Gladys

I have never seen or heard of curtain stretchers. I learn something new every time I am on this forum!

barny

We had them too. Mother would wash them by hand, starch stiff as a board. You couldn't iron them, they would be crooked and ugly. So you measured the curtain before you washed them [I think]. Starch them and put them on the needles or nails every half to an inch. They were beautiful, but what work. We couldn't touch them either. Woe to us if we did. Sure couldn't pull them back from the window. We couldn't put the window up and no air, and no fan. I don't know how we made it.

TeresaS

wow I have learned something new!

Wanabee Quiltin

Yep, looks like a curtain stretcher to me too. I used to help my Mother put them on the stretcher, what a job !!

Gerbie

I have heard of curtain stretchers, but never saw any. Definitely know about jean and pants stretchers, wringer washers, blueing etc. but not curtain stretchers. I even know about my Dad's babysitting- one Sunday after Church when Mother was preparing lunch- about 3- r yrs old. I had very long thick hair in long ringlet curls, or braids through the week, but curls on Sunday. My dad was resting on the bed, and I found some scissors and sat on the dresser stool in front of the mirror, and cut one side of my hair off up to my ears, before Mother happened to come in and stop me from cutting the other side. She asked my Dad why he let me do that - his reply "I was just watching and going to see if she really would" lol. Mother was not happy at all. A young HS girl at Church played the piano, and I thought she was just "it" and wanted to do everything like her - she had long hair and had just had it cut very short, so naturally I thought I needed mine cut as well. Kids are strange and like Art Linkletter always said Kids "Say and do the dardnest things"

earthwalker

Well...I learned something new today....can't say I've ever seen any either here nor in England where I am from. Personally, after Yoopers story I would probably find them a new home (or recycle them somehow). They sound like they were instruments of domestic torture.

Your ancestors would probably have forty fits if they saw how my net/lace curtains (what few I have left) are laundered. Chucked in the machine....thrown over a line and re-hung whilst slightly damp so any wrinkles magically disappear....the joy of polyester lace. Now our screening plants are grown and the gardens renovated to ensure privacy and pretty vistas....mine are being taken down....the old curtains make great plant nets to keep the birds off my fruit trees, or cut up and thrown over tender plants in the really hot weather.

BarbsCA

When we married my dh had to have his levis put on stretchers, I'd never used them so my mil had to give me a lesson on how to use them lol thank goodness permenant press came along I hated those stretchers. Today's our 43rd anniversary and he no longer wears denim levis--this old lady wouldn't put the pants on them now!

BellaBoo

My grandmother used pants stretchers for my grandfathers khaki work pants. I never saw or seen anyone using curtain stretchers. Wide blade Venetian blinds were in everyone homes when I was growing up with thick heavy drapes tied back at each end of the window. The blinds were taken down and washed once a year but the drapes were just aired/beaten out and rehung.

missmay

I agree. We 'older' gals remember them well, wash the curtain, dip them in starch solution and attach to the frame was the drill. One thing from the past I was glad to see gone.