JIM’S OVERALLS
“Look out or you’ll tear your clothes!” cried Margaret to her brother
Jim one day as they climbed through a barbed-wire fence out in the
fields.
They were visiting Auntie’s farm. It was great fun to go swimming, hunt
eggs, feed chickens, ride on top of the big hay-loads and just be
outdoors all the time. Both children had exactly the right clothes for
such good times—middy and bloomers for Margaret, blouse and overalls for
Jim. Besides these, not much else was needed, for Auntie let them run
barefoot most of the time.
“Oh, pshaw! now I’ve done it! Ouch! I’m caught!” the next minute Jim
cried out to his sister, who was herself clambering very carefully over
the wire so the sharp little barbs would do no damage.
[Illustration: “Ouch! I’m caught”]
“Wait! I’ll get you loose!” Margaret exclaimed coming to his rescue.
With pulling and tugging he was soon free, but a big ugly hole was torn
in the seat of his overalls.
“Would you look at that! And the last clean ones I have, too,” Jim said
in despair. It certainly was a sad accident, for this was their last day
on the farm and there were lots of things to do for the last time.
“Never mind. I’ll mend them for you,” Margaret said. “Jump into your
bathing-suit and while you’re taking a swim I’ll be mending these. Boys
certainly are a care,” she said to herself with a sigh on her way up to
her room. But in her heart she was really quite delighted at the chance
to show her sewing skill.
“Sir Bodkin!” she called when she was up-stairs in her bedroom. All the
One-Eyes were hiding in a pretty sewing-bag that she had made to carry
them in when travelling. She loosened the drawing-string and out popped
Sir Bodkin.
[Illustration]
“Well, well, I wondered when you’d be calling us out this trip,” he said
shaking himself and walking around the bureau-top to stretch his legs.
“What’s the trouble now? I s’pose it’s trouble or you wouldn’t be
needing us on a vacation,” he went on to say.
“Yes,” laughed Margaret, “it’s trouble and it needs to be doctored right
away.” She held up the torn overalls for him to see.
“Well, I should say so. Patching is the thing for that big tear. Take
your scissors and cut off the ragged edges to make the hole as round as
you can. Have you some of the same goods for a patch?” he asked.
“I think Auntie has. I’ll go see,” and Margaret ran off to inquire.
Sure enough, Auntie had something in her scrap-bag that would do very
well. Margaret ran back eager to begin patching.
[Illustration: Wrong side
First bastings]
[Illustration: Right side
Third basting]
“Cut a square piece, an inch and a half larger all around than the hole.
Baste this to the wrong side of the garment. Be sure the patch runs the
same way of the goods as the overalls,” said Sir Bodkin beckoning to
Baster, who was sticking his head out of the bag.
While he and Margaret were working Sir Bodkin sang:
“When the piece you attach
In making a patch,
Be sure you baste it firm.
Or while you sew,
Slipping ’round it will go
And all over the garment squirm.”
Margaret laughed at this song.
“Now on the wrong side turn in the four sides of the patch and baste
them down,” said the King.
They soon had this done.
“Snip the cloth all around the edge of the hole, turn it under and baste
it down to the patch. Do this on the right side,” said Sir Bodkin.
“Hemmer,” he called. She came and was harnessed with strong thread.
After that she neatly sewed down the edge of the hole to the patch on
the right side. Then she sewed the four edges of the patch to the
overalls on the wrong side.
“Be sure your steps are tiny and firm so the patch will stand wear,” the
King cautioned. Then as they worked he sang this song:
“The hemming must catch
The hole firm to the patch
So the edges will never rip out.
When patch edges you do
Hem them firmly, too,
And the patching will hold good and stout.”
When the patching was done, Margaret held up the mended overalls so Sir
Bodkin and his helpers could see.
“Good work,” said he proudly. “Looks as fine as a patch can. We don’t
use patches where they will show if we can help, for they aren’t very
pretty, but anything useful is not to be despised. They are very useful
on underwear, aprons, table-linen and bed-linen and many other things.”
[Illustration: Right side
Sewing edge of hole]
[Illustration: Wrong side
Sewing around patch]
Margaret was sorry to have to shut the King and his fairies away again
in her sewing-bag.
“It seems a shame to pull the string so tight but as Sir Bodkin says,
‘In summer we One-Eyes have to keep away from the damp or we’ll lose our
charming brightness.’”
Jim was delighted when he came back from his swim and saw his mended
overalls ready to put on.
“Some day I’ll do something for you,” he said, “for ‘One good turn
deserves another.’”
[Illustration]