FABRICS 295
SLIP COVERS

Slip covers have become an important item in home furnishing.
They no longer are limited to summer but are sometimes used all
the year round, with different sets for winter and for summer.
Overstuffed furniture can be purchased in the muslin or sateen
stage before final upholstering, and covered only with slip covers,
for economy and for convenience. Slip covers are also good for
covering old furniture, which may be ugly, or worn, or inhar-
monious with the decorative scheme. See pages 59, 222, and 224.

Slip covers can be made of almost any medium-weight material.
Some of the possibilities are chintz, cretonne, calico, percale, ging-
ham, uncrushable linen, crash, awning, bed ticking, denim, bath
toweling, gabardine, rep, mohair, poplin, corduroy, taffeta, vel-
veteen, silk, sateen, and satin. Effective slip covers are also made
from fabrics which have been quilted at home or in the factory.
A plain fabric sometimes requires contrasting piping to make an
interesting slip cover. See page 88.

Naturally, slip-cover fabrics should harmonize with the decora-
tive scheme of a room in pattern, texture, and color. For example,
widely spaced restrained motifs, smooth textures, and suave colors
suit formal rooms, whereas rough checks and plaids of positive
colors belong in simple settings.

The fabric should also conform in pattern and texture to the
style of the furniture it is to cover. A provincial chair should be
slip-covered with a material that suggests informality and quaint-
ness, such as gingham, calico, or chintz of a small pattern that
lends itself to ruffles. A heavier or more modern piece of furni-
ture might have a heavy, plain, striped, or plaid slip cover and be
finished in a tailored fashion, possibly with knife or box pleating
and welting.

If the pattern and color of the material chosen are not con-
spicuous, the same fabric may form slip covers on several chairs
and sofas in one room. This plan would be the safest for the
amateur to follow. On the other hand, two or three different
materials may be used in the same room by combining a dominat-
ing one with others of less importance. Page 301 illustrates the
success of such a plan; page 24 illustrates the mistake of combin-
ing several conspicuous patterns. ^