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Show I Woman's World Briglilen Up Home by Making 3iicli Covers and Slipcovers TpVERY homemaker arrives at the point where everything at home looks happy. Usually this is when the children have passed that tangly stage and don't seem to concentrate on wearing out the furniture fur-niture since their activities take them outdoors a bit more. Or, if you don't have children, perhaps you suddenly cast a look bout the house and discover that the furniture has faded and is not exactly on the better side of several sev-eral years wear. It's really a simple sim-ple matter to cover faded upholstered uphol-stered chairs, and particularly couches. If the day-bed or couch has no arms or back, It is very easily covered cov-ered with one of the new informal couch covers. You'll find after getting get-ting into the work that the job is even easier than making a dress, so don't let the size of the couch disturb dis-turb you one whit. Select the material with the greatest great-est of care as to color and weave. The color should harmonize with the room and yet add some sparkle and newness to the entire decorative decora-tive scheme. A weave that wears well is desirable, and, if the fabric is plain colored, perhaps you can select se-lect one of the new fabrics with a nubby texture or an interesting pattern woven through it that adds o much decorative interest Fabrio Measured on Couch to Be Covered To cut the cover to fit the couch, select a piece of material long enough to cover the couch and touch the floor at both ends. The material, ma-terial, when placed on the couch, should touch not only the floor at both ends, but also in the front If It is not wide enough to extend fully across the couch to the back, the fabric will have to have a seam where it shows least. If a floral pattern is used, match, the two pieces together before sewing. This informal type of couch cover is hemmed with a narrow hem on all sides and allowed to hang free on all sides. If the couch is placed next to a wall, tuck the cover under un-der the mattress on the wall side to make it stay in place and give a tetter effect. For the tailored cover, a little more work Is necessary, but the re- Add decorative touches to the fiome suits are well worth the effort. This type of cover is made to be cut in two pieces, one piece of material "being used to cover the entire seat and enough to hang over the sides. The second part of the cover is that which is used for the flounce or the pleat. This is gathered or pleated and pinned and cut separately sep-arately (and may be pieced very easily without showing), then attached at-tached to the first part. For the tailored type of couch cover, lay the fabric on the seat. At the corners, pin a seam through the band of fabric which you have cut for the top section. If you are skilled at sewing these seams may be stitched without basting, but do this only If you have pinned them carefully together and are sure the corners are properly squared to give a tailored effect. The seams are sewed on the right side By making a new jip-couer. ot the fabric and may be finished with an upholsterer's seam, cording or piping. Let us assume that you have cut the seat part and the band (which should be one inch wider than the depth of the mattress) to go around the mattress part. Then you are ready to cut the pleated exten- Cool, Open Sleeves ' J ; J Jl' r r .t,.',;.,t ' A white linen dress, made with open sleeves, scooped out neck and wing sleeves by Adele Simpson Simp-son spells cool perfection for summer. sum-mer. sion which will act as a skirt. This should be cut wide enough to reach from the band to the floor, allowing for a seam at the band and a hem. The pleated edge should be cut twice the length of the band to allow for nice, full pleats, or, if you prefer, pre-fer, pin the pleats in and cut accordingly. ac-cordingly. To finish, hem the pleat and join the pleating to the band, allowing the corded edge to head the pleats. Cording may also be run down each corner. Ruffled Edge Looks Pretty on Couch If you are using a studio couch In an informal sort of room, you might plan to make a ruffled edging for the skirt. This is done much the same way as the pleated edge. Plan to use 2 times as much for pleating as you use for the band, and be sure to allow for the seam and the hem in cutting just as you do for the pleated type. Hem the ruffle before attempting to gather it, as it will be easier to work with a straight piece of material. ma-terial. The gathering may be done by hand if you can sew very fine stitches, or it can be done with a very loose stitch on the machine. It is very important that the gathers gath-ers be very even. If you plan to finish the cover with a piping in contrasting con-trasting color, baste the ruffled edge to the band before joining the ruffle. Slipcover Material Select attractive colors, but don't neglect serviceability when choosing material for your slipcovers slip-covers and couch covers. A firm weave, as well as fast colors, and colors that wear well are qualities quali-ties that you will want in the long run. For cording or piping use contrasting con-trasting colors, but make sure here, too, that the colors will wear well, and that the edges can be turned under easily enough to avoid raveling. To get the most satisfaction from your goods, choose a fabric that is designed for the other furniture in your room. In early American rooms, chintz, simple striped effects, cretonnes and homespun are the most effective. For simple, modern rooms, choose plain solid colors with good weaves. Consider such fabrics fab-rics as linen, novelty cotton and duck all of which are very sturdy. If all of your house Is predominantly predomi-nantly Victorian, you'll enjoy ginghams, calico and novelty cotton. cot-ton. In this case, be very careful care-ful that the colors you choose harmonize with the other pieces of furniture you already have. Summer Fashion Notes Waffle pique is popular for lingerie touches on black costumes. You can use a touch of it on the neckline, on cuiTs or other decorative touches. Hats are going sensible again, and undoubtedly will carry all the lovely feminine touches that so endear en-dear them to women. Rhinestones, roses, veiling and velvet are scheduled sched-uled to do the trimming Jolt for "the season. - . - i For real style in the afternoon dresses, you'll find lovely floral prints in silk. Painters, like Gauguin, Gau-guin, seem to have been the inspiration. inspira-tion. II you're young and tiny, you'll be perfectly at home in a shirred bodice bod-ice and a dirndl skirt. Puffed sleeves are in with all their femininity femi-ninity and should make summer clothes even more eye appealing. |