RENOVATING FURNITURE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 269, 6 August 1908, Page 5

RENOVATING FURNITURE.

1 Just now, while the sales are on, crctonnes and curtains, art muslin and' linoleum,' aro to.be.bought at, prices tho reverse of ruinous,, and,/how far all these cheap but. not iiasty requirements will go' in furbishing.up ahc ise everybody knows (says an Australian 1 pap. r.) But often the new, cretonne - covers will mtke tho. furniture surrounding thorn wofully shabby. . To clean up such woodwork a useful help/is : a .wash in warm water and vinegar, and if ..there, bei any- carving; in . which the dust;of ages has accumulated (which thero •is bound-to,be), use,-.in.addition,a.stiff tooth brush and' a littlovSoap-.-yr'The .wood -should be dried up. quickly, a little being done at a time.; .Mothylate'dj,spirits,.ona,rag..at the ■ end; of a 'pointed ''stick-iwill■probe-'into • exasperating little nooks and corners which nothing else , will reach. ; Shabby cabinots and book-cases, 1 with glass doors, will be greatly improved if' the shelves aro covered with soft plush in a colour-to harmonise with the rest; of the room in-' which thoy are to' be placed.' - •' / " ' : i ■ ' ' : ■; The sometimes ■ hopeless look of shelves is thus'very often removed altogether. In doing home upholstering care must bo taken, to remove as much dust as possible.' Vigorous slapping and banging is here requisite and necessary. The making of loose covers is an art which many a woman fondly thinks ■ is-ono that comes by nature, but much planning.is needed, to make a. neat job of some' of 'tho knobby chairs, and sofas which have', come .down to us from the "long ago. ,The shapes of. the seats and backs. should first be cut out in newspaper , and'fitted. The 'cretonne .must bo cut .an' inch longer: every; way and piped, in, putting on, and -finished ,with' a. frill. Some beautiful'loose covers were seen';at the women's exhibition .last year. They wore of deep cromp linen, but all were worked in trails of flowers,'to each chair, a different' flower, and all done in silks. -Loose covers must bo made to button on, but.-as this is : sometimes impossible, they should be chainstitched in such cases, so that they may ,be easily unripped for the laundress. The great advantage of loose coveVs is'that thoy,wash. ~, . -.