RICKRACK TRIMMING
[Illustration]
Sir Bodkin looked quite sad as he stood on Margaret’s table.
“It’s been a long time since she called me to help her,” he said to
himself.
Just then Margaret came into the room. She was carrying something over
her arm made of blue chambray material.
“Sir Bodkin!” she called. “Oh, there you are, you dear little man!” she
cried spying him standing on the table.
“You’ve not forgotten us, My Lady?” he said brightening.
“Of course not, you queer little man, I need your help this minute.”
“Oh, that’s good news,” said Sir Bodkin looking quite himself again.
“Mother has cut out the duckiest apron and cap for me to wear when I
cook and do housework. The hems on the edges must be sewed and then
trimmed some way. Thought you could tell me how,” explained Margaret.
Sir Bodkin was so happy he called his One-Eyed Fairies from the
work-basket to sing and dance on the table.
[Illustration]
“Come one, come all,
Both great and small
And dance on Margaret’s table.
All merry be,
And glad and free,
And sing if you are able,”
cried their King.
“The dear little things,” thought Margaret to herself.
“Now,” said Sir Bodkin when the dance and frolic was ended, “let’s get
to work.”
“I’ve turned all the hems around the apron edge, the neck, pocket-tops,
and cap edge,” said Margaret.
“Fine! We can baste them. That will give Baster something to do,” Sir
Bodkin said calling his jolly subject from the needle-book.
Margaret harnessed him and he stepped along all the tiny hems with quick
small steps.
“What kind of trimming do you fancy on your apron and cap?” asked the
King.
“That’s just what I want you to help me decide,” said Margaret.
“You could put some kind of stitches for edging, but I think rickrack
braid would be pretty. It would also hold down the hems with one
sewing,” he told Margaret.
[Illustration]
“Then let’s use that. I think it would be lovely. I’ll ask Mother if she
has any,” she cried and ran off to see.
When she came back she had a little package in her hand done up in shiny
paper.
“Now we’re ready,” said Sir Bodkin. “Begin at one side of the apron,
hold the wrong side next to you. Place the braid on the hem so the
points will peep out on the right side and make an even edge. Put the
braid all around the outside edge of the apron, then you can do all the
other edges and the edge of your cap. Be careful to join all ends neatly
where they meet.”
“Oh, don’t the points look pretty peeping out on the right side!” cried
Margaret as she and Baster stepped the braid on. It took time and pains
to baste it all on neatly and join the ends carefully.
[Illustration: Wrong side
Right side
Sewing on rickrack]
“Deary me, how slowly we sew ’cause the thread snarls so!” exclaimed
Margaret.
“You must have a lazy man’s thread,” replied Sir Bodkin laughing.
“What kind is that?” asked Margaret looking up in surprise.
“One that’s too long. Longer than arm’s length. You might think it
easier to use one, and that you could sew faster. But you can’t. It
takes longer to pull it through every time and it’s sure to get snarled
and knotted. A short thread is better,” said Sir Bodkin. “Did you ever
hear the story of the tailor’s daughter?”
[Illustration]
“No,” said Margaret, “tell it to me.”
“Well,” began the King, seating himself on a spool of thread as they
worked, “it was this way: Once upon a time there was an old tailor who
had a very beautiful daughter. He also had in his shop two young tailors
working for him. Now both these young tailors loved the daughter and
wanted to marry her. So each one asked the father for her hand. They
were both good and the old tailor couldn’t choose between them. So he
said: ‘The one who can make a suit of clothes first shall have her.’
[Illustration]
“Each at once set to work on a suit of clothes and the beautiful
daughter threaded their needles for them. Now one of the two young
tailors was the daughter’s favorite. Of course she wanted him to get
through first. So she threaded the other one’s needles with great long
threads which made him sew very slowly. But she threaded with short
threads the needles of the one she loved, and he sewed so fast that he
got through first. So he won the beautiful daughter’s hand in marriage
and they lived happily ever afterward.”
“Oh, I’m so glad!” cried Margaret who dearly loved a story. “That is a
lovely story, Sir Bodkin.”
“I like it quite well myself,” he replied getting up and looking at the
work cap which Margaret was about to trim with the rickrack braid.
“How does your cap go on your head, My Lady?” he asked.
“It has an elastic in the casing and is just a plain round cap,”
answered Margaret.
“The frill falling around your face will look very sweet with these
little white points on it,” Sir Bodkin said looking admiringly at his
little mistress. “In fact you’ll look like a princess and you are one,
anyway, for:
“No queen or princess holds more sway,
Or has more subjects loving,
Than she who makes the home more gay
And daily tasks is doing.
Now any child with loving heart
And willing hands, though royal,
May find a kingdom right at home
With subjects fond and loyal.”
[Illustration: “I’ll need to wear my apron gay”]
“Do you really think that!” cried Margaret delightedly, with a tiny lump
in her throat.
“Yes, My Lady,” he answered.
“Well, this braid is all basted on now,” she soon told him.
“Runner can step it down for you or it can be sewed on the machine, just
as you say,” said the King.
“I think the machine would be stronger for the wash-tub, don’t you?” she
asked him.
“Perhaps it would,” said Sir Bodkin.
“There is another set to do to-morrow and it is just like this one only
pink. Then I’ll have two,” Margaret said happily.
“My Lady will be a regular little housewife, soon,” smiled the King.
“Yes, I want to be one,” Margaret said putting Baster in the pincushion,
“and when I help Mother after school I’ll slip on my apron to keep my
dress neat, for:
“Spots are ugly things to see
On clothes that should so dainty be.
When I help Mother every day,
I’ll need to wear my apron gay.”