The teacher should devote a few minutes to a talk on cleanliness,
emphasizing its importance, and the necessity for exercising care in
handling the sewing materials. This should be followed by a discussion
regarding the care of the hands and the condition in which they should
be for the sewing lesson. Each pupil should inspect her own hands and
show them to the teacher.
[Illustration: _Fig._ 2.--Gauge]
When all the pupils have their hands in a proper condition for sewing,
the teacher should look over their supplies with them, give them
suggestions as to how they are to keep these, and let them arrange their
boxes.
Next, she should tell them what their first work is to be, show them the
material for the towels, and discuss with them the best method of
finishing the ends. (See Lesson II.)
Before turning the hem, the pupils should make a gauge from heavy paper,
notched to indicate the depth of the hem. A few minutes should be
devoted to practice in measuring and turning a hem of the desired depth
on a sheet of paper. This should give practice in the double turning
necessary--first, the narrow turn to dispose of the cut edge; second,
the fold to finish the edge.
When the lesson is finished, the boxes should be put away in systematic
order, and all scraps should be carefully picked up from the desks and
the floor.