The evening times., 1898-09-19
GAN YOU DRIVE p
TACK SFRHIGHTl
If So, You Can Do Your Own
Upholstering.
Ii VIII Save Money and Beau
tify Your Home.

niture, unless il be very handsome, than
one is apt TO suppose. These is no rea-
son why any one who can use needle
and handle a tack hammer may not. If
possessed OF average health and strength.
easily recover any old chair or lounge
which needs a new dress and. moreover.
do the work In SO neat manner that
when completed it shall be satisfactory
in appearance and creditabIe to the work
woman, says an authority in the Chicago
Tfmes-Herald
The first thing to be done is to re-
move the worn-out covering. This will
be necessary if the new cover is TO be
tufted; if not. the old one may be left on,
il preferred. When the cover is taken
on smooth 1t out and cut the pattern; if
lett on take the pattern by pinning paper
over IL and fft TO the exact shape, taking
care to leave good margin. 1t is much
easier to cut off than piece your cover
The stun takes up in putting on. both
in length and breadth, and IL is safest to
allow for this. A little practice will
soon enable you TO cut your cloth to the
best advantage but at first you must ex-
pect TO waste a little.
good pair of shears. a paper of car
pet tacks. one of gimp tacks and one Of
IdckS. paper OF large
pins, an upholsterer's hammer, a tack
litter, an uDholsterer's needle and
carpet needle, a ball of twine not too
coarse, TO go through your upholsterer's
needle. and some strong thread are all
the tools you require. Wear a pair Of
old kid gloves 10 protect your hands and
have the furniture on which you are 20
operate thoroughly busted and beaten
before you begin your work.
nnyira will find IL acia 70,
leave the old covering on and I'LL up the
sunken places with raw cotton. putting
the new cover on plain, since tuftinS
much increases the amount of the work
and its difficulty. Take off all gimp and
| cord and all superfuous tacks, and brush
| out the dust along the edges. where this
! has been done with a stiff wisp. Turn
/ in the raw edges Of your covering for
| half an inch or less and baste securely:
| if the stuff is heavy il is better TO stitch
them d sewing machine Lay the COW
| ering over the piece of furniture as it is
| meant to GO and pin II in its place fit
| ting il as carefully as you would a dress.
Then, when il is on 10 your satisfaction.
| fasten along the edges with uphOlsterer's
| tacks. using carpet tacks wherever the
| material is folded several times. making
| it too thick for the smaller tacks to hold
! IL to the frame. Be careful TO keep your
| cover straight, and when plaits are nee
| essary have them alike on both sides in
| order that the work may be neat and
| even. Use furniture gimp to cover the
/ edges and hide the tacks. If you tuft
your furniture cover the old buttons and
| string them through TO the back or the
| bottom of your chair on the twine That
| is. take one stitch. and tie the thread
| tightly TO hold it in place. Then take
| another stitch to secure the twine.
Where the tufting is to be done on an
! arm drive a tack through the button be-
| fore you cover IL and nail it into place.
| For this purpose small steel nails an
] swer better than tacks especially If the
| material to be held is thick.
Cretonne is the fashionable material for
bedroom furniture. and it is also the
| cheapest thing you can use. Jute wears
! 50 much longer that II is really more
! economical when the furniture is meant
| for the family sitJing-room. while Amer
| lean raw silk tapestry. at 81 a yard. is
better investment than either Leather
| ette. it is claimed is eminently satisfac-
| tory, but If you use this do not try 70
tuft it; il will be more effective put on
| smoothly
Before purchasing your material meas
ure the length and breadth of your piece
| of furniture, tucking in your yard meas
| ure, the material is to go. thus YOU
| can easily calculate how much YOU will re-
| quire- If necessary the back of the chair
or lounge can be covered with something
! different from the front, and so lessen the
| expense.
| Before you attempt to make, say. a
! lounge, go to a furniture shop and in
spect box lounges. If you are wide-awake
YOU will be sure to do the work better
| for the knowledge you will obtain
All materials are used for cushions-the
| bargain counters of the large dry goods
| stores are piled with remnants just the
| thing for the purpose Silk. wooden. linen
or cotton, according to your fancy. from
silkaline TO rich Oriental embroideries,
the choice is practically limitIess.
or late years the range of filling for the
cushions has become almost as wide and
besides the orthodox feathers and hair
which upholsterers use anything and
everything available which in even the
least degree combines the two requisites
OF elasticity and lightness and some things
which do not are pressed into service
Air cushions are. of course standard
ana braided wire cushions have won great
/ favor where support rather than softness
Is desired; two or three of them are a
great addition to heap of down pillows
The needles of the balsam FIR form part
of the regular stock in most large stores
where cushions are for sale, and are
prescribed for sufferers with lung trouble
The needles of the common pine are
fainter and less enduring In odor and
therefore less efficaciOuS but are much
used for the same purpose. The husks
OF green corn dried in the shade and
shredded into narrow strips make an
exceedingly comfortable filling, more
elastic and softer than the palm fiber so
much used, and, of course during the
season of green corn costs nothing be-
yond the trouble of preparing which is
little If one has a loft on the floor OF
which the husks may be dried.
Letter paper, cut into half-ineh strips
and curled over a knife blade OF on the
scissors, Is a durable and elastic filling
for cushions. Excelsior packs too much
to be serviceable for steady use, and must
be replaced, after a longer or shorter
time as 1t is less or more used.
Chopped hay Is within the reach of ey-
cry farmers daughter and makes a COM
Portable cushion. albeit not too soft In
short, even with moderate means it is
comparatively easy to realize the idea of
the modern novelist, Of a boudoir fur
nished altogether with tables. rugs and
cushions. A more practical plan Is, how
ever. to have cane furniture with each
chair well cushioned. and the low settee
literally piled with cushions, to be dis
posed according to fancy. while there are
a few floor cushions stuffed with some
| sv,,r h1vr r,rr1 81