Blind-Stitched Pad Seats
THERE are certain types of inexpensive furniture pieces where it seems unnecessary to build up stitched edges in burlaps to obtain the requisite uniformity of upholstering, particularly in cases where the upholstering is in the form of a shallow pad of the character shown in Fig. 131.
The chair illustrated in this figure has a simple pad seat with a bridled edge formed in the stuffing to provide a sufficient thickness of filling at the edges. A much more substantial and better appearing seat could be formed by covering the bridled stuffing with a muslin under-cover and blind stitching the edges to form a smooth semi-hard roll within the cotton cover.
After successive layers of stuffing material have been laid upon the whole surface of the seat, until the pad has reached the required thickness, as explained for Fig. 129C a piece of cotton, large enough to give surplus coverage in each dimension, is slip-tacked at the back and drawn toward the front, then to each side, precisely as explained in the last chapter in connection with the bridled edge. (See progressive details, Figs. 132A, B, C and D).
The completely slip-tacked seat will appear as Fig. 132D. It will be necessary to provide considerable resistance to the pull exerted by the stitching so that in tacking the cotton edges it is necessary to turn up the surplus fabric and drive the tacks through the doubled cotton edge. As the slip-tacks of each side are released the stuffing is tucked in and any hollows filled out by additional stuffing inserted beneath that already in place.
Then, beginning in the center, draw the cotton down smoothly into shape and tack it in position (Fig. 134C). Work each way to within three inches of the corner and force the edge to assume a somewhat overhanging square shape, as shown in Fig. 135.
Care should be taken to keep the tacks of the cotton far enough from the outside to leave the space where the covering and gimp are to be tacked as unencumbered as possible. Detail Figures 136A and B are cross sections showing the relative positions of the gimp, covering, cotton; stuffing, burlaps and springs.
After the sides are tacked follow up by tacking the back in place, bearing in mind the fact that the cotton will be tightened by the blind stitching and must therefore be left a trifle slack to allow for this contingency, and the front is tacked in the same way, taking care to fill out any hollows which may appear by adding stuffing material beneath the main body; as already explained.
The corners are tacked down in place last, because all surplus dimension in the cotton must be smoothed out and disposed of in a final pleat at the very corner, as Fig. 137. When completely tacked in place the pad in cotton should present the appearance of Fig. 138.
When the cotton is all completely tacked in place all edges are regulated to a square form and the filling blind-stitched permanently into that position by means of a circular needle, following the method indicated in Fig. 138A.
The needle passing in at A and out at B is re-entered again at B without catching any of the cotton, and is drawn out at C, thus enclosing a triangularly-shaped quantity of stuffing which is drawn compactly to the front and retained there by the tightening of the stitch;
Each successive stitch is pulled tightly into position and held in place by the free hand until the next stitch is taken.
Pad seats which have no spring foundation are upholstered in the same manner as pad backs and, to avoid unnecessary duplicate instruction, will be explained in that connection.
If lightweight burlaps or theatrical scrim is employed instead of cotton, a still more durable seat can be made by again regulating the stuffing material to the edge and adding another row of stitching around the edge, this time allowing the stitches to show on the top as well as on the edge. This creates an edge very similar in appearance to a double stuffed seat but without the center twines that tie down the filling in the middle of the seat.
In this latter case a sufficient surplus of burlap must be allowed by building the stuffed edges with a greater degree of overhang to allow the stitching to be drawn tight without drawing the edge in from the square. Fig. 139 illustrates the fault to be avoided, and Fig. 139A the correct appearance of the stitched burlap seat.
Should the drawing in of the edge not be very great, it can sometimes be released by the following method. Pass a long, double pointed needle down through the burlaps, stuffing and canvas, but do not draw it completely through the webbing (see Fig. 139B), then shift the top of the needle over a couple of inches, taking care not to enclose any portion of the springs or twine which do not lie close to the canvas, re-enter the needle in the ,canvas and force it up through and out of the burlaps at top.
Repeat this stitch at intervals of about four or five inches around the seat, keeping about four inches from the edge, and then slash the center of the burlaps, as shown in Fig. 139C. If stitched in this way it will be necessary to use a light top stuffing, to round over the seat after it has been stitched; it can then be covered with a piece of cotton either sewn to the edge, as Fig. 140, or tacked in position, as Fig. 141A after which the covering is put on in the regular way.
