Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-02-16
Not a Difficult Trick 10 Learn and II Will
Save Money end Beapiiy the House.

IT is much less difficult to upholster
furniture, unless il be very handsome,
than one is apt to suppose. There is no
reason why anyone who can use a
needle and handle Il tack hammer may
not, if possessed of average health and
strength, easily recover any old char.
or lounge which needs a new dress.
and, moreover. do the work in SO neat
a manner that when completed it shall
be satisfactory in appearance and
creditable to the workwoman.
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; il rot the old one may be left
on, if preferred. When the cover Is
taken off smooth it ont and cut the
pattern; if left on take the pattern by
pinning paper over 1t and fit to the
exact shape. taking care 10 leave a
good margin. 1t is much easier to cut
off than to piece your cover. The stuff
takes up in putting on, both in length
and breadth, and it 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 u little.
A good pair of shears. paper of
carpet tacks. one of gimp tacks and
one of upholsterer's tacks. paper Of
large pins. an upholsterers hammer. a
tack litter, an unholsterer's needia and
II carpet needle. Il ball of twine. not TOO
coarse, to go through your upholster-
er's needle. and some strong thread
are ell the tools you require. Wear a
pair of old kid gloves to protect your
hands. and have the furniture on
which you are to operate thoroughly
busted and beaten before you begin
your work.
novice will fird it much easier to
leave the old covering on and ill up the
sunken places with raw cotton, putting
the new cover on plain. since tufting
much increases the amount of the
work and its difficulty. Take
off all gimp and cord and all
superfiuous tacks. and brush out the
dust along the edges where this has
been done with stiff whisp. Turn in
the raw edges of your covering for
half an inch or less. and baste secure
ly il the stuff is heavy it is better to
stitch them on a sewing machine. Lay
the covering over the piece OF furniture
as it is meant to go and pin it in its
place, fitting it as carefully as you
| would a dress. Then. when it is on to
your satisfaction. fasten along the
edges with unholsterer'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
| necessary 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 ore stitch
and tie the thread tightly to hold it in
place. Then take another stitch 10
secure the twine.
! Where the tuftirg is to be done on Il.
arm drive tack through the button be.
| fore you cover 1t and nail 1t into place
! For this purpose small steel nails answe.
i better than tackS. especially II the ma.
| terial to be held is thick.
| CretMlne is the fashionable mat erin
! for pedroom furniture. and is also tn,
! cheapest hing you San use Ju wear.
I 50 much .ongcr that IL is really NOR,