68 
House 
& Garden 
Simple Upholstery 
(Continued from page 62) 
Wall Pape, 
and the 
WALL PAPER 
Your lengthy consulta¬ 
tions with your architect, 
your frequent trips to the 
upholsterer were neces¬ 
sary for the artistic ar¬ 
ranging of your home. 
What consideration have 
you given your wall 
paper? When you re¬ 
member that the harmony 
of each room depends 
upon the beauty of its 
background, you’ll ap¬ 
preciate the importance 
of choosing only the best 
wall paper. 
Do you realize that your 
wall paper can be de¬ 
signed especially to suit 
the requirements of each 
room ? 
Send for our Home Service 
Chart; it will help solve your 
decorative problems without 
cost to you. 
T H I B A U T 
WALL PAPERS 
D E C O R ATE 
rT 
To the decorator who wishes to han¬ 
dle the best and most up-to-date line 
of artistic wall papers we have a . _ v 
most attractive proposition to offer. 
RICHARD E.THIBAU’U 
Wall Paper Specialists 
MADISON AVENUE at 32nd ST., 
NEW YORK 
The Largest Wall Paper House 
in the World 
ISIS 
turn the piece over to a repair man for 
his part of the job, as the ultimate ap¬ 
pearance of your work depends largely 
upon the springs being firmly set. 
Should the framework be loose or 
broken and the finish in bad shape, have 
him attend to this at the same time. 
As to finish, mahogany and oak re¬ 
quire experience in staining, filling, and 
varnishing, but if the wood is walnut 
you can do it over yourself by using 
a commercial varnish remover, steel 
wool, boiled oil, floor wax, and elbow 
grease. Do only one-half the frame¬ 
work at a time, giving it a good coat 
of the varnish remover, and after half 
an hour rub it off thoroughly with the 
steel wool, taking care to protect the 
hands with old gloves. If the old var¬ 
nish is stubborn repeat the process and 
finish with fine sandpaper. The next 
day the wood is ready for the oil rub¬ 
bing, to be followed twenty-four hours 
later with the wax polishing. Speaking 
frankly, this is not a pleasant task, but 
it does pay. 
The New Cover 
Granted that the filling and muslin 
cover are ship-shape and need no at¬ 
tention, cut the pattern as directed, fol¬ 
lowing with special care the cut-outs 
made for the uprights of the arms and 
back. Lay the seat cover in place and 
slip-tack. The curves and uprights will 
offer problems that are new but by no 
means difficult. Coaxing and careful 
folding are all that is necessary. Curves 
will require closer spacing of the tacks. 
Material that is thin or frays easily, 
like cretonne, damask, or rep should be 
folded in at the corners and all along 
the tacked edge; but velour or other 
fabrics should have a wedge-shaped 
piece cut out at the corners, and need 
not be turned under along the tacked 
edge, but must be neatly trimmed. 
Tipping the chair so that its back 
rests upon the seat of a straight chair 
will facilitate the work on the seat. 
Lay the cover of the back in place 
and slip-tack all around the edge, 
drawing it smoothly and not too firmly, 
as there must be some lee¬ 
way for the buttoning. The 
tacks are not to be driven 
permanently until the but¬ 
toning is done, as some re¬ 
adjustment may be neces¬ 
sary. If the back has been 
buttoned before it is an easy 
matter to locate the places 
for the new buttons; other¬ 
wise you must measure the 
spaces carefully, placing al- 
Buttons are 
placed 5" each 
way and sewed 
through the filling 
to the back 
The corners and stitching of a 
box cover are the most difficult 
part of the work 
ternate rows of even and uneven num¬ 
bers (two and three, or more should the 
size of the chair demand it), and work¬ 
ing from the central part of the back 
outward. Do not attempt to cover the 
buttons yourself, but have them made 
from the cuttings at one of the local 
drygoods shops. Thread the upholstery 
needle with the twine, stick it through 
from the back, run it through the shank 
of a button, re-insert it in the back 
about (4” from the first stitch, and tie 
at the back with a slip knot, as illus¬ 
trated. Before tightening the knot in¬ 
sert under it a tuft of cotton, draw 
tightly, tie twice and cut, not too short. 
The buttons may all be threaded on 
first, a little slack, and the tightening 
and tying done afterward. When the 
buttons are all on, if no adjustment of 
the edge is necessary drive the tacks 
in permanently. 
Using Gimp 
After covering the arms, which offer 
no difficulties, the gimp is put on. 
Start at the back of the seat, working 
from right to left, at a corner or next 
to an upright, and after fastening the 
end slip-tack the free end of the gimp 
with a single tack as far ahead as 
the framework will permit it to lie. 
Return to the beginning and 
place the gimp tacks, driv¬ 
ing them permanently, spac¬ 
ing them 2 y 2 " apart, meas¬ 
uring the distance with a 
card or by counting the 
spaces of the gimp pattern. 
Place the tacks in the cen¬ 
ter of the gimp, except on 
the curves, where they must 
be set nearer the outer edge 
(Continued on page 70) 
The upholsterer's 
knot for tying 
buttons in place 
at the back is 
easily acquired 
BROOKLYN 
Flatbush & DeKalb Aves. 
BRONX 
485 Willis Avenue 
BOSTON 
96-98 Federal Street 
,£PV 7 IN . 
] SvZftbAcl<^ -r-._h 
—-rLsiW 
NEWARK 
141 Halsey Street 
