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New York:
Frederick A. Stokes Company, Publishers.
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A Word to the Grown-ups.
This book contains lessons in practically all the stitches used in
plain needlework, as well as the more useful of the fancy stitches.
Each article described and illustrated will be found to contain
instructions for some definite branch of sewing; and though all the
stitches required in making the article will not necessarily be
illustrated in that chapter, they will appear in other chapters, and
can easily be referred to, by aid of the comprehensive index.
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Things you can make for Yourself.
A Handy Work Apron.
If you are going to set to work to make some of the pretty articles
described in this little book, the little work apron shown in the
picture on this page is just the very thing you will need to put on
while you are sewing.
It has two deep pockets and two small ones, and you will be able to put
the silks and cottons necessary, for whatever it is you are making,
into these, so that they will be ready as you want to use them.
[Illustration: THIS HAS FOUR POCKETS]
You will find it is so handy, too, to have a pocket to slip your
scissors into after cutting your thread. You know what a nasty way they
have of slipping off your lap on to the floor. And then, when you pick
them up, it is quite likely that you get a little dust on your hands,
and this gets on to your pretty work and makes it look soiled.
Then, when your sewing time is ended for the day, how convenient it is
to be able to fold your work away in your little work apron, so that it
is kept well protected from any stray specks of dust, and will be quite
ready for you when next you want it.
So you see how this little apron is going to help you to keep your work
nice and clean, and I am sure you will want to make yourself one as
quickly as ever you can, so let us see how it is done.
You will only need 1 yard of material to make the apron, and this can
be white or coloured as you prefer. A soft linen or sateen would make
up well. For the featherstitching use coloured “Star Sylko” thread, as
this will wash without the colour running.
To cut out the apron, first measure off 4 inches of the material, and
cut across from selvedge to selvedge; this will form the band. The
piece used for the apron itself is 32 inches long and 20 inches wide,
and when you have cut this you will have a strip left for making the
small pockets, which should each be 6 inches square. To make the points
at the bottom of the pockets, fold each square right down the centre,
measure 1½ inches up the double cut edges, and cut off the corners on
the cross to the edge of the centre fold.
[Illustration: GATHERING, STROKING, AND PUTTING INTO A BAND.]
Now take the piece you have cut for the apron, and turn a quarter-inch
hem along both the sides and one of the ends of this strip, tack these
along carefully, and hem neatly. We give directions for tacking and
hemming on page 18.
To form the large double pocket, fold the hemmed end of the strip up 11
inches, and oversew the edges of the side hems together. Directions for
oversewing are given on page 28. Now place a tacking line right down
the centre of the pocket The small patch pockets should then be added.
Turn a quarter-inch hem along the top of each of these, and a single
narrow turning round the other edges. Hem one of these on to each side
of the large pocket, placing them about 3½ inches down from the top of
the large pocket, and 3 inches in from the side edges of the apron.
[Illustration: HOW THE FEATHER-STITCHING IS DONE.]
Now take the band strip, tack a single turning round all edges and
fold right along the centre. Gather the top of the apron, draw the
gathers up tightly (winding the thread round a pin so that it will be
ready when you want to let them out again), and carefully stroke down
each gathered stitch with your needle to make them set nicely. Now let
out the gathers until the apron is 13 inches wide, place the gathered
edge between the folded band, taking care that you get the centre of
the band and the centre of the apron together, and hem along each side
of the work. You will see that you have a little picture showing you
exactly how this should be done.
The open edges of the ends of the band should be oversewn together.
When you have finished sewing on your band you will need to put a
button on one end and to make a buttonhole in the other end. If you
are not quite sure how to make a buttonhole nicely you had better look
carefully at the illustrations showing how to do this.
First fold the end of the band, and cut your buttonhole through
the fold and exactly in a line with a thread of the material; the
buttonhole should be cut just large enough for you to put your button
through easily. Before you commence to work the buttonholes make a line
of running or “barring” stitches quite close to the edges, to hold them
evenly together, as shown in the first part of the little diagram;
the second part of the diagram shows another way of holding the edges
together by working overcasting stitches over the hole, but this way is
more often used when working on thicker materials. The third part of
the diagram shows a finished buttonhole, and you will see that one end
is worked round and the other square; the outside should be the round
one, and the inner end the square one.
[Illustration: THE “BARRING” OVERCASTING, AND THE FINISHED BUTTONHOLE.]
Now you are ready to commence to work the buttonhole. Thread a sewing
needle with white cotton (say No. 40), make a knot, and just to fasten
your thread to your work put your needle in on the wrong side just
below the running stitches, at the inner end of the buttonhole, picking
up one thickness of material only, and bring it out on the right side
of your work between the edges of the buttonhole.
[Illustration: MAKING A BUTTONHOLE.]
Buttonholes are always worked on the right side of the work, and are
worked from left to right. To make the first stitch (after fastening
your cotton on as above), place the needle downwards through the
buttonhole, and put it in just where you put it at first, only this
time right through both thicknesses of material.
When you have your needle in this position, place your cotton round it
exactly as the little illustration shows it placed, pull your needle
out, and you will find that you have made a knotted stitch, which
must be pulled up so that the knot comes right at the edge of the
buttonhole; this completes one stitch, and you must work a row of these
stitches right along, making the ends of the stitches even to a thread.
The round end is made in the same way that you do oversewing, and each
stitch must be made the same length as the buttonhole stitches, and
taken round to form a half-circle at the end of the hole; the lower
part of the little illustration shows how the needle is placed for this.
Work the second side in the same way as the first, then for the square
end take a couple of ordinary back stitches right over the entire width
of the worked buttonhole (from the lower edge of the stitches on one
side to the lower edge of the stitches on the other), and work a row
of buttonhole stitches across the end of the buttonhole, bringing the
knots just over the bar of stitches you have just made across. This
completes your buttonhole.
All that now remains to be done is the feather-stitching, and for the
little girl who has not attempted this stitch before, we are giving an
illustration showing exactly how it should be made.
This is worked from right to left. If you look carefully at the
illustration you will see that the thread is always brought round to
the front of the needle before making a stitch, and for the upper part
a small stitch is taken downwards towards you, and for the lower part
a stitch of the same length is taken turning upwards towards you. The
feather-stitching should be worked just over the hemming line, and
this will serve as a guide for keeping it straight; the bottom of the
top stitch should come just above the hemming line, and the top of the
lower stitch just below it. The illustration clearly shows where the
feather-stitching should be added.
You run and hem from right to left,
You buttonhole from left to right;
Your needle should be rather fine,
And never pull the thread too tight.
For Ribbons and Bows.
Isn’t it just too tiresome when you want a particular bow to wear with
a blouse, or a little lace collar that is just the right shape, and you
look in vain through the drawer where you keep knick-knacks of this
description. Then you know how the drawer gets all tumbled over, and
you have finally to seize a bow that isn’t a bit the one you wanted,
and rush off, to save being late for school. Have you ever been in
a fix like that? If you have, you know all about it, and it is all
the more annoying when you know all the time that the bow is there
somewhere.
Now what is really the trouble here? Why the fact of the matter is the
drawer is too big, and the little bow loses itself among the other
things in the drawer.
[Illustration: This is how the Box looks when it is closed.]
Now what you want is a little compartment where you can keep your bows
or collars (as the case may be) all to themselves. A cardboard box
inside the drawer won’t last any time. No; the better plan is to make
yourself a really pretty box, that can stand on your dressing-table.
You see the sweet one illustrated, don’t you? Well, it will be a very
simple matter for you to make one in the same way. The outside of this
one is covered with a pretty flowered cretonne, of which pink and
green are the principal colours, and it is lined with biscuit-coloured
sateen. But you would, of course, make your box in the colours that
will go best with your little bedroom. A flowered material is probably
nicest for the outside, though plain material could be used. In any
case, a deep cream is the best colour for the inside of the box.
To make a box the same size as the one here shown, you will want four
pieces of thin cardboard 6 inches long by 5½ inches wide for the
lid and bottom, four pieces 6 inches by 3 inches for the sides, and
four pieces 5½ inches by 3 inches for the ends. Then you will want
two pieces of cream sateen 7 inches by 6½ inches, and two pieces of
flowered cretonne the same size, two pieces of cream sateen and two
pieces of cretonne 7 inches by 4 inches, and two pieces each of sateen
and cretonne 6½ inches by 4 inches.
The first step is to cover the cardboard pieces. This must be done
very neatly. You will notice that the pieces of material are an inch
larger each way than the cardboard they are to cover. When you lay a
piece of cardboard on a piece of material there should be ½-inch of
material all round, outside the cardboard, for turning over. Crease it
over the edges of the cardboard all round, turning it in under again
at the corners, as you see in the little picture. Start by taking a
few stitches at the first corner, carry your needle on to the next
corner, and again take a few firm stitches. When you have done all the
corners, take a few long stitches from side to side, as you see in the
illustration, to keep it secure.
[Illustration: COVERING A SECTION OF CARDBOARD WITH MATERIAL.]
You must now sew the covered pieces together. Take a cretonne-covered
piece, place it against a sateen-covered piece of the same size, having
the turned-in sides together, and oversew neatly all round. Do this
with all the pieces. Now you have six neat little sections, each of
which is cream one side and coloured on the other.
Your next task is to oversew five of these sections together to make a
box. First sew the two side and two end pieces together, and then sew
the bottom piece to all four, taking care that all the cream sides are
inside and the coloured sides outside.
Before you sew the lid on, sew cord round all the edges with neat
stitches, as you see in the picture. Green cord was used for this box,
but you could use whatever colour goes best with your cretonne. Sew
cord also round the edge of the lid.
All that now remains to be done is to fasten the lid to the box. This
is done by oversewing on the inside the cord on one side of the box
to that on the lid. You have now got not only a useful receptacle for
your bows, etc., but a very pretty addition to your dressing-table. The
size given is a very useful one, but you are not bound to make it this
size if any other would suit your purpose better. For instance, if it
is to hold handkerchiefs, a box that is square would be a better shape.
But whatever size you decide on, see that each piece is cut and joined
evenly, as this is most essential if the box is to be really a success.
Such an Advantage!
My scissors used to run away;
My cotton lost itself;
My needlebook would never stay
Upon the mantel-shelf;
My thimble always would forget
To be where I could find it;
My button-box was quite upset
If no one stayed to mind it.
But now a work-bag I have made,
I’m saved no end of worry;
I find my cotton, tape and braid
Without the slightest flurry.