LOOSE COVERS FOR FURNITURE

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 78, Issue 5, 16 May 1949, Page 537

LOOSE COVERS FOR FURNITURE

T OOSE covers can wake up tired furniture, protect a new upholstered suite, or completely alter the decoration and colour scheme of old furniture and give outworn and outmoded articles a new lease of life. In fact, whether the home is new or old, loose covers are an asset, and not only can they enhance heavy upholstered furniture for living rooms, but smaller chairs for bedrooms, sunporches, and kitchens gain colour and attraction when dressed in loose covers. Instructions for their making are given in this article by Eva Topping, Rural Sociologist, Department of Agriculture, Auckland. T OOSE covers take time, money, and work to make, and probably will have to last for some years, so the choice of material and colour or pattern should be considered carefully. Good material is the foundation of a successful loose cover, and time spent in searching for the most suitable fabric for the particular piece of furniture will not be wasted. Buying loosely-woven, cheap materials is never wise, for as well as being very difficult to make into good-looking covers, they wrinkle or stretch in wear, very soon become shabby at the edges, and do not repay the work and time spent on them. Fabric for loose covers should be firmly woven so that it will not pull out at the seams or let dust through. It should also be washable or suitable for dry cleaning. ' Whether to buy patterned or plain material is always a matter for individual consideration, and a decision depends on the type of furniture and the other furnishings in the room for which it is needed. Where there is already a considerable amount of design in the living room in the floor coverings, walls, or curtains, a plain or self-patterned material is a happy choice, and even a welcome relief, if the furniture to be covered is bulky. On the other hand, if walls, floor, or woodwork are in plain colours, and perhaps a little dull or uninteresting, patterned loose covers will add life, colour, and charm to the room.

However, plain, light-coloured materials show marks, and where there are young children, and consequently much use and rough treament, it is as well to choose a firmlywoven material with a neutral background, printed in a Sc ose design of many colours, which will harmonise with the other furnishings in the room. For small rooms patterned material should not have too big a design; larger rooms need the bolder, more important patterns and fancyweave materials. In bedrooms chair, sofa, or box ottoman covers can be lighter and more delicate in tone and design and for kitchens and sunporches the covers can be frankly gay and colourful. If the aim is to disguise- the shape or size of a chair or settee, light colours and small designs make the piece of furniture look larger; dark colours and large patterns make it appear smaller; vertically-striped covers give height and slender lines, and horizontal stripes give a lower and wider appearance. The very large designs are not suitable for small chairs unless one complete motif can be used in the back and seat; moreover, such materials are uneconomical in cutting out, as the patterns must be matched and centred often causing a great deal of waste. Unless the room is to be decorated completely, the cover material should blend with some other colour already used Plain covers can repeat one of the colours in the floor covering or curtains, and patterned material should include some matching colours in the design. The aspect of the room also influences the choice of colour. If the warmer colours such as wine, plum, deep rose, red, orange, rust, or henna predominate in a room on the southern side, the room will appear warmer, whereas a room with a northern aspect can stand a larger proportion of cool colours—blues, pale yellow, and ivory. Combining both cool and warm colours in one room usually gives a good effect, but the aspect determines the proportions used. Types of Material Linen was once the inevitable material for loose covers, but now the choice is wider and many closely-woven,

hard-wearing fabrics are used. Cotton goods such as cretonne, rep, chintz, drill, and casement cloth are very suitable, and for porches and kitchenliving room furnishings even that hardy perennial gingham is . pressed into service. It may not have such a long life as the linens and heavy cottons, but if a good quality is selected, it makes very satisfactory, and attractive covers which bear repeated visits to the wash tub —a great advantage in covers which have to withstand constant hard wear. Further, the price is reasonable, so a new set of covers does not make a big hole in the housekeeping allowance. Damask weaves and other selfpatterned fabrics are also much used, and twill cottons, being firm and easily laundered, are another good choice. Material Required Easy chairs and settees are the furniture for which loose covers are most often required, but many other pieces can be given loose covers, so bringing a co-ordinated scheme into a room which otherwise might appear haphazardly furnished. Even easy chairs vary in shape, so it is not possible to give exact amounts of material required or cut-and-dried directions for fitting and making the covers, as any diversion of shape must be studied.

The directions given are for the chair illustrated. Though the general procedure is similar for any cover, varying details in the construction and shape of the piece to be covered must modify the work. Some of these variations are sketched. The piece of furniture to be covered must be measured carefully before the

material is bought so that sufficient is obtained to cut out all parts, including bias-cut bindings for seam pipings, and the flounce or valance if the cover is to be finished in this way. Allowance must also be made for generous seams and plenty of tuck-in at back, arms, and seat. These are the measurements from which the amount of material for a chair can be estimated; Fig. 1 shows the parts of the cover and the points to measure: — 1. Inside chair back, from just over the edge of the back to the point where back and seat meet, plus 6 to Bin. for tuck-in. 2. Depth of seat from front to back, plus 6 to Bin. for tuck-in. 3. Inside arm, from over the padded roll to the seat; add 6 to Bin. for tuckin and double the length to arrive at the amount needed for both arms. 4. Depth of the front band (sometimes called the front panel or the apron) . 5. The length of the outside back of the chair from the point where the top inside back measurement was taken to bottom of chair. 6. From under the padded arm rest to the bottom of the chair; twice this length is required. 7. The front of the arms, twice. 8. Iyd. extra for bias bindings if the seams are to be piped. 9. Round the bottom of the chair and the depth of valance to be made, allowing twice the length if the valance is to be box pleated or 1| times if it is to be gathered. 10. Width of chair back and width of seat; except for very large chairs the single width (30 to 36in.) material is sufficiently wide to cover the chair measurements. Usually it is not necessary to add all these lengths together to arrive at the amount needed, as 4 and 7 may be cut from odd pieces of material. The measurements from a large easy chair and the methods of calculating the total length of material required are given as a guide in the table on the opposite page. Using plain material or a patterned fabric of medium to small design B£-yds. of 30 to 31in. material would be sufficient to cover a chair of the dimensions given. If the material is 36in. wide, Byds. would be enough, as the front arm panels would be cut from the sides of the material for the valance before the 9in. strips were cut. On the other hand, if the design is very large, or composed around a big central motif, up to Iyd. extra may be needed so that the design can be placed centrally and matched at various points on the chair.

Making the Pattern

Though experienced workers cut the material on the chair, the home sewer is much wiser to make a pattern from brown paper, calico, or old sheets. Newspaper is not suitable because it tears too readily. Inside back: Mark the centre of the back and seat of the chair with a chalk line or a row of pins, then take a sheet of paper and pin it close to the centre line at the back. Pin along the top edge exactly where the seam is to lie. Pin up the side. Make folds at the corners of the top curve, pinning in darts. Set pins to follow the curve

Outside arm: This piece rarely needs any special shaping, as in this type of chair it is usually rectangular. Occasionally the back line slopes a little to make the piece slightly narrower at the bottom. - Outside back: The pattern for the back should be made carefully, for it must conform exactly to the shape of the chair, or it will hang badly and may alter the set of the inside back. Shaped front arm piece: The pattern for the front of the - arm should also be made carefully, for it regulates the size of the arm covering. If it is too loose, the inside arm will tend to ride up in wear and the outside arm will then hang badly and too low, preventing a neat, tailored appearance in the finished cover. If it is too tight, a strain is imposed on the arm seams,

which will pull apart in use, or it may even prevent the cover being pulled down far enough over the arms, and the corner seams adjoining the seat will also take too much strain. The shaped arm panel may reach only to the top of the front band or to the top of the valance; this is a matter for individual preference and should be decided before the making of the pattern is begun (Fig. 3). Front band: A straight piece of the correct dimensions is usually required, but here again the shapes of chairs vary and the panel may require a little shaping.

Valance: No pattern is needed. Take the paper pieces from the chair and check all edges to see that straight lines are true and curves smooth. Write the name on each piece, and mark folds, seams, darts, gathers, and any other details which will be helpful.

Cutting the Material

Place the pattern on the material and move the pieces around until the best arrangement is found, making sure the design is correctly placed on the inside back and seat and that the straight of the material runs parallel with the centre folds. The design must run from the arm top to the join at the seat on the inside arm pieces, and should correspond but be in reverse. In a small geometric or conventional design the 2 shaped arm panels probably will need to carry the same piece of design, in reverse if necessary (Fig.

4). The front band should have the design centred, and the outside arm pieces must also be alike. The outside back needs to have the centre of the design in the middle, but if the design is not correctly repeated in the length, that is unimportant.

With pencil or chalk mark round the edge of all pattern pieces, leaving lin. turnings at the seams and 6 to Bin. at the bottom of the inside back, the bottoms of the inside arms, and the sides and back of the seat. These generous allowances are for the tuck-in around the seat, on which the wearing qualities and trim appearance of the cover greatly depend. On one side of the outside back 2in. should be allowed for the placket and fastenings. Before removing the paper pattern mark round each piece with a soft lead pencil on the wrong side of the

material; open out all folded pieces and mark corresponding sides. Mark any gathers, darts, and other construction details and write the name of each part in a conspicuous position. This labelling will be a great help while the cover is being made, for it is an unwieldy and confusing shape when off the chair. When the material is cut out, lay the parts in position on the chair right side out so that the design can be checked again for position. See that the arm pieces (inside, outside, and panel) are pairs and that the front

panel, backs, and seat carry the design the right way up. The material for bias bindings and valance are as well left uncut until this check has been made; for instance, if 2 arm pieces had been cut alike instead of a pair, a fresh one could be obtained from Iyd. reserved for bindings and the incorrect arm piece would then be used for cutting the bias strips.

First Fitting

Place the inside back piece in position on the chair, wrong side out, smooth out creases with the hands, and

pin in any darts to regulate fullness at curves (Fig. 5). Pin the outside back to the inside back along the top seam. Set the pins on the pencilled fitting line with the raw edges sticking up for the seams. Pin a little way down the sides, leaving 2in. on the side of the outside back, which is to be finished with a placket and fastenings. Tuck in the surplus at the bottom of the inside back. Set each arm piece in position with the seam just over the roll, pin it on the marked line to the outside arm piece, and tuck it well down at the seat. Carefully adjust the arm piece to the curved line of the back where arm and back meet. Do not make this

seam too tight fitting, as the cover takes considerable strain at this point and the seam will tend to break open if it is fitted too tightly. Pin the outside arm to the outside back, again following the pencil lines. The front arm panels are fitted next. First make darts or gathers in the inside arm pieces to regulate the fullness evenly (Fig. 2). Take plenty of time and trouble at this point to make the darts match exactly on each arm and to have all the surplus material in the arm pieces darted neatly to fit the shaped front arm panel exactly. This is one of the important parts of the fitting and one on which the neat, tailored appearance of the finished cover depends greatly. The front band is next pinned into place, then the whole effect should be

studied carefully and any adjustments made. The curves at the top of the chair back and on front arms and seat should be checked especially thoroughly, and additional darts must be pinned in if the fit is not correct. Time spent at this stage is never wasted, and such care saves much bother and effort during the stitching and subsequent fittings. Pull up the material tucked in and pin the joins, trimming off surplus at the back corners.

Making the Corded Piping

Leave the cover pinned on the chair while the piping cord is prepared. Note the seams which need piping and estimate the length of piping needed. Cut 2in.-wide strips of material on the true bias and be sure to make all joins on the sloping edges (Fig. 6); making them at right angles results in unsightly bulges in the corded edge. Piping cord may now be bought at haberdashery counters, but it is still not' plentiful; thick string is a good substitute if the cord is not procurable. Whichever is used, it should be boiled for a few minutes, then dried, to shrink it before it. is inserted in the binding. Keep the stitching as near the cord as possible and straight (Fig. 7). A cording foot can be bought at a sewing machine shop quite reasonably; it has only one prong and simplifies the work of covering the cord and sewing the . piped seams.

Stitching the Cover

Take the cover off 'the chair carefully so that the pins are not disturbed, then, starting with the back, stitch in any darts which regulate the fullness at the curves. Do not cut the darts open but press them well down with an iron. Then insert a length of covered cord between the two edges on the closed side of the back, leaving sufficient cord to join in the outside back and outside arm seams (Fig. 8). Set the cord in so that the stitching will lie exactly on the marked fitting line, pinning through the 4 thicknesses of material (Fig. 9). Carry the cord on down the inside back only, on the side which is to be fastened. Tack the outside and inside arm seam, inserting a piping cord. Next tack the darts at the front of the inside arm. Then tack the shaped front arm panel in place, inserting the cord, and leaving lengths at the bottom so that the piping may toe carried continuously across the narrow ends of the front band for whichever finish has been chosen (Fig. 3). At this stage try the cover on the arms so that adjustments may be made before it is stitched. When the fit has been checked stitch the front arm panel seam and the outside arm seam, then’ continue tacking the piped seam at the front of the chair, carrying the cord across the bottom of the arm panel (Fig. 3). Tack the curved seam at arm and back junction and stitch firmly on. the fitting line; snip the edges at the curve to make the seam lie flat.

■Join the outside arm and outside back seam on the closed side, inserting the loose length of cord. On the

open side stitch the cording in place down the inside back and outside arm. Stitch the plain seams at the seat, trimming off any surplus material at the front and back ends of the arms. Set the cover on the chair, tucking the seat piece, inside arms, and back well down. Pin the open ends together at the back and check for fit at the bottom to ensure that it is an equal distance from the floor at all points.

Making the Valance

Join the valance lengths with flat seams and make a lin. hem at the lower edge. If a pleated valance is chosen, set in pleats regularly and pin them at the top edge (Fig. 10). Then try the valance against the cover to decide where the pleats are to come. An uneven number of pleats across the front usually gives a better effect.

Corners can be turned by a pleat or the straight material, but a better effect is gained if each corner is finished in the same way. Slight adjustments may be necessary at the folds to get the pleats in the desired places. Gathered valances are easier to arrange. The length of material is marked in eighths and the lower edge of the cover is marked to correspond; then the fullness is evenly spaced between the marks. The valance should clear the floor by lin. all round. Set the piping cord in the seam attaching the valance and stitch it in place.

The Fastening

Fold in the 2in. turning at the outside back opening and sew on hooks and eyes or large dress fasteners, or insert a long slide fastener.

Sewing the cover on the chair down the open sides is quite usual and entirely satisfactory. Use a long double linen thread, and if fairly-long stitches are made to lie in the depression formed by the cord on the front, and smaller, neat stitches are taken on the fold at the back, the closing will not be unsightly (Fig. 11). The seams may be neatened inside by trimming and overcasting by hand, or they can be

stitched again by machine J to fin. from the previous stitching, then trimmed even. Anchoring Cover The finished cover should be pulled into place at all edges. The tuckin must be pushed well down; a large wooden spoon is useful to push the back corners well inside the upholstery. Newspapers rolled into long tight rolls and pushed down as far as possible at the back and the sides of the seat ensure f that the cover does j not ride up when ( the chair is used. Tapes sewn inside at the valance seam and tied round the chair legs are also useful to keep the cover in place.

Settee Covers

Loose covers for settees are made in the same way as described for chairs. Though they are unwieldy to handle and take longer to make, they are no more difficult to fit. However, one point needs careful consideration: As no material is sufficiently wide to extend the full length of the back and seat, widths have to be joined and any design or stripe must be exactly matched. Extra material is frequently necessary for this matching, and allowance should be made when the amount is calculated. Window seat or divan bed covers are the easiest type to make, and small easy chairs without arms are the simplest type to cover; perhaps the beginner would be wise to choose one of these for a first attempt at loose covers. The older-fashioned sofa is a more difficult subject, and the wing chair is certainly not the type for a novice hand.

A-Length of inside back DLength of inside arm —Length of outside from over top roll to seat. over arm roll to back. B—Width of inside back E—Length of outside arm I—Depth of valance. (to check measurement from under arm roll to J —Distance all round against width of mater- point where valance joins. chair (to check number . FDepth of front band. , ... , . . ««I). G—Length of front arm of widths of material re—Depth of seat. panel. quired). \ If no valance is required, take the measurements E, F, and H from the top edges to the base of the chair and add 6 to Bin. for underlap to tie under the seat.

CALCULATING THE MATERIAL REQUIRED

Length of 30 or 31in. material Part . Length (in.) Width allowed (yds.) Inside back .. 26 4- 8= 34 2 narrow strips to be cut from other pieces 1 Seat ■ .... 25 + 8 = 33 1 Inside arm .. 17 4- 8 twice =5O InFront band .. 9 ) oc . Back .... 27 )- 36 1 Outside arm . . 16 twice =32 1 Front arm panel 18 2 from 1 width g Pipings .... 1 Round chair . . 100 , Depth of valance 7 4-2 for turnings = 9 For a pleated valance allow 200 in., about 6 widths of 31in. material .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1-| Total 8£

where the arm joins the back. With chalk or a pencil, mark the lines for cutting the pattern, using the pins as a guide. Cut the edges of the paper, leaving it pinned in place on the chair. Seat: Pin paper on the seat in the same way as described for the back. Pay attention to the front edge, for there the shapes of chairs vary; some are straight, but usually the seat edge which at first sight appears to be straight will be found to have a gentle curve. Cut the pattern to fit precisely; turnings and tuck-in pieces will be left on the material, not on the pattern. Inside arm: Follow the same procedure, paying special attention to the front of the arm where the straight edge of the material is to be joined to the shaped front arm piece. Darts will be necessary at this point, and if possible they should come at either side, leaving the top smoothly fitted (Fig. 2).

filll MMjwfQgj W-- ‘Wj -SrasralHl

I ft A typical example of the petite type of dress favoured by Marcel Rochas, a leading Paris designer, this model is one of a collection being exhibited by the New Zealand Wool Board and is made i entirely of wool. Called “Mousseline,” the navy blue velour cloth gown slopes round the figure in a mermaid line and is given contrast by the scarf-like shoulder drape and the flaring panels of I diaphanous velours in front of the knees.