Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-08
UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE
SHOULD HE COVERED IF USED DUR.
ING THE SUMMER.
Linen Denim or Cretonne Coverings
Add Deauty to the Room Fur
nishings Cut and Fit.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
| A thing Of beauty may not be Joy for
ever when It IL In the shape of handsomely
| upholstered modern furniture supplied with
| costly coverings in the more delicate shades.
| Nothing soils quickly as q light-colored
sofa or chair cover when It II Of light silk
or satin or velvet upholstering fabric. A
| little of the CRIME may be removed. OF
| course with some of the cleaning mixtures
| sold in the shops Ammonia in water or q
| solution of soap tree bark in warm water.
| applied with a sponge and then wiped OF
| with clean, dry cloths will cleanse wooden
| upholsterings.
| The better way is to cover the chairs and
| couches with some Of the linen denim or
| cretonne coverings that are in themselves
| SO pretty that the richer covering under
| meath can scarcely be regretted. During the
| summer and fall, when open windows ex-
pose the upholsterings to dust, these wash
| able envelopes are almost indispensable.
The plain old fashioned covers Of striped
linen have been replaced by daintier ones OF
cretonne, denim and plain linens.
| For library. where the furniture Is COW
cred with leather and there is danger that
the finely polished woods may be spoiled by
| scratching in cases where there are in the
family young and thoughtless children who
use the room great deal, these coverings
will be especially useful. All children
should be allowed access to the books. 1t is
| even better that furniture should be spoiled
than that childish brains should be cramp-
ed and childish readings out after knowi-
| edge discouraged. With a bright piece OF
| cretonne and some red braid to bind the
| seams or red chintz to cord them cheerful
| looking furniture, serviceable as well as
| good to look upon, may be the result OF the
covering process
Chair covers are shaped to the different
| parts Of the chair with paper. The sections
should be pinned together to see that they
l IT, %l,a oil Jv
| fitted. When this is done. one may easier
| estimate how much to allow for seams
| When the pattern is completed 1t may be
laid upon the material. Then, piece by piece,
| the cover should be cut out. The sections
of the cover next basted together, fitted
and stitched on the machine.
When Two Pieces Fit Best.
| Sometimes the chair covers are made In
| two pieces, one being for the body Of the
| chair and the other for the back. For both
chairs and sofas, long valances are added
to hide the lower parts Of the furniture.
The covers are fastened to the chairs by
tapes that tie in little bows under the arms.
The cover for the seat of the chair Is cut
out in a single square or oblong, according
to the shape, and other oblong pieces are
added to each edge and turnover for the
side pieces. Around the lower part of
these oblongs the cording and the valance
are stitched The back is made OF one large
piece, stitched to the seat and provided with
side pieces, to which the back is attached
When the chairs of the large, square
sort, arms, back and body may be covered
with an envelope in one piece, but when the
arms are Semi-detached the arm covers
must be made separately. The sofa and
diVan covers are cut out on about the same
plan When wash covers are used, they
should be made of durable material, such
as VIII not readily fade when submitted to
the action Of water and soap in the wash
tub.
Used with the wash covers cushions look
handsome whether of silk of wash ma
terial.
Striped Denim Pretty.
Covers of striped denim are very hand
some. Their beauty is emphasized by the
use of plain denim of the color of the stripe
to form the valance and lower side pieces.
On the plain denim chair covers an over
cover of white muslin with dainty frlls
along the edges protects the head and
cheek from the rough surface of the cloth.
Plain dark denim mounted with appiqued
figures in lighter shade of the cloth make
handsome envelopes for the furniture. In
rooms where old sets of cushioned furni-
ture are in use these. covered with the
denim slips look quite like new furniture.
In nursery. fairy Mother Goose char
acters thus outlined upon the chair backs
are never failing sources of amusement to
the little folks PusS in Boots, the old dame
with her broomstick ready to sweep the
sky, Cinderella and her fairy godmother
little Miss Muffett, Dame Trot and her dog
and many others of the characters are sus-
ceptible to effective silhouette treatment.
In families that make pedigree a matter
of ostentation the coat of arms appliqued
on the chair backs produces a very impress
sfve effect. Monograms worked in fanciful
fashion simply outlined with small
silken cord are also pretty
ETHEL KNOX.