Cushions and Covers [antikvár]

IntroductionHand-made cushions are arguably one of the oldest types of soft furnishing. Small enough to sew by hand, at its very simplest, a cushion is no more than a piece of fabric holding an inner stuffing in place - with comfort as the primary function.Man's first comfort requirement was 'somewhere to lay his head' and, in the past, mattresses were no more than large cushions made of strong cotton and filled with straw and ferns. Pillows were small bags filled with dried grasses and herbs, refreshed occasionally with flower water. Straw mattresses (palliases) have been slept on for centuries and may still sometimes be found in country areas. These certainly could not be described as luxurious, but were definitely more comfortable than wooden boards. Mattresses of wool and hair stitched in place were used by the more affluent. Cushions are now generally filled with cured feathers or fibre fillings. Fibre does not give such a good shape but is useful for those with an allergy to feathers.Loose covers are a relatively new invention. In the past, all furniture was upholstered, with the top fabric firmly fixed to the chairs, sofas and headboards. In large country houses, a member of the household staff would be assigned to making slip covers in linen or cotton for all upholstered furniture to protect the expensive upholstery when rooms were not in use. These covers were usually made in simple white fabric which could be boiled and starched; they were made to fit very loosely and in no way resembled the fitted covers which we use today. Dining chair covers would often have the house owners' initials embroidered on the front of the seat backs. Hard-wearing upholstery fabric has always been the most expensive cloth to buy and, as upholstering is a skilled and labour-intensive job, having a piece of furniture upholstered is costly. Today, with our sophisticated laundering facilities, loose and throw-over covers offer a practical and economical addition or alternative to upholstered furniture; they can also be used to cover wooden furniture such as side tables, ottomans, and so on.