SPANISH SHAWLS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 June 1938, Page 4

SPANISH SHAWLS

4 MAKE NOVEL BEDSPREADS. Lovely bed coverlets are being fashioned from old embroidered Spanish shawls, and if you possess such a treasure it would be a good plan to bring it to light and see what can be done with it.

The shawl may not be quite large enough as it is, but that doesn’t matter. Line it with a panel of artificial furnishing satin in one of the shades of the embroidery, and let the edges of the lining extend as far as necessary to get the coverlet the right size. Tack the shawl to the lining all round, and a few times here and there in the centre, to keep them smoothly together. Besides enlarging the coverlet satisfactorily, the new lining will make the shawl stronger and so prolong its life. To bring the bed-head into line with the new counterpane, cover it with wadding, stretch a piece of cotton material smoothly over the padding, and secure it here and there with tiny brads. Cover the cotton with satin to match the lining, and conceal the edges all round under a strip of furnishing gimp to tone. “Quilt” the surface of the satin by pressing in big drawing pins in the same colour.

Another idea is to use one of the old-fashioned white “honeycomb” coverlets that used to be inseparable from large brass bedsteads. Outline the honeycomb pattern with thick rug wool in vivid shades, couched down with contrasting embroidery cottons. Most decorative results can be obtained in this way, so it is well worth while to bring the old trunk out of the attic, and see whether Grandmamma's old coverlets are bundled up inside.