panels ajoure, is left very largely, if not entirely, to chance. Or, worse still, the selections made may be entirely directed by the misleading representations of some person to whom these fabrics are simply merchandise to sell, and in the selection of which they have no personal interest.
If the architect neglects this question in a city house he frequently places one of the most important features of his design in the hands of enterprising but unfriendly promoters of poorly manufactured materials. The unsuspecting clients of the
architect in this way purchase materials which are not at all in harmony with the architectural character and setting of their homes, though possibly very intricate and complex in pattern.
In contrast to thoughtless practitioners of the building crafts, there are architects who not only know good lace and fine textiles when they see them but who actually design lace panels for the windows of the fine residences built under their direction. The better class of lace manufacturers are willing to co-operate with architects in all questions relating to style and decorative design.
Manufacturers of the finer qualities of lace curtains are, in fact, more or less dependent on architects and decorators, who have become, perhaps unconsciously, the creators of new styles for the more expensive sorts of textiles and interior furnishings. Furthermore, the three years of world war have shifted the center of many industries from Europe to America. A violent interruption of international trade and commerce has thrown new and unexpected opportunities in the way of our native industries. The development of our dye industries, for instance, has become a classic story. It is said that before the war seventy-five million dollars went up in smoke through
ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON. HAND-MADE LACE PANEL
Executed in Italy after drawings made in New York. The curtain is of Irish lace, while the minor details were made in France and England
POINT DE MILAN. MADE IN ITALY
POINT DE MILAN. MADE IN ITALY