THE CREWEL ONE
[Illustration]
Margaret had finished her doll’s dress as far as the plain sewing and
was now ready to call Sir Bodkin to help her trim it with fancy
stitching.
She took from her work-basket the pincushion, where they all were
resting, and softly called his name as she placed it on her table. The
King stepped out, made a very low bow and climbed up to Margaret’s hand
and stood there.
“Here I am right on the job,” he said proudly. “What are your commands
for to-day, My Lady Dear?”
[Illustration]
“Don’t you remember you were to tell me how to do the fancy stitching on
my doll’s dress for trimming?” Margaret replied.
“To be sure. That I will gladly,” he answered. “All out, everybody!” he
then called to his subjects.
The One-Eyed Fairies rushed out pell-mell, some from the needle-book and
others from the pincushion. They all met on the table-top and danced
joyfully, then stood in a straight line, waiting for orders. Sir Bodkin,
from his perch on Margaret’s hand, looked them over to see which one
should be called to help.
“Come here, you Crewel One,” the King called. A very big-eyed fairy with
a sharp toe stepped forward.
“He’s not really cruel, My Lady, just a fancy-acting fellow. He’s an
artist,” Sir Bodkin explained to his mistress.
“Tell, sir, what you can do to make the world beautiful!” he then said
to Crewel, who began to sing this song:
“I weave the woolen threads so bright,
And silk and cotton, too.
All in and out and ’round about
To make the pattern true;
A pretty trimming on your dress,
Your rompers or your smock,
I also make the blanket-stitch
For edging ’round your frock.”
“That’s the very thing for this dress!” exclaimed Margaret clapping her
hands. “Oh, let’s begin, dear Crewel. I’ve some lovely pink wool thread
here in my knitting-bag.”
She cut a length of the yarn and Sir Bodkin showed her how to loop it
around Crewel’s head and then squeeze it between her thumb and
forefinger so it would slip easily into his big eye. Crewel stepped on
the back of the dress at the left side of the neck. He took two tiny
back steps on the wrong side to fasten the thread. Margaret held the
edge of the neckline over her left forefinger and held the thread down
with her left thumb, so Crewel could slip over it when making the
blanket-stitch. He then sang as they worked:
“Back from the edge
I step in, you know,
Towards you, ’neath the edge,
I stick out my toe.
Then I slide o’er the thread
You are holding for me;
Blanket-stitching is pretty,
Quite easy, you see.”
[Illustration: Blanket-stitch]
They stitched from left to right, all around the neckline of the dress,
fastening the thread securely at the end. Then stitched around each
sleeve edge in turn the same way. The blanket-stitches made a pretty
finish to hold the hems around the neck and sleeves and also made a nice
firm edge.
It was great fun holding the thread while Crewel jumped through the
cloth, stuck his toe out under the edge and over the thread.
“It’s just like jumping rope,” said Margaret, “and how fast it goes,
too!”
“You have to be careful to take even jumps from one stitch to the
other,” said the King, “or it won’t look so pretty. If you wish, My
Lady, you can make a different pattern by varying the length of the
stitches.”
“It’s been great fun. Now my doll’s dress is trimmed. Thank you so much,
dear Crewel,” said Margaret as she snipped the last thread.
[Illustration: “Blanket-stitching is pretty
Quite easy you see”]
That graceful fellow bowed and sang:
“You’re very welcome, Lady Dear,
’Tis fun for me, you know;
And while I’m skipping in and out,
You’re learning how to sew!”
[Illustration]
Sir Bodkin looked very happy and very proud of his artistic subject.
The Crewel One stepped to the table and into the tomato pincushion. In
his eye was hanging some of the pink wool thread.
“To fasten your doll’s dress at the back, I would suggest that you use
ties of ribbon or of the wool thread,” said Sir Bodkin. “Which do you
prefer, My Lady?”
“I think tie-strings of the wool thread would be pretty,” replied
Margaret.
“Then cut two lengths, long enough to tie in a bow, and fasten an end of
each to each side of the neck at the back,” Sir Bodkin said.
[Illustration]
Margaret measured the thread, put each strand separately in Crewel’s
eye, then he sewed each piece securely to the dress. Margaret slipped
the finished dress on her doll, tied the strings, and held her up to be
admired.
The little One-Eyed Fairies looked very much pleased. Margaret thanked
them and pulled all the threads out of their eyes so they could rest
better in the needle-book, in the work-basket.
When they were out of sight, Sir Bodkin, too, waved a fond farewell and
disappeared.