The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-05-14
Decorative
Touch GiUen
for Summer"
BY FLORENCE BROBECK
Written for NEA Service

Written for NEA Service
When dressing your house in its
summer garb, preparing for those
torrid days ahead, remember that
rooms really seem as cool as they
look.
BY removing all needless otna-
ments, hanging summer curtains in
place OF glass curtains and Grapes,
and covering tn. furniture in slip
covers, you can create m impress
sion of restful GOODNESS so welcome
in hot days.
Slip-covers, once drab, formless
necessities to protect good furniture
from sunshine and dust. today are
decorative as well as unitarian.
They must. however, b. fresh and
crisp. interesting in color, suited to
the furniture in form as well as
pattern. and in perfect harmony
with the walls, ceiling, floor and
general decorative plan Of the room
Must Fit Snugly
Above all. they must be we'll tai
lored, fitting as snugly over the arm
chairs or sofa as the upholstery it
self. This way they often lend an
elegance that the furniture did not
possess before.
For making slip covers, almost
any fabric which is washable, does
not have a raised pile lhke vel
veD and is strong enough to with
stand the strain Of daily wear, can
be used.
Glazed chintzes, printed linens
and Powered cretOnnes are exceed
ingly popular. with colored den
inns and striped denims in demand
where service is considered moro
important than good looks.
Do not purchase your shp-coNer
material until you are certain IN
your own mind what will combine 70
best advantage with the existing
furnishings of the room.
Watch Your Patterns
Remember that there is always
danger of havin. either too little or
too much pattern in a room, ard
that there is also great danger OF
having too many conflicting pat
terms.
Slip-cover patterns are offered by
several pattern companies, II you
want to make your own.
Also. ready-made slip covers are
on sale at the notion or decorating
departments in some of the stores.
These have been designed to fit the
average suite" Of three pieces, and
in some instances they do fit sur
priSingly we'll
But for the best results, for tai
lored. well-made and perfectly fitting
slipcover, the piece must be made
for the chair or sofa in question,
cut on the chair and fitted to it, and
finished to fit it snugly.
In Home Made Mode
The clever home seamstress can
work out a pattern by using news
-papsr and cheap muslin; making
{ first paper pattern to fit each
sect on of the chair. then cutting
a sIip-cover from the cheap mus
lin and basting it together.
This cover tried on the chair Will
show the errors in cutting and
fitting. and with careful handling
the muslin slip may be altered and
shaped, to suit; the real slip-cOver
of the fine cretonne or linen may
then be cut from the muslin dunn
nv after the muslin pieces are
taken apart and used as a pat
tern.
AS a rule the outside of the chair
back is one piece, the front OF the
chair back another; the seat and
front of the chair one piece; the
arm from the inside at the seat
over the arm and down the out
side to the bottom is one piece;
the front of the arm one piece. A
pleated ruffle may be around the
bottom.
The seams on the finished cover
should, of course, be Sewed on the
machine. and for a fine appear
ance should be French scanned, or
finished with a cOrding.