Overflowing with humour, bubbling with smiles, yet never
out of sound of the soughing of the pines, the scold of the
squirrel, the call of the birds, and the delicious pungent
scent of wood-smoke. Books to laugh over, to think over, and
to be thankful for.
The Art of Blouse Making.
With an up-to-date pattern and good material, the making of one’s own
blouses is but a delightful pastime, as well as a very profitable one.
The material for the blouse shown here cost very little, just a few
shillings would, in fact, pay for the paper pattern, two yards of the
material, a dozen little bone rings and two yards of narrow velvet
ribbon for the lacings, but the cost of a similar blouse ready-made
would be at least four times as much.
The various pieces were all cut out by a paper pattern, which was
pinned on the material, and on which there was an allowance of a
quarter inch margin. The collar, cuffs, and yoke were cut double. The
last three items had their edges all turned inwards, to the depth of
the margin allowed, then both pieces of each were tacked together with
their edges perfectly even.
The little turned back cuff had the two pieces stitched together on the
wrong side on the outer edge and sides, then turned inside out and the
edges tacked flat. The inside edge was tacked in between the two pieces
of the large cuff and secured with a row of stitching.
[Illustration: The Blouse is fastened with eyelet holes and ribbon
velvet.]
The sleeves were joined with a French seam, then both ends were turned
into a narrow hem, which was tacked carefully. The edge at the lower
end was gathered to fit the cuff with top stitch set evenly, and for
this the same kind of thread as used in the faggoting was employed.
The fronts had the edges cased with a piece of the material for a depth
of two inches. The back was joined to the fronts in the underarm seam
by a French seam as in the sleeve, then the entire top portion of back
and front and the armholes were turned into a narrow hem, and tacked
securely, the front edges gathered as in the sleeve, to fit the yoke.
Narrow strips of stiff paper were tacked underneath the lines where the
different parts were to be joined, and then the faggoting was commenced
by beginning at the right front edge, as shown on this page.
Bring out the thread through the edge of the yoke, carry it down in a
straight line to top front edge, and insert the needle down through the
material, bring it out above the stitch just formed, which you draw up
evenly, now repeat this stitch through the edge of the yoke one-eighth
of an inch from the first stitch, and so on from one side to the other.
Make all joining in the thread on the back of the hem.
When the faggoting is finished, the hems are worked with a row of stem
stitch, which keeps them in place and gives a neat finish.
The eyelet holes were next worked, and the method is shown in the
diagram. Quarter-inch bone rings are used. Place each in position
on the material and tack around, then work over in close buttonhole
stitch, having the top of the stitches resting on the material. The
centre of the eyelet hole is cut away on the back. The front and cuffs
are laced through these holes, which are set opposite each other, with
narrow velvet.
At the waist line there is a narrow casing of muslin on the inside,
to take the tape, tie-string or elastic, and the lower end is neatly
hemmed. The edges of the collar, cuffs, etc., may have a row of
machine, or hand stitching on the right side, or they may be joined by
stitching on the wrong side and then turned out.
[Illustration: This shows the method of faggoting, the stem-stitched
hem, and the raised eyelet hole.]
Decorative Stitches for Children’s Clothes.
How to decorate the simple garments made at home is a question one
frequently meets.
[Illustration: SOME PRETTY EFFECTS IN TACKING STITCH.]
Children’s overalls and frocks, little boys’ tunics, and blouses for
the elder girls, usually need some trimming or decoration, and it is
often difficult to find just the right kind. This is especially the
case with coloured garments, and those for which lace is unsuitable.
Many people like a little embroidery, but it is not always easy to get
an entirely suitable pattern. Some require more time than the home
worker is able to give, and some are more elaborate than is desirable
for the garment.
A simple kind of stitchery is usually resorted to, and very often meets
the case, and one may see little frocks and tunics of inexpensive
materials, with quite a note of distinction given by the pretty
stitching on the hems and bands.
The favourite and most frequently seen among the stitches so used, are
the French knot, stem stitch and feather stitch. It is with the idea
of suggesting other stitches and arrangements, that these diagrams
and illustrations are given, and with attention to a very few simple
directions, the most diffident worker may be sure of a good result.
One feature of decorative stitchery of this kind, is that it may also
be constructional, that is, that where a hem is to be decorated, it
need not first be stitched with the machine, the decoration does the
work of the machine. This point is not always realised by the home
worker, who usually makes the garment with the sewing machine, and then
proceeds to decorate it, adding French knots and perhaps stem stitch to
hide the machining.
Some machining is often necessary, but much can be dispensed with,
without detriment to the garment, and this makes it possible to do, at
any rate, part of the home dressmaking, away from the noise and busy
atmosphere almost inseparable from a room dominated by a sewing machine.
[Illustration: EFFECTIVE BORDERS FOR CHILDREN’S FROCKS.]
In making a little magyar overall, like that illustrated, for instance,
the side seams and opening may be sewn with a machine, the hems and
neck prepared as if for machining, and then the decoration applied.
The home worker, whose husband has a rooted objection to having a
sewing machine at work when he comes home in the evening, cuts out and
machines part of her work during the day, and has only the pleasant
part to do by hand in the evening, while she is free to talk, or listen
to the day’s news.
[Sidenote: The Belt and Sleeves.]
The value of the simple tacking stitch as a trimming is not fully
realised. On another page are shown some very distinctive effects
in this stitch, and in the frock illustrated the stitch is used in
conjunction with the Y stitch which is shown and described.
The worker who has not yet used the tacking stitch as a decorative
stitch must be careful on a few points, however. The stitch must not be
too long, and the length and spacing must be as even as possible.
A novice might make an experiment on a little garment of brown calico,
holland or écru-coloured casement cloth.
[Illustration: HOW THE HEM AND SLEEVES ARE FINISHED.]
[Illustration: THE STITCHES USED FOR THE BELT OF THE CHILD’S FROCK.]
Turn up the hems on the _right_ side of the garment, and with
turkey-red embroidery cotton of medium thickness, make the first row
of tacking about where the hem would be machined. The first row is the
most important and needs the most care.
[Illustration: To show method of working.
Y stitch.