I would impress on whoever tries this re-covering to be very careful about keeping exactly to the quilting pattern, as on this altogether depends the success of the whole undertaking. It would be most disappointing if, after having finished, you should find that owing to careless tacking the covering was crooked or cramped or drawn. It takes patience and care, but is quite easy and most satisfying.
When you have completed the outlining, lay the quilt on the floor again and tack on the chintz, doing exactly as you did with the sateen, only omitting to outline the quilting, as it is not necessary to have it on both sides.
Next, where the threads outline the eyelets take a stiletto and punch the holes through both sides and button-hole them all round through the double materials. In doing this use silk the colour of the plain-coloured side, as it looks so much nicer than the reverse way.
And now all is ready for the machine. If your quilt is in two colours, thread the machine with the silk matching the sateen and use a bobbin threaded with a shade to match the reverse. Carefully follow out the design which you have outlined, spreading the quilt as wide as possible so as not to get it puckered.
When all the stitching is finished you will be delighted to see that both sides of the quilt are stitched in their own respective colourings.
Take out the tacking threads around the edge, and turning down the edge of the “right side” of the quilt insert a narrow piping cord and sew in by machine. Next turn in the edges of the other side, and hem by hand down to the edge of the cord. This gives a very nice finish as well as a very neat one.
To anybody who desires a frill, though these are not always the prevailing fashion—there being fashions in eiderdowns as in other things—after taking out the tacking thread around the edge of the quilt, insert the frill instead of the cord and stitch firmly by machine. In using a frill be sure to have it made of the two materials the same as the cover, putting the plain to the plain and the fancy to the fancy. Then hem down as with the cord.
A very handsome edge can be made if a thick cord be used similar to those used in upholstery work, but covered tightly with material before sewing to the cover. The pulling tightly of the material covering the cord gives a sort of “cable” effect, and is really very pretty.
When completed I feel sure you will be pleased with the look of your new eiderdown. It costs so little—not more than a few shillings at the outside.
