A LOAN FROM THE THIMBLE KING
“DEAR me,” sighed Mary Frances. “How will I ever get so much done? I
didn’t want to interrupt you, dear Fairy Lady, but I’ve gotten, you
see, no further than basting the hem of dolly’s apron!”
[Illustration: “Dear me.”]
Big tears trembled in the little girl’s eyes.
“Dear child,” smiled Fairy Lady. “We realize how rapidly we’ll have
to work in these lessons in order to get through before your mother
comes, so we are ready to help.”
With this, she rapped three times on the sewing table with her bodkin
wand, whereat a little fellow of queer appearance walked solemnly up
to Mary Frances and made a pompous bow.
[Illustration: “There is but one needle in the world”]
“There is but one needle in the world, your Seamstress-ship,” he
said, “which is called the Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try, and the King
of the Thimble People has sent it to you by your humble servant,”
glancing proudly about.
“Why,” said Mary Frances, scarcely daring to breathe. “Why,―you, you
are certainly my own needle book!”
“Needle Book―that’s my name,―and here, dear Mistress, is the
Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try.”
[Illustration: The little girl hesitated]
Mary Frances saw a bright shiny light come from between the opening
leaves of Needle Book; then slowly, very slowly, with his tiny little
hand, he pulled out what seemed a needle of fire, and dropping on his
knees, held it out on both arms toward Mary Frances.
The little girl hesitated. Would it burn her?
“Do not fear,” smiled Fairy Lady. “It will not harm you. The
Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try is loaned to you on only one condition:
which is, that you will promise to sew some time every day between
lesson days.”
“Oh, I promise,” exclaimed Mary Frances. “I do not, dear Sewing Bird
Lady, I do not deserve such beautiful kindness!”
She took the Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try from Needle Book.
[Illustration: Held it out towards Mary Frances]
[Illustration: “Poor Pinny”]
“I do thank you―very―gratefully,” she said, not knowing exactly how
to behave toward the ambassador of the Thimble King.
“For shame, Tommy Pin Cushion!” exclaimed Fairy Lady, who overheard
him mimicking Needle Book. “Don’t make fun! Never, never will you be
Bearer of the Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try for the King of Thimble
Land.”
“I beg your pudden!” said Tommy Pin Cushion to Needle Book, getting
very red in the face.
“Poor Pinny!” exclaimed Needle Book, looking very disdainfully toward
Tomato Pin Cushion, “always getting ‘squelched!’”
“Come,” said Fairy Lady. “No more of that needle-and-pin talk!” Then
to Mary Frances:
“Now, little lady, you may begin. The next is
TO HEM DOLLY’S APRON STRINGS
1. Turn a very narrow hem the long way of the strings. Hem with
fine hemming stitches.
2. Turn and make a half-inch hem at one end of each string.
“Shall I finish the apron first?” asked Mary Frances. “Shall―shall I
use the new needle?”
[Illustration: “I beg your pudden”]
[Illustration:
4. Night Gown
5. Bath-robe
6. Kimono
7. Dressing-sack]
[Illustration: INSERT 1
PATTERNS 4·5·6·7·
4. NIGHT GOWN
5. BATH ROBE
6. KIMONO
7. DRESSING SACK
TO CUT THIS PATTERN, FOLD GOODS TWICE, AS INDICATED BY DOTTED LINES.
PIN PATTERN THUS ON FOLDED GOODS.
ARROW ⬌ MEANS TO PIN THIS EDGE OF PATTERN _LENGTHWISE_ OF
GOODS.
TWO RINGS O O MEAN THAT THESE EDGES MUST BE PLACED ON FOLDED EDGES OF
GOODS.
ALL SEAMS ALLOWED.
ALL PATTERNS FIT 16 IN. DOLL
USE THESE PATTERNS =FIRST=]
This pattern plate should remain permanently in book so that tracings
on tissue paper can be made from it as required.
“Yes,” smiled the delighted Fairy Lady.
[Illustration: Threaded the needle]
Mary Frances found her thimble, and threaded the glowing needle,
although she feared it would scorch the thread,―but it seemed like
any other needle except that she didn’t have to try twice to put in
the thread.
“I wonder how it is different?” she thought as she started to sew.
Then the most wonderful thing happened. She found the needle darting
ahead of her hand, making the stitches just as fast as she could
touch the eye with her silver thimble.
In a minute the apron was hemmed.
In another minute the apron was gathered.
In another minute the strings were hemmed.
Then the Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try stopped dead still and wouldn’t
move.
“Oh! ho!” cried Mary Frances. “What have I done? What have I done?”
“Nothing, dear child,” said Fairy Lady. “But the
Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try cannot do for you anything you have not
yet learned; so use your own needle and set the gathers of the apron
into the band.”
[Illustration: In a minute the strings were hemmed]
“Thank you very much,” said Mary Frances, finishing the apron band.
“And now,” said Fairy Lady, “as to
PUTTING THE STRINGS INTO THE BAND
1. Gather, or lay small plaits at the unhemmed end of strings,
and insert, or push them into the ends of the band.
2. Hem down.”
“Well done, dear child,” smiled Fairy Lady at length.
Then quicker than Mary Frances could wink, she turned into Sewing
Bird, and began to sing,
“Oh, my! Oh, my! Oh, my! Oh, my!
It brings a twinkle to my eye!
The Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try!
Dear little miss, good-bye,
Good-bye.”
[Illustration: “Dear little miss, good bye, Good bye”]
[Illustration: CHAPTER XV]