Jane Eayre Fryer

“ Pushing him aside, she said, “I can control him when I have my wand. If he’s ever rude, and you want me, say the magic verse I taught you.”
“Oh, thank you,” said Mary Frances, smiling to herself.
“I guess if I pulled his ears real hard, he’d be good anyhow,” she thought, “but I’ll not let Sewing Bird know. All rabbits are controlled by their ears, and I’m sure he looks more like a rabbit than any other animal I can think of.”
“Well,” smiled Fairy Lady, “we have the dolly’s laundry bag all cut out: now, to learn,
“Cut it out!” ”

“ Oh! Oh!” she cried. “I know, Nanny dear, I know! Mary Marie is my dear new dolly. I do wonder what she will be like! Isn’t Mother too sweet and kind!”
“There’s the postman,” said Grandma, all laughter and smiles. “I wonder if he―” but Mary Frances was already at the door.
“A letter
from
Father!”
“Surely enough,” she cried. “A letter from Father. I’ll read it to you, Grandma―” tearing open the envelope:
Dear Mary Frances:―
Mother bought for you to-day the prettiest doll in San Francisco, and she is going to send it by express, as soon as she gets some shopping done for the young lady. ”

“ Scissors.”
“Lend
yourself!”
“Come,” said Fairy Lady, “Miss Mary Frances, your Seamstress-ship, will you please begin to cut the goods?”
“Lend yourself!” whispered Tomato Pin Cushion to Scissors Shears.
“Tommy Pin Cushion, you’re stuck up!” clicked Scissors Shears, walking across the sewing table.
“I’ll cut by the pattern most carefully, dear Sewing Bird Lady,” said Mary Frances.
“Come,” taking Scissors Shears up quite carelessly. “Just like a grown up lady,” she thought as she cut out the little nightgown, and proudly held it up to the view of the Thimble People. ”

“ When Mary Frances opened her eyes, there sat the loveliest, sweetest little fairy lady on the edge of the table in place of Sewing Bird;―only Mary Frances noticed her lips looked very much like the bill of a bird. ”

“ Mary Frances suddenly exclaimed. “I’ve broken my thread. How do I join it?”
“I will show you this once,” said Fairy Lady. “You do it in very much the same way as in starting the work,” and she taught Mary Frances how to tuck both ends of thread under the hem.
“When you finish, just fasten the thread by taking two or three stitches in the fold. That’s a pretty good looking hem for the first real hem on muslin,” said Fairy Lady.
“Now, one-quarter of an inch above the hems, put in a row of running stitches,―with once in a while a back-stitch to strengthen it. This is called combination stitch.” ”

“ Very creditable, very creditable indeed, child! Such excellent stitches,” examining the little samplers, and finally the bath robe and kimono. “You certainly do take after me. To think that so spoiled a child should develop into such an excellent character! ‘Blood will tell!’ I’ve often said it―‘Blood will tell!’ What pretty material! By the way, child, where do you get the goods―if this is a secret?”
“Oh, Aunt Maria, Mother sent me this little trunk full of these pretty things; and this lovely, lovely doll, Mary Marie, to amuse myself with. ”

“ Lay edge of pattern on folded edge of lawn
[Pg 128]
“Lend myself,” said Scissors Shears. “Now I might lend some one else. I could lend Bod Kin, for instance.”
“Bod Kin!” exclaimed Mary Frances, catching the last words. “Is he a Thimble person?”
“Is he a
Thimble
person?”
“He was!” sighed Scissors Shears, letting several tears fall.
“But,” explained Fairy Lady, “one day he refused to do as the King commanded, and would not go through the muslin―so the King changed him into a blunt-nosed needle; and he has been compelled to be good ever since, even without his own consent.” ”

“ The fairies always help the people who try to do this.”
“What
twoddle-doddle!”
“Oh, pshaw!” exclaimed Scissors Shears in a cutting tone, “what twoddle-doddle! Even if I don’t make fine speeches, I know all about cutting.”
“Cut it out!” exclaimed Thimble, raising his sword-needle.
“Slang,” began Scissors Shears, crossly flapping his ears back; but Fairy Lady leaned forward in her chair, and, reaching out with her bodkin wand, touched him on the ear, and down he fell flat at her feet. ”

“ Fairy Lady smiled thoughtfully. “You might tell her you have a little friend who―”
“Excuse me―friends!” corrected Silver Thimble.
“‛Friends,’” repeated Fairy Lady, “who taught you a little about sewing. It would make your mother happy, I should think.”
“Yes!” nodded Mary Frances. “Of course, that’s right! And I will feel much nearer to my mother then, and can tell her some day. Do you know, Sewing Bird Fairy Lady―I would,―even as much as I love my dear Grandma,―I would be ex-ceed-ing-ly lonely without my Thimble People.”
“Lottie, who lives across the street,” she went on, “is lots of fun. ”

“ For example, Tommy Pin Cushion is a regular porcupine, and bristles right up instinctively at the least inkling of dislike. But if he knows you like him, he will roll over himself to help.
Another thing (and Mary Frances says to be very particular on this point) ―if any little girl, who really wishes to learn to sew, will follow the lessons exactly as given by the Thimble People, she can hardly fail to win the Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try for her very own. ”

“ I want to teach her to sew some day―may I, Fairy Lady?”
“Lottie is lots of fun”
[Pg 206]
“Oh, to be sure,” said Fairy Lady, “after you have finished with us.”
“But I don’t want you to be Never-Nevers!” said Mary Frances.
“Perhaps there’ll be a way,” suggested Fairy Lady.
“For
Billy”
“How delightful!” exclaimed Mary Frances. “Oh, I want to show you the pillow cover I bought to-day for Billy.”
“How lovely!” exclaimed Scissors Shears, Silver Thimble, Needle Book, Tommy Pin Cushion, and Emery Bag, all at once.
“Yes, isn’t it? Let me read you his letter:”
Woodcraft Camp. ”

“ Kimono, bloomers, little cap,
A nightie for her little nap;
A dress for morn, for afternoon,
A dress for parties, not too soon;
A little cape, a little bonnet―
Perhaps with roses fastened on it;―
A nice warm coat to keep from chill,
A dainty sack, in case she’s ill:
All this and more we’ll gladly teach,
If you will do and follow each―
will you?”
“I will,” laughed Mary Frances, “but each what?”
“Some underclothes”
[Pg 25]
“Each little lesson, one by one,
Then, after each hard stitch is done,
Remember―‘patience brings reward!’”
“What’s ‘patience’?” ”

“ As well as she?”
sang Sewing Bird.
“You are, dear Sewing Bird,” said Mary Frances. “Oh, dear little Sewing Bird, indeed, you are!”
“Good!” exclaimed Fairy Lady
[Pg 191]
Chapter XXIV
The White Pet
“WE’RE not through yet,―
There’s the white pet.
Let’s not forget―”
Sang
Sewing
Bird
“Oh, I know what the white pet is, Sewing Bird,” interrupted Emery Bag. “It’s a white mouse! One of my uncles had a whole side eaten out of him by one of those sweet pets. I won’t forget!”
“Oh, my! oh, me!
Let that be wrote,
A mouse is not
A petticoat!”
sang Sewing Bird. ”

“ We’ll make for a doll
We almost adore.”
“A pinafore”
“A pinafore!―Sewing Bird Lady,” exclaimed Mary Frances. “An apron for Mary Marie?”
“Yes,” smiled Fairy Lady, “a big apron which she can use as a dress until you make her some dresses―then she can use it as a ‘cover-me-up’ apron.”
“Oh, good!” said Mary Frances, “and, dear Fairy Lady, I want to tell you―I’ve a lovely surprise! My Aunt Maria is coming to see us.”
“Aunt Maria―oh, does she love sewing?” ”

“ Many of you already know Mary Frances’ old friends, the Kitchen People, and have learned to love them. I hope all of you will do so in time.
This book tells the story of Mary Frances’ new friends, the Thimble People, who helped her spend a delightful summer vacation at her Grandmother’s. It tells how she met Sewing Bird, who was a real Fairy Lady, and the other Thimble People; and how they taught her a lot of fascinating secrets, and finally took her on a long journey to Thimble Land, and brought her back safely, after the most marvelous adventures. ”

“ No doll is glad without fine clothes.”
“Angie’s terribly cross”
[Pg 126]
“Thank you, Magic and Mystery,” said Mary Frances.
“And,” smiled Fairy Lady, “the Thimble People have been quite busy since last lesson―see?” She pulled from under the cushion of the doll’s chair a paper pattern.
“Oh, how lovely!” exclaimed Mary Frances, clapping her hands. “A real pattern just such as Mother uses when she makes my dresses? What is this pattern to be used for?”
“For a dolly’s nightgown,” replied Fairy Lady, smiling happily. ”

“ We think
or see”
“But you will finish them quite soon,” said Fairy Lady, “I feel certain.”
“You do believe in me, dear little Lady,” said Mary Frances.
“Faith in us
Makes us do, and be,
Far better than
We think or see,”
sang Sewing Bird.
“If she doesn’t get them done soon, Mary Marie will lose her bath,” whispered Tommy Pin Cushion, giggling, and he began to recite,―
“Oh, Missy, may I go in to swim? ”

“ The soft cotton is the warm coat for the cotton plant seed-baby. The fleecy wool is the warm coat of the sheep, or the little lambs. The web from the silk worm’s cocoon is the cradle in which it sleeps. Linen is made from the stalks of the flax plant.
When these materials are spun, or twisted, into long threads, we have spool cotton and silk, wool yarns, and linen thread, for sewing. ”

“ Fatty,” began Scissors Shears, “You―” then, seeing Mary Frances’ look, he added lamely, “Pretty is as pretty does, and beauty is only skin-deep. If you lost your skin, Tommy, we’d knock all the stuffin’s out o’ you!”
“Just be her own sweet self”
[Pg 226]
“Hush!”
whispered
Sewing
Bird
“Hush!” whispered Sewing Bird,
“Now, let’s to work,
Now, let’s not shirk,
But sew with purpose hearty!
With love and fun,
Work is begun
On the dress for dolly’s party!”
“Oh, thank you,” exclaimed Mary Frances, opening Mary Marie’s trunk. “What shall we use, Magic and Mystery?” ”

“ I know you can―for what are miles to us whose love for each other flies through space?
Your loving Mother.
P. S.―Thank you so much for the picture of Jubey.
With
Angie asleep
in her
arms
“My, I feel better,” said Mary Frances, drying her tears. “But if it weren’t for my sewing lessons, even with Grandma’s help, I’d not be a Scout. Billy is a good Scout:―but now,―for the lesson,” and she went to the sewing-room very softly, with Angie asleep in her arms.
“Hee-ha!” she heard through the door, which was a very tiny way open, “that’s the time!”
She thought it was the voice of Silver Thimble. ”

“ He sang so loud on every note.
“‘Music has charm to soothe, I believe,
The wild instincts that in me breathe.
How horrible your lonely fate,
To be behind that golden gate.
If I for you undo the bars,
Perhaps you’ll soar beyond the stars.
Where go birds-souls―I really wonder―
It makes me sit and sit and ponder. ”

“ It never pays to lay anything down out of place. Here are needles and pins, scissors and needle-book, emery bag, and what not―tumbled over the table, and the work basket on its side! You’ll learn better, though, child. ”

“ Seam
1. Put the wrong sides of two pieces of goods against each other.
2. Baste about one-eighth of an inch from edge.
3. Sew with running stitch near the basting. Remove basting.
4. Turn the goods the other side out, and baste so as to enclose the seam.
5. Stitch with half-backstitching.
“Now, let us see what the nightgown looks like?” Mary Frances held it up.
“Good!” said the Fairy Lady. “Next you’ll learn
To Make Doll’s Nightgown.― (Pattern 4.)
1. Fold the two long halves together, and pin the notches against each other.
2. Baste carefully along this edge, and try on dolly. ”

“ Then sew by overhanding stitch, some Valenciennes lace in neck and sleeves. Join ends of the lace by a fell.
Thread
Bod Kin
with
ribbon
“Is that right?” asked Mary Frances at length.
“Good,” smiled Fairy Lady. “Now thread Bod Kin with the pretty baby ribbon, and run it in and out of the lace beading.”
“Not your fairy wand!” exclaimed Mary Frances, hesitating to take hold of the bodkin wand Fairy Lady was holding out to her.
“For those who try,” smiled Fairy Lady, “no gift of the fairies is too good. ”

“ Fold back the bonnet band through the middle. (See dotted line on pattern.)
“My dear Thimble People!” exclaimed Mary Frances, after working a long while with the Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try. “Never did a child have such lovely friends―never! Look at this dear little coat!”
“We love all children who are patient, and try to do their best!” smiled Fairy Lady. “So many are forgetful, or impolite and impatient.”
“I’m afraid I’m sometimes all of those,” said Mary Frances.
“But in your very down-deep heart,
You never think the things that smart ”

“ Wind thread around stitches
[Pg 162]
“Oh, dear Aunt Maria, how perfectly grand!” kissing the old lady again and again. “Have you had lunch? Grandma always takes an outing on Wednesday afternoons, and she’ll be so sorry not to be home to welcome you!”
“But I feel very welcome,” laughed Aunt Maria, “and I have had lunch, thank you, my dear.”
“Then you can come right up-stairs,” said Mary Frances, leading the way to the guest-room. ”

“ To turn a corner, measure the width of the lace, and allow twice the width, and pin a quarter of an inch beyond the corner. Overhand around the corner. Finish and allow one-half an inch on end of lace beyond sewing. Cut off.
NOTE.―Valenciennes Lace has a heavy thread woven in the top on which the fullness may be drawn. A gathering thread should be run in lace without such a thread.
4. To join the ends of lace you must learn about making a fell.
Sewing on Lace Edging
[Pg 121]
“What is a fell?” asked Tommy Pin Cushion.
“A fell’s a fellow,” solemnly declared Scissors Shears. ”