Suz

I like the looks of lace curtains as they give privacy but also let light into the room. Slipping the rod into the rod slot is always a problem as the lace snags onto the rod. To avoid this problem, I used a piece of the plastic sleeve that the tension rods came in and wrapped it over the end of the rod and easily threaded it through the rod slot. One could also use a piece of plastic wrap.

I recall my mother using curtain stretchers in the back yard after she has mixed up and cooked her starch. Once dry, she used a metal guide on the end of her curtain rods to avoid the problems as above. Anyone else remember curtain stretchers with all those tiny nails?

Onebyone

I use to to put a sandwich bag over the end of the rods. My grandmother used pants stretchers but never saw curtain stretches. I don't have drapes or curtains in my house now, too much trouble to take down to clean/take to cleaners put back, stand on ladder, hear my husband gripe....LOL

bearisgray

I remember those curtain stretchers.

Mom would make a stiff starch for those things and then the battle began with the stretchers.

Nasty things.

QuiltE

OMG .... haven't thought of those in years!

Ours weren't lace but some sort of a mesh with coloured lines of thread giving a bit of a design to them. The house was just so much brighter all of a sudden!

I knew summer was almost here when I came home from school and our dining room was filled with those huge stretcher frames. And indeed, the nails, I can't forget as we were always forewarned to stay clear and not get our clothes caught or prick our fingers!

Then come fall they'd be packed away for the heavier winter curtains. They were seldom closed, but helped keep the draft at the edges windows and less of the coldness from the glass from chilling the house.

quiltsfor

I put lace curtains up in my old 1/2 bathroom. I didn't want to constantly slide the lace on the rod to open and close them as we open and close the window a lot. What I did was use rings with clips and just clipped them onto the lace and slid the rings onto the rod. Didn't have any problem with them snagging or anything even when taking them down to be washed. Just needed to be careful to slowly unclip them.

Stitchnripper

I remember curtain stretchers. I have also had lace curtains over the years.

P-BurgKay

Oh yes. I remember the curtain stretchers. I have had lace curtains for years. In this house for 30 years. Was looking on line for new lace curtains the other day. Mine are up year around. Take them down at least once a year and most of the time twice a year to be washed and then put back up. I do love my lace curtains. Mine never get ironed. Take them out of the washer, and let them dry over the back of a chair. Thanks for your memory.

redpurselady

I love lace curtains but so do my three cats, so we don't have any 😄