Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-06-06
FIXING OLD CHAIRS
HOUSEKEEPER GIVES POINTER
ON ECONOMY.
Declares Work Is as Much Fun as Fit.
ting a Dress, and Explains Meth
eds Which She Found
Successful.

Recovering an upholstered chair
with pretty new material is as much
tuu as fitting a dress" observed an
ingenious housekeeper. She speaks
from very recent experience. for she
has just finished recovering an entire
family suite
My furniture wasn't in bad con-
diuon," she FASTENED to say. 1T was
merely shabby. SO I ripped the old
covers OF and cut new ones by them
Tapestry is remarkably cheap,
found, aud the clerks were very nice
about letting me lay my old covers on
the material TO see Just how much
wanted One can't make odds and
ends OF furniture tapestry up into
ueckues. you see. so Il is foolish to
buy an inch more than one needs.
THE reason had such success in
covering my set is that I was very
exact about the work. and had all the
materials that I needed right at hand
before l started out There were a
few hollow places in the upholstery.
where the filling had matted together
or sunk in. so I had plenty OF wadding
10 I'll them out Then / bought enough
cotton cloth 20 cover the old lining
before putting on my new tapestry
cover. Putting this on gave me expe-
rience so that I worked much better
when ] came TO tack on the actual
outside cover. The wadding that I
used went between the old lining and
the new.
"One could cover right over the old
tapestry. and. in fact. did one chair
that was still I'm good shape that wav.
I bad some cheesecloth which pinned
over the chair very carefully. and then
cut out as a pattern allowing plenty
for turning in az the edges.
Cutting and lining the cover IS the
disagreeable part Of the task. Actually
putting IL on is slow work. but not at
all tresome The best way Is TO Law II
In position on the seat OF the chair
and pin II firmly I'm place at the back
edge. Then stretch Il as firmly as
You can and put in plenty OF pins along
the front. Now pin the sides across.
working over It until every wrinkle
is removed.
was very careful with my furni-
ture TO have all the corners folded
alike. When the cover is PINNED as
smoothly as possible. cut along the
edge, leaving about an inch TO turn
In. and use more pins 70 fold II in
with. II the material is not too raw
ely. this turning In isn't necessary. be-
cause the guimpe will cover IL.
"Guimpe will cover a multitude OF
sins. and think IT gives a pretty fin.
ish besides. II guimpe isn't used. one
needs hrass-headed tacks 10 fasten the
material down with. Otherwise COM
mon lacks can be used. and one
needn't be too careful about distances
] used carpet lacks 20 finish the thick
er plaits. For the guimpe. IL is best
to get the tiny upholstery tacks. and
one must put them In AT exactly even
intervals TO give the right finish.
had piece Of cardboard TO measure
by and l marked the intervals with
chalk on the frame of the chair.
Tufting the seat OF a chair IS AL
most impossible for amateurs. so I
didn't attempt IL. but l found a fine
way to tuft the arms OF my sofa. I
saved the old buttons. and before send
ing them to be recovered with bits
OF the new tapestry, drove a sharp
steel brad through the center OF each
one Then l measured the distances
for the places where they should 60.
marked each one with a piece OF
tailors chalk, and drove the button
into place with the hammer"