border are worked in green “Star Sylko” thread, No. 5, Shade 754. The curtain in the picture is about 18 inches wide and 21 inches deep, but you would, of course, make it the right size for your own window.

First cut your canvas to the size required, allowing about 6 threads of canvas extra all round for turnings. Turn in a single turning of 6 threads all round and tack securely.

Now look carefully at the border and see how this is done. You have an illustration showing how to make the various stitches used. You first work slanting up-and-down stitches all along the side edges and across the bottom of the curtain, going over 4 threads of canvas.

Commencing from the top of the right side edge of the curtain, count 4 threads from the top edge, and put your needle up through the hole right on the edge; go over 4 threads to the right and 4 threads up, put your needle in and pick up 8 threads; make a slanting stitch back again down to the edge of the canvas, and put your needle into the hole you first brought it out of, pick up 8 threads along the edge, and repeat this up and down all the way round three sides of the curtain.

I think the little picture will best show you how this is done; you will see that two slanting stitches meet at the corner. In picking up the lower threads only take up the single canvas, so that no stitches will be shown at the edge on the other side.

Now to complete the edge, buttonhole stitches are worked around. Directions for making buttonhole stitch are given on page 6. One stitch is placed at each point of the slanting stitches, putting your needle down through the fold of the edge of the curtain. How this should look can be seen in the second specimen in the illustration of the stitches. You will notice that three stitches are made into the one hole at the corner.

You have now to work the rows of stars around to finish the border. These are worked as shown in the third specimen in your illustration of stitches. All the stitches of the star start from the centre hole, the four long stitches being worked over four threads of the canvas, and the four short stitches over 2; one thread of canvas is left between each star. There should also be four threads left between the points of the first row of stars and the stitches round the edge of the curtain. One row of stars is worked all round, a second row and a row of half stars being added across the bottom.

The animals are worked in cross-stitch, going over 2 threads of canvas for each cross. If you are not quite sure how to work cross-stitch, you can find out by looking at page 26. You will be able to count the crosses from the diagrams given. Of course, if your curtain is to be much larger than this one, you will have to leave more space between each animal.

Also, you might like to make your curtain of some other material instead of the canvas, and if you are using a plain material, without even threads to count, you can first tack Penelope canvas where you want your animals, and work over this, pulling the threads of canvas away after, as you see explained on page 27. For instance, the curtain would look quite nice made of unbleached calico in this way. You have a set of pictures on page 111, showing the animals worked over Penelope canvas, and these will help you, if you are using calico, or casement cloth for your curtain.

The pictures on this page show the animals worked over Penelope Canvas. You would do them this way if you make your curtain of sateen or unbleached calico.

You now cut out a piece of sateen exactly the same size as you cut the canvas, turn in a narrow single turning, and tack the sateen to the wrong side of the curtain. The stitch used for sewing the lining to the curtain is shown at the bottom of your illustration of stitches. In working this, you hold a strand of your embroidery thread along just in from the edge of your work, and sew over this, with small slanting stitches, putting your needle in just above the line of thread, and bringing it out just underneath. The coloured thread is used for this; a white thread is used in the specimen, just to show you how the stitches should look.

When you are doing this part of the work, be careful that you do not take your stitches through to the right side of the curtain, but only pick up the turned-in edge of the canvas with the sateen.

Sew 7 bone curtain rings to the top of curtain at even distances apart, and the curtain is complete.

You will need two curtains, or even three, if your window is a very wide one. But each curtain is made in exactly the same way. And when they are finished, you will be very proud of your needle-work I am sure. And all your friends will be able to see it, without any showing, every time they come into your room.