Carefully Chosen Fabrics ai ire the Key to Successful Interior Decoration Furnishing fabrics are _manu-actured in a slightly different manner from dress materials, As rule, the former are made up in wider widths, and a large umber of them are heavier than '@ress fabrics in order to stand the strain of strenuous wear.
For this reason a large percentage of cotton, which is a cheap Abre, is found in furnishing fah Cotton, linen and artificial silk, also. velveteen and many fancy Materials belong to the vegetable world, "Pure silk and wool are of animal origin.
Printed cretonne or chintz is a calico foundation with the printed Pattern stamped on after the "nap"
the calico has been removed.
Shiny or glazed chintz is achieved a process of calendering with] heavy rollers, The best chintz is hand-blocked, Yput "unfortunately owing to the hand.work this chintz is naturally, As a rule, the main points to notice in buying chintz or cretonne are firstly whether the fabric has a groat deal of "dressing,"
Swill wear off Aim material behind, Secondly, make sure that the dyes wre fast, "To test the latter point, slightly ' moisten the handkerchi ud rub it over the colouring in the pattern, From a wearing point of view it} 4s always advisable to choose d signs with light backgrounds, as, Wark ones show the dust and soon Took shabby. Oatmeal is a partiularly good colour for backgrounds.
buying, any patterned material material usually becomes more 'Twilled wool materials wear better than plain surfaces. A woollen fabric if of good quality should feel liable, and' when stretched warp and welt way should not fra Unless a fairly good price can he afforded for silk fabrics the
arti housewife must expect to be offered Even when pure silk is procurable! there always the danger that it has been weighted and dressed. At the same time, if the housewife deals good' shop she should demand when buying silk fabrics whether they are of pure silk or Axtificial silk, however, is now] made in so many beautiful colours, designs, etc. (and the best quality is excellent for furnishing purposes jas it has a very fine lustre particularly suited to. decoration) that real silk is not wanted except in specia! cases.
In tapestry it is certainly import-fant if buying an expensive one, to insist on real silk, especially if the tapestry is to cover some good pi jof period furniture.
For hangings, however, whi not subjected to we in. the way as chairs, etc, artificis is cheap and eminently suitable.
Poor quality artificial silk frays ard is apt to go in holes after a time. If possible, buy good branded kinds, guaranteed not to Indder.
The most durable of upholstery, fabric of the velvet and plush type is the mohair material. It is avail-fable in many colours and a variety patterns. Large patterns, how-be suva that it will cut to advantage|syer; Should always, be avoided, {Bnd be suitable for the size of the} Most, of oom.
Nelvet damasks and, brocades have floral designs for small rooms "oven Ju silk.
'Do not, for instance, buy large luton backing wit here there is already a great deal 'The old-fashioned haircloth of our colour, grandfathers' day is again on the market. It is very durable, and if When buying velveteens, cotton chair or sofa is upholstered with velvets, ote, note particularly. the the separate cushion there is no fhuality' of the pile. It should be longer harshness of outline. yen," Avoid those with white Strong plain denims of fast colour, Blvoaks as this means that either either of cotton or of linen and the dye or the fabric is a poor cotton, are much to be preferred *o jchoap cotton so-called tapestry up-'Those fabrics should be purchased holstery, materials. fu double width materials when] A firm corduroy wears well for! fronted for furnishing, 0 that. it] upholstery, Whipcord materials is advisable to deal at a furnishing] very durable and come in a wide are Cotton damask is largely used for: Upholstering fabrics and for curtains, and is either manufactured single or double dama: double damask the pat through to the other range of dull colours. Real leather is durable, but more suitable for lotices than for the avery house. Imitation leather fabrics "of good quality are durable, but seldom suitable for living-room furniture.
Jacquard, on the other hand, which fs frequently mistaken for fsx also reversible, but with the] Sotouring reversed, ax well.
It it can be afforded, howeve Printed linens are, of course, far} More beautiful than printed cottons. Also, for hard wear, linen cannot eaten, as i¢ does not become shabby inthe same way as cotton, and is always worth cleaning.
Linen materials are frequently mixed with cotton, but if the material is damped in a small
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.