This is a department which requires great taste as well as skill. The interior of a carriage should be lined with cloth and silk, or cloth and morocco, with laces specially manufactured for the purpose. The colours should correspond to or harmonise with the painting. Light drab, or fawn colour, used to be a very general colour for the linings of close carriages, such as broughams, because they at once afforded relief to and harmonised with any dark colour that might have been selected for the painting. But a severe simplicity of taste has prevailed of late years in this country, and the linings of the carriages have been made mostly dark in colour to correspond to the colour of the painting. This is often carried to such an extreme as to present an appearance of sameness and tastelessness. It is no uncommon thing, for instance, to see a brougham painted dark green, striped with black lines, and lined with dark green cloth and morocco, with plain laces to correspond. This to us appears to be only one degree removed from a mourning coach, and it will be a great pity if such a taste prevails. On the other hand, violent contrasts outrage all principles of good taste. Morocco and cloth, or silk and cloth, of the same colour as the paint may be used for the linings, but, as the painting should be relieved by lines that harmonise with it, so should the linings be relieved by the laces and tufts, which are intended to give life and character to it.
The back is made with one full row of squares, and two rows of buttons at the bottom, besides the finishing squares (see Fig. 50), then the swell of the back is carried up to within 4 inches of the upper edge, 1⅛ inches being allowed for the swell. Then the top of the back is finished with a large roll, of about 5 inches swell or girth, so that the back has only one row of buttons in the upper sweep.
The arm-pieces, Fig. 51, are made in a peculiar way, and the modus operandi is rather difficult of explanation. In the place of the usual arm-piece block, a piece of plank, 2¾ inches wide by ½ inch thick, is fitted in with the usual sweep to it. Now fit four pieces of single fly buckram, to form as it were a funnel, the shape of the arm-piece desired; then sew seaming lace to the two edges of the funnel, which will show inside of the body; to the lower edge sew a piece of cloth in smooth, so that it will cover the bottom of the funnel or cylinder. To the same lace edge, blind sew in a piece of cloth, for the purpose of forming a wrinkled roll on the inner face of the funnel, wrinkled 1 inch in fulness for every 3 inches in length, and as full the other way as desired, for it ought to be full enough to come out with the bottom side quarter. Next, blind sew the outer edge of this roll to the other or top seaming lace, and stuff lightly with hair, thus forming one roll on the inner face, and having the lower face covered with the smooth cloth.
Now blind sew another piece of cloth to the top lace, as in the other case, to form another wrinkled roll on top of the funnel or cylinder, but the outer edge of this roll is to be finished by nailing to the outside of the piece of plank just mentioned. All this sewing is of course to be done on the bench, one side of the funnel to be left open for this purpose. Next, nail in the bottom side quarter made up in squares, and then nail the side of the funnel, which is fitted against the arm-board, to the board and over the quarter, thus finishing the lower part. Then nail the fourth on top side to the top edge of arm-board; next, stuff from the front the funnel, pretty solid, and finish the top roll, which up to now has been left open, into the outside of the arm-board, thus completing the arm-piece, which shows two wrinkled rolls divided by two rows of seaming lace.
The door fall, Fig. 52, is made on three fly buckram pasted together, but one fly is cut off about an inch from the top to allow the fall to hinge. The fall is made about 12 inches deep, the lower edge being circular. The broad lace is bent to the required shape, and the corners sewed and put on to the buckram, which is cut to the shape intended for the fall. Mark where the inside edge of the lace comes all round the buckram, then mark 1¼ inches from the mark; paste a piece of carpet into the buckram to come within ½ inch from this mark, which will make the edge of the carpet 1⅜ inches from the edge of the lace; cover this carpet with a piece of cloth, pasting on the buckram; take a piece of seaming lace, long enough to reach round the fall, and sew a piece of cloth to it, for the purpose of forming a wrinkled roll round three sides of the fall, inside the broad lace and outside the sewed carpet, between both, with 1 inch fulness to each 3 inches of length; sew this seaming lace and roll to the buckram at the mark, 1¼ inches from the broad lace, gather the other edge with a running string, and sew down and stuff lightly, finishing in such a manner that the broad lace shall cover this sewed edge; next, paste on the broad lace and cover the wrong side with silk or muslin. When dry, stitch both edges.
Figs. 53 and 54 show two styles of trimming for a door. Fig. 53 is made as follows:—Paste out three flies of buckram, and lay off for block or biscuit pattern, leaving space enough all round for a broad lace border, and at the top leave double the space. The top space is formed into a plain cloth roll of the same goods as the job is trimmed with.
In this case the trimming is brown cloth; the broad lace is silk and worsted of a shade much lighter than the cloth. The diamond-shaped and connecting figures are worsted and are raised.
The card-pocket is made of tin and covered with Turkey morocco the colour of the trimming.
In Fig. 54 it will be noticed that the style is somewhat different from the other; the surface of the door is trimmed plain, the fall alone being stuffed. The fall is stuffed in diamond form and enclosed with a lace border. This pocket runs up under the fall to the top, and is there nailed.
The following remarks on lining and trimming are taken from “Cassell’s Technical Educator:”—
“We may with advantage say a word to our carriage lace-makers, who seem to have made but scant use of the various Schools of Design for the improvement of their taste in producing new and suitable patterns in the manufacture of their goods. For a long period we had nothing but the old scroll or flower pattern, which was handed down from father to son as if by a fixed law. At length, when it was felt that some change was required, the absence of all taste in design was shown in the production of entirely plain worked laces, which deprived carriage linings of their chief element of lightness and beauty. Thanks, however, to the taste and discernment of Messrs. Whittingham & Walker, who, perhaps, have devoted more attention to this branch of industry than any other house in London, the trade was relieved from the necessity of either adhering to the old pattern or of adopting the opposite scheme. They introduced small neat designs in laces eminently adapted to the purpose, and in 1857 they registered a pattern, now extensively known as the double diamond pattern, which has not only become general in England, but is largely patronised throughout Europe and America. This, and kindred patterns, exactly fulfil modern requirements, and give us the necessary relief without extreme.
“But with materials well and tastefully selected the trimmer has still his work to do. The lining of a carriage is divided into many different parts, all of which have to be designed. Canvas or paper patterns have to be cut to these, and properly fitted before the material is touched with which the carriage is to be lined. Wherever superiority of workmanship is to be shown in this department, the French method of trimming is adopted as being more elegant than the English. We shall therefore confine our observations to this method.
“In adopting the French method silk is mostly used in the place of morocco, and its peculiarities consist in the manner of quilting. The different squabs are made up in horizontal pipes or flutes, which are tufted in different ways. To proceed, cut a pattern in strong paper the size and shape of the space to be trimmed, and draw on it with a pencil the pipes, also mark the position of the tufts. On large pieces only mark one-half, the other half being the same. The pipes of the back are usually 12 inches high and from 3 to 5 inches wide.
“The position of the tufts is considerably varied. Next stretch a piece of strong muslin in the stretching frame, lay the paper pattern on it, and mark the position of the tufts with an awl. Mark the lines of the pipes on the muslin with red chalk or pencil. In the same manner the pattern must be transferred upon the inside of the material used for covering, making of course due allowance for the depth of the pipes; about 3 inches is a fair average for fulness at the top, 1 inch for the height of the pipes, and 1½ inches for the width. For the last pipe an extra allowance is made in a narrow strip sewed on to it.
“Next lay a quantity of hair on the frame and form it the swell desired. Keep the hair in position with a few long stitches, and lay the silk over it. Commence tufting in the middle of the lower row of pipes, and continue equally to both sides. Silk cords stretched into the channels between the pipes were at one time considered elegant, but their main merit was that they aided materially in preserving the original shape of the pipes. Backs are usually made couch-shaped, with a roll all round on the top, which at the same time form the elbow-pieces on the sides. In elegant carriages this roll is often elaborately executed in a helical or screw-like shape, and continued from the door-pillar down to the seat-frame, being made by winding silk cords around the roll. These silk cords appear as a single thread, but in reality there are three different cords which are wound at even distances. A style of trimming much used of late both in France and Germany for low backs, is a row of pipes at the lower end, which are pinched to points at the top, and above these are three rows of regular squares. Squares are preferred to diamonds as they are softer.
“Usually the back is laid on spiral springs, which are fastened as follows:—The back of the body is covered with coarse muslin, after being slightly stuffed, and on this muslin four rows of seven small springs each are set. For the lowest row, springs a little stronger may be used than for the other rows. The highest row is set about 1½ inches below the edge of the back-board, and the lowest row at 6 inches above the seat-frame. The springs having been sewn on with a bent needle, are tied first from right to left and then from top to bottom. A thin cord will answer for this purpose.
“The cord is first cut in lengths, and when the tying begins about 6 inches are allowed at the ends. The cord is wound about the third ring of the first and last spring in each row, and afterwards the first ring is brought into the right position with the piece of cord allowed over. This will make the spring stand upright, and it can be raised or lowered on one side. The springs being thus all placed in position, they are finally tied crossways.
“The squab, in this instance, is worked in coarse muslin or canvas, stiffened with a little thin paste. It is set in the frame and marked as we have described above. When the cushions press against the back and side pieces, frequently no stuffing is made, but simply a piece of fine linen is sewed reverse to the main piece, and this is called the ‘false finish.’ In fine work the stuffing extends clear to the seat-frame.
“Of course each of these variations requires a different calculation for the muslin at the back as well as for the cover. For the latter an allowance of 1½ inches is made for the pipes from the lower to the upper end, and also for the points an addition of ¾ inch. For each square in the height 1½ inch has to be calculated. The folds of squares when laid over springs being diagonal, easily draw apart when stretched out, while the folds of diamonds running up and down may be drawn tighter to a certain degree of stretching.
“For the upper row of squares we have to allow for the backs at least double what we have to allow for the other rows—namely, 3 inches. For the width of every pipe an addition of 1½ inches is calculated.
“Both cover and muslin being thus marked, we commence to draw in the tufts. Every point marked on the cover has to lie exactly on the corresponding one of the muslin. The lowest tufts are first drawn in; then turn the frame and commence on one side at top, every point of the pipes being singly stuffed and the folds adjusted. This being done, every fold of the squares can be tufted right through, stuffed, and folded. Squares are easier to be worked than diamonds, but pointed pipes give more trouble than the ordinary straight ones.
“The elbow-pieces of this finish consist of two rolls made of muslin; they are thinner towards the front of the seats. After being stuffed, a piece of muslin 8 inches wide is sewed on all the length to the bottom of the roll, which serves, after the roll is tacked to the door-pillar and back, to give it the required sweep in stretching and tacking it to the sides of the body. Then mark on the roll the width of the pipes, and cut the cover for it, allowing 1 inch of width; and as to the height, the cover must go all round, the roll having to be sewed back and front to the linen with which the roll is tacked to the body.
“After we have put in all the lining, we have to adjust the silk curtains, the blinds and glasses to doors and front part, to cover the iron dash-frame with the best patent leather, trim the coach-box seat, put on all the mouldings and bearings to the body, arrange the position of the lamps and fix them, and generally attend to all those little finishing points which give the appearance of neatness and finish to the whole.”
Fig. 55 shows a double brougham with a circular front.