Window Witchery: Stitchery!

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Here's a bit of do-it-yourself "magic" that can make an ugly view look bright and beautiful.

by Virginia Baysden and MOTHER's staff

We like to think of windows as the eyes of a house . . . gazing out over a beautiful landscape or fascinating city scene that soothes or stimulates our spirits. But in today's crowded world, that's just not often the case. Frequently, homes or apartments have windows that overlook unattractive — if not downright ugly— views or, worse yet, that reveal neighboring living rooms or bedrooms with intrusive clarity. To cope with the problem, people resort to such things as permanently drawn curtains, shades, "glass curtains", frosted glass, or painstakingly applied adhesive gel. There's another choice available, though, and it should have special appeal to needleworkers and crafts people. It's what I call window stitchery— fabric "stained glass" that can be made permanent or portable.

Window stitchery provides a unique solution to the problem of dealing with an unsightly view. It's inexpensive, but it does require time and a moderate amount of skill in such things as sketching a pattern; tracing, cutting, and sewing the component fabric pieces; and stretching the finished work over a wooden frame to be inserted in a window. But oh, the lovely results! Like magic, your fabric picture screens out the view, replacing it with a back-lit design made especially for the room it occupies. In addition, your stitchery can act as a shade for an overbright area and provide a certain amount of insulation. It has some of the character of true stained glass without any of the cost or difficulty involved in the cutting of glass and soldering of metals . . . and it allows for great individuality of design.

BEGIN WITH A FRAME

Most displays of graphic art begin with the picture, but in window stitchery you begin with the frame. You'll need eight strips of lath or molding, 1" wide and 1/2" thick, cut to the size of your window. Because glazing frames are often out of square, you'll need to measure all four sides separately. Lay the measuring tape along the casement where you plan to have the stitchery touch. You'll need two strips of wood for each of the four sides, the first strip equal in length to the exact measurement of the side, and the second strip 2" shorter (see Fig. 1). You can either cut these yourself or have it done at your local lumber supplier or millwork company. Be sure to label each piece clearly: On the rough side (which will be covered when the framing is finished), write "Top-Long", "Top-Short", and so on.

SCHEME, PLOT, AND PURCHASE

The next step is to create the picture design. For this you'll need a large sheet of paper (brown wrapping paper, newspaper, or opened grocery bags will do), some masking tape, a pencil, and a black marker pen. Spread the paper on the floor or a large tabletop, and on it lay four of the wooden strips, the long top and bottom and the short right and left sides, to make the window shape. Tape the strips together at the corners, then use your marker to draw the inside dimensions of the frame onto the paper. The "stained glass" design should fill the space completely.

Now, set the wooden strips aside while you work on the picture. Use a pencil to sketch the design of your choice onto the paper, extending it about 1" beyond the marked frame dimensions. For ease of construction and a look of elegance, keep the drawing as clear and simple as possible. Once the design is drawn to your satisfaction, go over the penciled lines with the black marker. Number or letter each section of the drawing, then use crayons or other colored markers to indicate the hues you want in each section.

With that done, it's time to begin tracing, cutting, and sewing. [ EDITOR'S NOTE: The following procedure imitates, to some degree, the manner in which stained-glass panels are put together. Another method, which some people may find easier, is described in the accompanying sidebar.] Using heavy tracing paper or fine, sturdy muslin, trace the individual sections of your design. Now, add a cutting line 1" beyond each outline. Mark each section with the number or letter that indicates its place in the design and cut it out.

Next, sort the various pattern pieces by color. Lay out all those of the same hue as if they were on a length of 36" or 45" fabric, putting the pieces close together but not overlapping, and measure the amount of space they take up. This will give you an idea of how much fabric you'll need for each color.

SELECTING A JOINER

In real stained-glass windows or panels, sections of glass are joined together with strips of metal. In window stitchery, the pieces of fabric are sewn together, and then black, silver, or color-coordinated strips of bias binding are stitched over the seams to conceal them. A measuring wheel or a cloth tape measure can be used to figure the amount of binding required; just add several inches to the total — about 1" per each separate strip used — to allow for overlapping the ends.

Since the picture will be seen from the inside and the outside of the house, you may want it to be reversible. In that case, you should double the amount of binding you purchase to allow for covering the seam lines on the reverse side.

After you've selected the binding you'll use, you may want to paint the wooden frame strips a matching color for a more finished appearance.

CONSTRUCTING THE PICTURE

With all your materials on hand, lay the paper pattern pieces on the appropriate colored fabrics and pin them in place. Cut out the fabric sections and leave the patterns af fixed to them until you're ready to join the sections together.

Start by pinning and sewing the innermost sections. You can use lapped seams or double topstitched seams (see Fig. 2) if you're working with a sewing machine, or a round-and-round whipstitch if you're doing the picture by hand (trim the seam allowance to 1/2" before whipstitching, or there'll be too much fabric to deal with). Seams joined by machine should be folded before being stitched, or trimmed afterward so that a 1/2" bias binding strip will cover them completely.

Continue joining the picture sections until the entire design has been completed, ironing each seam as it's done. When all sections have been sewn together, begin covering the shortest seams with binding, remembering to allow enough length so each cut end can be covered by another binding strip where the two cross. Tackle the longest seams last and cover all the raw ends of the shorter binding strips with the final long strips. If your picture is to be reversible, repeat the process on the opposite side.

ALL TOGETHER NOW

With the painted (front) sides of the wooden frame pieces face down, lay the long top and bottom and the short right and left strips in place on top of your original design. Put a dab of glue on the butt ends where they join and tape the strips at the corners. Lay the completed stitchery on top of the frame with the edges overlapping the wood pieces. Then staple the upper edge to the top strip of wood at every point where the binding extends onto the frame. Gently stretch the picture down to the bottom of the frame, and staple the ends of all binding strips that run from top to bottom of the picture. Next, staple the ends of binding strips that run from one side of the picture to the other, alternating from the left to the right side of the frame as you work your way down the picture. Keep the tension as even as possible as you go. Last, staple the ends of short binding strips wherever they extend over the wooden frame.

Once the binding is secured, proceed in the same manner with the fabric. When you're done, you can reinforce the staples by gluing the fabric edges to the frame. Finally, trim off any excess material.

Now, take the remaining four wood strips and lay them in place, face up, on top of the stitchery. The corners of the two frame sets will overlap (Fig. 3). Nail the two sets of frames together at the ends of the strips as shown, using 1/2" or 3/8" finishing nails. Wood putty will fill and cover any unwanted marks or crevices: Apply it, let it dry, sand it smooth, and paint over it if it's in an area that will show.

As a final touch, spray the stitchery with a water-and-grime repellent (test the substance first on swatches of leftover fabric to be sure it's safe to use). This protection will allow you to clean the picture as needed.