A “DRESS-UP” DRESS
“GOOD-AFTERNOON, your Seamstress-ship,” welcomed Sewing Bird.
[Illustration: “Good-afternoon”]
“Good-afternoon, dear Thimble People,” said Mary Frances. “I was so
sorry that I had to miss last week’s lesson! Grandma didn’t take her
afternoon out, and little Lottie was over here to play.”
“I know,” said Scissors Shears. “I heard you; I had on my long ears.”
“You did!” laughed Mary Frances. “Well, did you hear me promise to
give her some little helps in dressing her doll? I would dearly love
to make something for her doll―a dress, I think. She is just the
size of Mary Marie.”
“What’s her name?” asked Scissors Shears.
“The doll’s name, do you mean? Katy-did.”
[Illustration: “Good-afternoon, your Seamstress-ship”]
“Oh, bless my bill!
Oh, what a name!
If Katy-did―
It is a shame,”
sang Sewing Bird.
[Illustration: “Katie-did what?”]
“Katy did what?” asked Scissors Shears, staring at Mary Frances.
“Katy-did Nice,” answered Mary Frances.
“You mean nicely, I think,” said Scissors Shears.
“No,” said Mary Frances. “Nice is Lottie’s last name. The whole name
of Lottie’s doll is―Katy-did Nice. Can’t I make her a dress?”
“Well,” answered Sewing Bird, slowly, “if you do, you may be asked
about us; and if you answer the question truly, we’ll never, never be
able to do anything more.”
“Never! Never!” exclaimed Mary Frances. “I’d rather never make the
dress for Katy-did Nice.”
“If you wait
And do not fret,
You’ll get your wishes
Even yet,”
sang Sewing Bird.
[Illustration: “Katie-did Nice”]
“Oh, thank you, dear Magic and Mystery,” said the little girl. “I
will be patient,―indeed I will!”
“Well, then,” said Fairy Lady, “here is to-day’s message, and gift
from the King of Thimble Land.”
Mary Frances took the package. It was tied with golden thread and
fastened with a sunbeam.
“Press the sunbeam,” smiled Fairy Lady, “and the package will open.”
Out fell
PATTERN 18.―DOLL’S AFTERNOON DRESS
See Insert VI
[Illustration: First tuck]
To Tuck Dress―
1. Cut the material twenty-four inches long, and eighteen inches
wide.
2. Find center by folding the goods crosswise. Crease.
3. Spread material open. Measure five and one-half inches down on
both sides of the crease.
Mark across the goods with pins―then with red bastings.
4. Fold material lengthwise. Crease well, between red bastings.
Spread the material open. Run a blue basting thread down this
center crease.
5. Measure three-quarter inch from the blue basting to the right,
_along the red bastings_. Mark with pins.
[Illustration: Mark tucks each side center basting]
6. Fold and crease from pin to pin, being careful to keep a straight
line.
7. Baste three-eighth of an inch from edge of fold, through the
double cloth.
8. Do same to left of center crease.
9. To make another tuck―Lay tuck already made, backward toward
center.
Then measure from edge of fold of tuck one and one-half inches, along
each red basting line. Mark with pins.
[Illustration: Cut four collar pieces]
10. Make new tuck in same way as first tuck.
There should be two tucks each side of center crease.
11. Stitch tucks along the basting lines.
NOTE.―When tucking is finished, compare it with the pinholes on
pattern.
ALL THESE TUCKS are laid and creased to the bottom of goods
before cutting out dress.
To Cut Out Dress―
1. Fold goods crosswise. Pin pattern in place, with edge having
double rings on the fold. Cut out.
2. With a pin, prick through the dotted belt lines.
3. Cut four collar pieces. Pin arrow (➸) edge of collar pattern
on a lengthwise edge of goods.
4. Cut two belts, with double rings on a lengthwise fold of
material.
5. Cut two sleeve-bands by sleeve-band pattern of Morning Dress
(Pattern 9).
[Illustration: Two tucks each side center]
6. To Cut Skirt Trimming Band.―Remove pattern from dress.
Spread open the skirt part. Lay it upon the plain trimming
material. Pin in place.
7. Cut off at edge of skirt. Make this band one and one-half inches
wide. Cut two such bands.
To Make Dress―
1. Join seams of skirt trimming-band.
2. Stitch sleeve-bands in place, as for Morning Dress.
3. Make placket and make button-holes, and sew on buttons.
4. Join underarm with French seams.
5. Face (right side of) bottom of dress with skirt trimming-band in
the following way:
“Facing” is making a false hem.
On the wrong side of the skirt, lay the skirt trimming-band with the
lower edge even with the bottom of the skirt.
Baste. Stitch one-quarter inch from edge.
[Illustration: Sew belt fast through a button]
6. Remove bastings. Turn band over to right side.
Crease along the seam. Baste along the seam.
Turn in edge of trimming-band (or facing) one-quarter inch.
Baste band flat against dress. Stitch (or hem) in place.
7. Make each belt in same way as belt for rompers.
8. Make two collars in same way as collar for fur-lined cape.
Pattern 17.
9. Sew collars fast to dress, first pinning notch to the
fold-crease of the shoulder at the neck.
Attach collars to dress in same way as underwaist to flannel
petticoat.
[Illustration: Lay edge of skirt on trimming band]
10. Pin belts in place shown on pattern. Fasten each belt
in two places only. On the point, which lies over a plait, sew
belt fast, through a button.
These belts hold the fullness of the dress, under arms, in place.
_Best wishes to the little girl who “tries.”_
_King Thimble._
[Illustration: “Can you get along without our help?”]
“How beautiful!” exclaimed Mary Frances. “Please thank His Majesty,
dear Thimble People.”
“Can you get along without our help, please?” asked Scissors Shears.
“Well,” said Mary Frances, “the Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try, you
know,―”
“But,” said Scissors Shears, hopping up and down, “what I want to
know is,―can you cut all that without help? May I ask what goods you
will use for the afternoon dress?”
“This pretty red-dotted lawn,” said Mary Frances, “and this fine
white lawn for the guimpe!”
“Will you, may I ask, please,―will you leave the lawn and pattern on
the sewing table?”
“Oh, I know!” cried Mary Frances. “You want to help by cutting them
out, Scissors Shears―but I will do my own _making_,―thank you.”
[Illustration: “How beautiful!”]
When the afternoon dress was finished, Mary Frances slipped it on
Mary Marie, sat her in her rocking chair, then stepped outside, and
peeped in to see what the Thimble People would do. In a minute, they
gathered in a circle around the pretty doll, and began singing:
“Proudie! Proudie!
Aren’t you a little Proudie!
Proudie! Proudie!
Aren’t you a little Proudie!”
Mary Marie looked pleased, but couldn’t say a word.
[Illustration: Proudie! Proudie!
Aren’t you a little Proudie!”]
[Illustration: CHAPTER XXVIII]