Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-23
HOME UPHOLSTERY.
Useful Suggestions for the Recovering and
Renewing of Old Furniture.

|
Renewing. of Old Furniture.
Old furniture can be carefully covered
1t home, and look almost rs nice rs
new, at a very small cost. If the shapes
are ugly and old-fashione1, judicious
padding with old quilts or wadding. and
with the aid of large. square cushions
they may be made quite comfortable
and presentable. Enameled cloth imi-
tating leather wears beautifully, is fifty
inches wide, and less than one dollar
yard. Cretonnes are cheap and come
in beautiful designs. The materials
needed to work with are: A packing
needle which is quite long and pointed
at both ends, a ball of strong Irvine,
small tack hammer, some tiny tacks,
few button moulds, gimp and the ma
tcrial to be used for covering.
Begin at first on a small scale. with a
plain chair and cheap material. Over
the cushion of your chair pin tough
piece of paper. cut an exact pattern,
making ali the pleats and folds required
to make it fit nicely. Then take off
carefully the gimp binding of the chair;
| by placing screw-driver against the
side of the tacks and hammering them.
Brush the chair thoroughly, then pin on
the new cover. getting il to fit exactly
before fastening it on. This done, nail
it on carefully with the small tacks.
then finish off with gimp stretched
firmly all round to hide the edges.
If the seat is to be buttoned down IN
stead of plain. it will be rather more
troublesome and difficult work. Take
the buttons off. when the old cover has
been removed. lay it over the raw ma
terial and cut the latter carefully out,
making all the Sits and marking with
pins where the arms are to come, so
that in placing it on the chair it will not
be drawn out of place. There are three
pieces-one for the bottom. one for the
| back and the third for the outside OF
back and arms. After placing the piece
| cut for the seat on the chair. fitting il
exactly. begin to button il down. Take
| the long needle and thread it with the
strong Irvine and push il from the I'M
der side of the chair from the place
which marks the position of the old but
| ton through the new covor, and push
| the button on the needle and Irvine and
pass the needle down again short dis
lance from where it was brought up.
| pull the Irvine very tight and tie il in
| very hard knot. The cover must be
folded smoothly by the buttons. After
| the buttons are all on. nail on the cover
neatly and finish with gimp trimming.
| when enameled cloth is used the brass
headed tacks are very pretty for fasten-
ing the gimp.) The back is to be tufted
in the same way Pin on the outside Of
the back. which is plain. and tack on
smoothly. turning little of the material
under TO make firm edge. The gimp
may be sewn on instead of tackled.
If YOU have an old rockingham that
has seen service, it can be made to look
very nicely. If the frame is good, cut
away ali the cane-work. leaving the
holes free; scrub the frame thoroughly
with hot water and soda When dry,
cover all carefully with a coat of Berlin
black. Next day polish this with a
black-lead brush. Ii will look quite
like ebony. Now proceed TO cover it;
sew on to the back and seat with strong
Irvine. a piece of stout ticking; sew
this as tightly as possible. on this tack
three or four LAYERS of wadding. then
cover with strong muslin. Nov take
the outside cover. which must fit eN-
actly. and which You sew on with
strong thread. Finish off with gimp
tackled en- around the edge. Finish the
back in same way. A very pretty cover
for chair of this description is made
of the gray table linen such as was used
SO much for tides. Use four colors of
worsted in working the figures-garnet.
yellow. blue and olive grcen-using
only one color on each figure, then COW
er the lines that divide the pattern With