THREE LITTLE KITTENS
“THREE little kittens sitting in a row,
All on a dolly’s lap,
Tit, tat, toe!”
[Illustration: “Three little kittens sitting in a row”]
sang Sewing Bird when Mary Frances came for the next lesson.
“Three in a row on a dolly’s lap?” said Mary Frances. “Not my
dolly’s, I guess―she couldn’t hold three.”
Then sang Sewing Bird:
“Come riddle me this,
Come riddle me that,―
Your dolly can hold
A cat, and a cat, and a cat!”
“Why, how? oh, Magic and Mystery!” cried Mary Frances eagerly.
[Illustration: “Why, how?”]
Then came Fairy Lady.
“This way,” she smiled; “come, Pen Cil,” and with a bound Pen Cil
began to draw on the dolly’s apron the picture of kittens given on
this page.
(Any little girl can transfer this pattern to her own dolly’s
apron by using a carbon sheet.)
“Oh, how cute!” exclaimed Mary Frances. “Yes, I think my dolly could
hold three of those cats.”
Fairy Lady smilingly continued, “Now, with the red working cotton and
a canvas piece you may learn
23.―KENSINGTON OUTLINE STITCH
(Canvas 7 in. by 1-1/2 in.)
[Illustration: Outline stitch]
1. Begin at the left hand end of a piece of canvas. Put needle in
from under side. Pull thread through.
2. Two threads over, put needle in downward and up through the
hole next to the left, holding work over forefinger of left hand.
Pull through.
3. Work from you, and always drop the thread on the same side of
the needle.
“Now, try it on muslin. You’ll need an embroidery needle, because the
large eye makes way for the heavy cotton.”
[Illustration: Three Little Kittens]
“Oh, I have one here in my basket, and some quite-a-bit finer working
cotton, in pink,―isn’t it pretty?”
“I―I―put it there,” began Needle Book.
“Hush!” said Fairy Lady, holding up a finger. “Now, little Miss, see
if you can make that stitch on muslin.”
[Illustration: Tumbled into the basket]
“Very good, indeed.”
“Mary Frances! Mary Frances! Mary Frances!” came Grandma’s voice from
the hall.
With one leap, Fairy Lady changed to Sewing Bird, and all the other
Thimble People, who had been standing on the sewing table, tumbled
head-over-tin-cups into the sewing basket.
“Yes, Grandma,” called Mary Frances, running out.
“Why, my dear,” puffed the old lady, climbing the last of the stairs,
“I am home very early, you see. There was no regular meeting to-day
because almost all the members of the Ladies’ Guild went to Daisy’s
wedding. I’m home for some games with my little girl.”
“Oh, Nanny-dear, will you play ‛Piddy-Pinny-Plump?’” asked Mary
Frances.
[Illustration: “Mary Frances!”]
“Yes, indeed, girlie,” laughed Grandma.
“Goody!” exclaimed Mary Frances. “I’ll be ready soon as ever I tidy
up the sewing room.”
“I’m sorry, dear Thimble People,” she began. Then she heard the sweet
bird voice of Sewing Bird, singing very softly,
“With outline stitch,
So pretty and neat,
Outline the kitties,
From head to feet;
And have them done
When next we meet,
And they will look,
Sweet, sweet! Sweet, sweet!”
[Illustration: “This way,” she smiled, “come Pen Cil.”]
[Illustration: CHAPTER XVI]