Sewing pattern

“ The free edge of the facing should be turned
under a seam's width and, if necessary, stretched to fit the edge of the garment. If an invisible sewing is desired the turned-under edge of the facing is stitched close to the turning, not to the garment. It simply lies flat against the garment. It does away with the second sewing of the facing to the garment, a thing that few amateurs can do invisibly. ”

“ Stay-stitch around all the bias and curved edges as soon as you remove the pattern.
Remember to press as you sew. Press each seam as it is made. Pressing makes sewing easier and improves the looks of your dress.
Hem your dress on the sewing machine if it has a full gathered skirt or by hand on flared or straight skirts or on plain colored fabric. ”

“ TAILORS' TACKS are used in cutting out garments to mark seams, perforations, etc. They are used to give a clean exact line for the sewing. When laying out the pattern on the material cut the pieces, and then with a double thread mark all the perforations as directed in the pattern instructions. Baste through both thicknesses of the cloth, alternating one long and one short stitch. Leave the long stitches loose enough to form a loop under which a finger can be passed. ”

“ Fasten, by sewing through a bead, one end of each piece of ribbon to one side of the V-shaped neck opening, in the place shown by the pinholes in the pattern.
7. Fasten other end in same way, making the front neck opening one and one-quarter inches wide at the top, and three-quarters of an inch wide at the pointed end.
8. Join with French seam from notches to bottom of waist.
9. Hem armholes above the seams.
Gather across the shoulder fold, making the gathered goods measure one inch across. ”

“ Sew the hooks and eyes right through the lining allowing the stitches to go through to the right side so as to make the sewing strong and durable. Be careful in sewing on the hooks and eyes on the second side to have them exactly correspond in position to those of the opposite side. ”

“ A soft finish is much used on silk and wool materials and on velvet. For this soft finish turn under the seam allowance on the neck edge and cover it with seam-binding sewed on flat like a facing. No sewing should show on the outside. In silk and wool materials if there are seams or closing edges or embroidery or trimming of any sort, the inner edge of the seam binding may be tacked to the seam, closing edge, etc. ”

“ Hooks are sometimes caught into loops, but they are made directly on the material instead of sewed on the edge. The strands of thread, however, are not as loose as the buttonloops. The diagram (Figure 75) of the two loops will convey a clear idea of how the threads are spanned and covered.
The last step in sewing is cutting from a given pattern. An old garment that fits well, ripped apart makes an excellent pattern and requires very little fitting. Press the pieces before using them as a pattern. Lay the material so that the selvage runs lengthwise, that is, from head to foot. ”

“ A ROLLED SEAM is used in sheer materials where an unusually narrow joining is required, and the material is likely to ravel or fray. Hold the seam edges together and trim off all the ravelings. Begin at the right end and roll the edges tightly between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand keeping the edges rolled for about 11⁄2 inch ahead of the sewing. Whip the roll very close together making the stitches come under the roll and not through it. ”

“ When a surface is covered with couching, as in the seeding of the flower in the sampler, Illustration 46, the sewing down stitches make a pattern—all the plainer there, because the stitching is in a contrasting shade of colour. It is quite [124] permissible to call attention to the stitching if it suits your artistic purpose. To disguise it by sewing through the cord is not a workmanlike practice. A worker should frankly accept a method of work and get character out of it. ”

“ You will see how to apply this material when you take up blouses, dresses, pattern making and draping.
Lesson II shows the first steps in applying quick and efficient methods to sewing. It takes up the making of aprons and housedresses just to demonstrate several points in sewing. ”

“ Fig. 29B. The proper way to allow for piecinginch is for seams. Place this portion of the pattern on the goods. (See portion marked piecing in Diagram 29A.)
To Make a Plain Waistline Apron.—Join the piecing to the apron with a plain seam if the edges are selvedge. However, if either of the edges is raw, make a French seam. You will remember that the making of different seams was explained in Lesson I.
The next step in finishing the apron is hemming the sides. Here is a place where you can bring your sewing machine attachment in play. A narrow hemmer will turn the edge, neatly and quickly. ”

“ Trousers Pattern Book.
The filling stitch is similar to that used in hemming; the chief difference being in the direction given to the needle. In hemming, its point is directed outwards, or from the workman, but in filling it is directed inwards, or towards him, and in each should be a little, but only a little, slanted, in order to give the sewing a neat appearance. This stitch [218] is used for sewing on facings, and when made with neatness, and without showing itself much on the outer side of the cloth, is considered to be ornamental, as well as useful.
Whisk. Measure. Hard Brush. ”

“ The facing is generally used when the outline of the lower edge is curved or pointed so that it can not be turned up in a straight hem.
Draw the pull-thread in the lace where a curve requires a slight gathering to make it lie flat. The facing is cut to fit the outline of the lower edge and applied as a false hem, as shown in Illustration 314. When edging is used, it is basted to the bottom before the facing is added and all stitched in a seam together. Turn under the facing at the line of sewing, baste in position and stitch insertion from the right side. ”

“ The pattern should be one that extends well over the hips and heavy unbleached muslin may be used. After padding firmly, the front opening should be oversewed. Special care should be taken with shoulders and neck and the neck band should be carefully adjusted on the figure.
A padded sleeve lining is also very useful in making sleeves.
Dressmaking never should be begun until each needed article required for the work has been purchased. The sewing room should be in order; the machine well oiled and wiped before any work is undertaken. ”

“ Cut the material enough wider than the width desired for the finished ruche so that when the edges are turned over the raw edge will be included in the tuck sewing.
A PUFF TRIMMING (III. 335) is attractive made of any soft material. It may be corded with as many cords as you like.
A VARIATION OF PLAIN PUFFING is shown in Illustration 336. Two sizes of cords and two widths of puffings make a very attractive trimming. In cutting your strips of material for this puffing allow for the cords and for a seam along each edge. The strips
Ill. ”

“ When the threads are woven or laced together into cloth, the stronger threads run the length of the goods―they are the warp threads. The weaker, or woof threads, run crosswise of the goods.
“Good, now everything is prepared”
[Pg 93]
Chapter XIII
Making a Doll’s Apron “IN cutting any garment, wherever there will be a pull upon the goods, what threads should bear the strain?”
“The warp
threads”
“The warp threads,” answered Mary Frances, deeply interested.
“Good,” said Sewing Bird Fairy Lady, “the warp threads, or lengthwise of the goods. Now, we are ready for
Pattern 2.―Doll’s Apron
1. ”

“ Without ‛Magic and Mystery!’
Oh, woe! and more alases!”
“Magic and Mystery!” exclaimed Mary Frances standing in the doorway.
All the other Thimble People pretended to be asleep.
“Thank you, my dear!” exclaimed Sewing Bird Fairy Lady. “When they quarrel so, I cannot change from Sewing Bird into Fairy Lady without help,―but now,”―she added happily, “here is
Pattern 12.―Doll’s Lawn Petticoat
1. Cut a pattern of ordinary wrapping paper, making it twelve inches long, and five and one-half inches wide.
2. Mark on one end, two rings (oo) and an arrow (➸) .
3. To mark tuck―
“Thank you, my dear!” ”

“ There are several methods of getting the patterns to match in the sewing, but one of the best and surest we have seen, is to turn in the back just to the mark, and then lay it on the top of the sidebody, and so get it to exactly match every bar and cross bar, and when in that position, fell baste it from the outside, which will then leave a row of straight stitches on the wrong side, and which will clearly indicate the place where the seam must be sewn. ”

“ Smooth the seam underneath with the forefinger as you go, to make it lie quite flat. Beginners should flatten down the seam with their thimbles, or with the handle of the scissors, before they begin to hem, as the outer and wider edge is very apt to get pushed up and bulge over, in the sewing, which hides the stitches. ”

“ Fit into the hole, tack lightly in four places, turn, sew the cut edges together, taking stitches close and barely deep enough to hold. Turn every little while, smooth seam, and look for puckers; if any rip, sew over. Sewing done, press seam hard with the thimble on something flat, then turn and press on right side with the end of the thumb. Manipulate until the skin edges lie one against the other. Fur garments can be remodeled at home with just such sewing. ”

“ The operation is practically the same as that of tanning sealskins. The hair is, of course, left on the skin. When the skins are finally dry and worked to the required pliability, they are cut into shape for the various articles of apparel. The thread used in sewing is simply a strip of sinew of the proper size. The fibers are separated by splitting off a sufficient amount, and with the finger nail the strip is freed from all knots or smaller strands which would prevent drawing through the needle holes. ”

“ Point needle downward through hole to the right of hole from which the cotton hangs; under three threads: pull through.
4. Repeat to end of row. Fasten.”
“There!” said Mary Frances, finishing the row. “That seems like ‘two steps backward and one forward,’ or rather, ‘two forward and one backward.’”
“That’s about the way it is!” said Sewing Bird. “But half back-stitching and back-stitching are both very strong stitches. Why, when your grandma was little, she stitched all seams by hand. Sewing machines were a great cu-cur―”
“Curiosity,” smiled Mary Frances. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Fasten thread by several small stitches.
NOTE.―If thread is too short to finish button-holing, fasten it on wrong side of material. Enter the new thread on wrong side and bring thread through last button-hole purl, or twisted edge.
Aunt Maria gave Mary Frances these directions very slowly, making the little girl do each step as she explained.
[Pg 169]
“My,
that’s the
hardest
thing yet”
“No, not that way, child,” she would say. “Sit up straight; place both feet firmly on the floor; hold your sewing high; do not stoop over. That is the correct position while sewing. ”

“ But the sewing that is worth while cultivating now is the kind that can't be done by the machine but by the fingers of an artist. Embroidery and specialized dressmaking like that we've been talking about—those are the kinds of sewing that make you a craftswoman and an artist and not a drudge."
"You've stowed away all that your teacher has told you, I see." ”

“ Tucks are folds made on thin material for ornament, to shorten or to provide for lengthening a garment. If done by hand, a card measure is preferable to a tape measure for marking the space and width of the tucks. The folds should be creased to a thread, basted and sewed with a running stitch showing but little on the face, or stitched on the machine. Fine thread should be used.
SEAMS
A seam is the line of sewing that joins material; it may be plain or ornamental. The most important are the overhand, felled, French, slot, lapped, flannel, and beaded. ”

“ We shall sew ours by machine. The French seam is used on some garments made by hand. The first sewing (Fig. 54) , then, is a tiny row of running stitches, close to the basting. After the first sewing, the basting should be removed and the edges trimmed to a 1⁄8 inch seam. This must be done carefully. Then, turn the garment to the wrong side. Press and pinch the seams evenly so that the sewing of [88] the seam is exactly on top of the fold as you pinch it. Next, baste again 1⁄4 inch from edge, and sew the second time, by machine. This seam is often used on dainty handmade underwear. ”

“ The British sewers, with only a very few exceptions, have always joined plaits together by means of an overlap, that is, the head of one row covering the foot of another, thus, the needle passing through the plait just under the head, to make the stitch as little visible as possible, and through the foot close to the edge, so as to lay the plait as thinly as firm sewing would permit. ”

“ We shall learn how to sew on the lace insertion or edging. The girls who use lace may decide to have only the edging. If insertion or beading is used, too, it is sewed on first.
While we are waiting for the lace to come, we can prepare the edges of the neck and sleeves. If we use a French fell, the sewing will not show on the right side at all when the lace is entirely in place; besides, only one sewing is necessary for the hem and lace. This is how it is done ”