Thus, when properly woven, all cords will be either parallel or at right angles to an imaginary center line. Rarely does the weaver encounter a perfect square. Step Three, also shown in Figure 6.28, illustrates the method to be followed when the short rails have been filled with cord. This is simply a matter of passing the remaining cord over and under each long rail in turn, bringing the free end of the cord out through the center of the weaving each time, alternating over and under, as shown. In order to give fullness to the seat, it may be padded with newspaper cut into narrow strips which are thrust under the bottom layer of the three layers of cord. To do this the chair should be turned upside down, and the paper forced into place with a screwdriver or whittled stick. A better procedure is to apply light stuffing between the upper and lower layers as the weaving progresses. Care must be exercised not to break the strands, or reduce the elasticity of the woven seat by overstuffing. Finish. For protective purposes, the porous art fiber cord is usually given a sizing of hot glue thin enough to be applied with a brush. When thoroughly dry, the sizing provides an excellent base for one or more coats of white shellac or clear varnish. Some weavers omit the glue sizing, using at least two coats of a good, elastic varnish. Hong Kong grass requires no sizing; the shellac or varnish coats on seats woven of this material can also be omitted if desired. Variations in Design. The type of Mexican chair described in Chapter 2 often has a woven seat of a simple diagonal design. The familiar rafia of basketwork offers an interesting medium for this primitive furniture, particularly if a contrasting color is employed for the diagonal insertions. Since the rafia comes in lengths varying from 2 to Fig. 6.29. Diagonal design. 5 ft., it must be frequently spliced or knotted, UPHOLSTERY AND SEAT WEAVING underneath the seat. Furthermore it should not be loosened from its hanks, only one strand at a time being pulled loose as needed, to prevent tangling. As will be noted in Figure 6.29, this method of weaving is far from complicated. The first step consists of tacking one end snugly against the corner of a side rail, then wrapping in a continuous strand around both rails horizontally, until both are completely covered without any overlaps, the remaining end being tacked underneath. The second weaving step may make use of red or green rafia, if desired. The front rail is marked off in a segment that is equal in length to the back rail, as previously explained, and one end of the rafia is tacked to the underside at this point. After the rafia has been drawn through the fingers to remove all twists, it is brought up and over the frdnt rail and the first five horizontal top strands, where it is pushed down through the upper layer. It is then carried under the top layer for five more strands, threaded through and pulled up over for five more strands, and so on.