Chapter VI: A Lesson in Stencilling 74 (2)

Tailors run two or three strands at the base of the buttonhole before working the nine stitches. The stitches are not taken through the material but only over the threads.

A buttonhole is fastened off on the wrong side at the base of the stitch.

The most important step is to cut the buttonhole straight. The buttonhole should be a trifle longer than the button. It should be cut in the opposite direction to which the strain will be. For instance on the back of the waist the buttonholes should run crosswise, for the movement of the shoulders spreads the buttonhole lengthwise. On the bands around the waist buttonholes are made lengthwise.

A sharp pair of scissors or a penknife should be used for cutting the holes. Insert the point of the scissors or knife through the centre of the buttonhole. Cut one side, then the other, along a thread of the material.

The thread is fastened securely on the wrong side of the left-hand corner. Use No. 40 sewing cotton for buttonholes, unless on very fine material, when No. 60 should be used. Sometimes it is well to over-cast the raw edges before working the buttonhole. A thread should always start at the extreme lower left-hand corner.

The backs of yokes should be fastened with loops and fine buttons. To make a loop, span the thread across the edge of the material in a loop large enough to slip the button through. Let the last stitch be on the right-hand side. Now place the threaded needle under the strands of thread letting the thread fall under the point of the needle. Repeat in this manner till the strands are entirely covered. The ridge or purled edge of this stitch will be on the outside of the loop.

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. Only one half of the garment is necessary for a pattern, as the material is doubled or folded lengthwise (Figure 76). The centre front of the skirt or waist is always placed on the fold of the material and either basted or pinned down before cutting.

Collars, cuffs, bands, and sleeves are cut with the selvage running their length. Cut any part of a garment such as sleeves, waist, or skirt through two thicknesses of material so that both sides will be exactly alike. This does not refer to the front gore of a skirt. When the material has a right and wrong side the right sides should face each other before cutting the pattern.

Handkerchiefs or frills should be cut along a thread so that the edges may be perfectly straight.

Be sure that the material lies perfectly flat under the pattern. Pin the centre first to keep it from slipping before pinning the edges. Pin the entire garment before cutting anything, so that you can be sure that your material will be sufficient. This also gives you an opportunity to see where to put the smaller pieces and economize with the material.

A large pair of scissors should be used in cutting. The blunt-pointed blade is next to the board or table. It is well to practise on paper and plan the pattern before using the pattern on the cloth.

Bias bands should be cut on the bias of the material. Cut a square piece of material and fold it cat-a-corner. Cut along the fold and you will get a true bias.

Bands to finish the necks of undergarments or around armholes should be cut on the bias. In fact, any curved edge that has to be faced should be faced with a bias instead of a straight band.

Now suppose we make a real dress for Sally Ann that will be put together and finished just like one of your own dresses. The style we will select will be on the order of a French dress, that is, a long waist and short skirt. The pattern for the waist is in seven parts: they are the front, side front, back, side back, sleeve, collar, and cuff. The skirt is only one piece.

Three quarters of a yard of material will be sufficient to make a dress for a doll from eighteen to twenty inches in height.

In all patterns that are bought only one half is given; sometimes all the seams--which are a very important part of a dress--are given and sometimes they are omitted. Any pattern that is published by a reliable firm tells on the envelope whether you should allow for the seams or not.

The pattern is usually of tissue paper and each piece has perforations or holes of different shapes. One shape means this side must be placed on the fold of the material, another shape or perforation the same shape only grouped differently, means that the pattern should be placed on a straight thread of the material. Still another means "gather here." If there are tucks in the pattern they are usually indicated. Where the seams join each other, little notches are made and corresponding notches are placed together and pinned after the pattern is cut.

Let us suppose the material is forty-five inches wide. Place the centre of the skirt on the fold of the material and pin in place. Your pattern should be planned and pinned on a flat surface such as a sewing table. Place the pins through the tissue pattern and both thicknesses of the material, letting the head and the point of the pin be visible to the eye. Do not cut any piece of your pattern until you have planned and pinned every piece, as that is the only way you can economize on your material (Figure 77). Often a pattern cut before each piece is planned comes to grief if an over-supply of material has not been provided.

The centre front is also placed on the fold of the material as well as the centre, back and collar. The sleeves are now fitted in, so that the perforations rest on the straight thread of the material. The side front and back and cuffs are also pinned to the material. The pattern now pinned, take a large pair of cutting scissors and holding the blunt part toward the table, cut close to the tissue pattern, or if no seams are allowed, the width stated in directions should be allowed for the seams.

Let us make the sleeve first. Take one sleeve and holding with the right side join notches together (Figure 78). Baste the sleeves up on the seams one eighth of an inch from the edge. When the basting is finished make a row of fine running stitches. Turn the sleeves on the wrong side and baste them before working the combination stitches. The sleeves are now ready to be banded. The band is taken and sewed on the short side. The seaming is taken on the wrong side of the material. A little seam is taken on each of the long sides of the cuff. Fold the cuff in half. The turns or folds are opened out and now turn the cuff inside out. Run a gathering thread at the lower edge of the main part of the sleeves starting the thread one half inch from each side of the seam. Place the cuff around the sleeve so that cuff seam rests on the seam of the sleeve. Pin into position. It will probably be necessary to pull or adjust the gathering thread so that the lower part of the sleeve be just the size of the cuff. Baste the band on after it has been pinned satisfactorily before working the combination stitch.

Turn the sleeve inside out and fold the cuff in the creases. Hem the inner side of the cuff to the wrong side of the sleeve. On the upper side of the sleeves run another gathering thread about one inch and a half from the seam (Figure 79). We have now finished with the sleeve until the waist proper is ready.

Now take the centre back and side back and baste them together. Join the pieces so that the notches correspond. Work the combination stitch three eighths of an inch from the edge. The side fronts are joined to the backs under the arm and on the shoulders. The front is then sewed to the right side of the waist only. It will be necessary to face the centre front piece and the left side front. Take a bias strip of material not more than three quarters of an inch wide and fold an eighth of an inch on each side of this strip. Join the shoulder seams together, one side of the back to the right side of the front and the other side to back. Sew with combination stitches, then make a felled seam as explained for the sleeve. Baste the turned fold to the right-hand side of the waist by opening out creased side and placing the two right sides together and stitching one eighth of an inch from the edge. Turn the bias over to the wrong side of the waist and slip stitch. Slip stitching, as I have explained before, is somewhat like hemming; only the stitches are taken back of the folded edge and catch one thread only of the material.

The other bias band is basted in like manner to the left-hand side of the waist.

The sleeves are ready to be put in. Measure one and one quarter inches from the under arm seam on the waist, which is the short seam near the front of the waist. Pin the seam of the sleeve to this point. Pin the rest of the sleeve so that the gathers are evenly distributed. Pin the right side of the sleeve to the right side of the waist. Baste securely. Remember that the gathers should be thickest on the upper part of the sleeve (Figure 80). Stitch with fine back-stitching and then overcast. The neck may be bound or may have the collar attached.

Turn and hem the outer edge of the collar; a ruffle of lace may be added if desired. Baste the collar to the waist, and try the waist on Sally Ann. If it is a satisfactory fit, stitch in place. It is well to cover the raw edges with a little bias fold. Hem the fold down on both sides.

The long strip is not joined, but a half-inch hem folded on one side and then stitched. The skirt is plaited or kilted, as it is often called. A hem is made on each of the short sides of the strips. Now crease the material as if you were going to make a tuck three quarters of an inch deep. A box plait will next have to be planned; again crease your material as if you were going to make a tuck three quarters of an inch deep. These creases must be exactly three quarters of an inch from the double fold of each piece. Measure an inch and a half, then turn the material under so that a three-quarter inch piece is under the left side of the waist line. This completes the box plait.

The plaits from there on are folded toward the left, while the first two were toward the right. Baste each plait down securely. When working on cotton materials that have a lot of dressing, the creases are likely to stay in without basting, but while working on it the edges are apt to get turned up. Basting (Figure 81) is therefore the surer and safer way to keep the plaits in position, while for woollen or soft, sleazy materials it is the only way.

When every plait has been basted lengthwise, take another thread and baste them crosswise three or four times.

Join the waist to the skirt, taking care that the centre of the box-plait is under the direct centre of the front of the waist.

A sash will be needed to finish this dress. It can be tacked in place or little straps of ribbon may be stitched at intervals and the ribbon run through the straps (Figure No. 81A).

If this dress had been stitched on the machine it would have been better to make tailored seams on the waist; that is, a narrow seam is taken on the wrong side. The material is then turned back so that on one side of the seam it slightly overlaps the other. Baste in place and stitch on the edge. Tailored seams do not require any extra allowance of material. They should slant toward the right on the right side of the garment and toward the left on the left side. If the seams were stitched to run in one direction the garment would have a very one-sided appearance.

Press all the wrinkles caused by handling the dress in sewing. It is best to lay a damp cloth over the material rather than place the iron directly on the material. You will need a small iron for this dress. Press each plait down carefully. Take out the basting threads before trying on the dress.

There are good, bad and indifferent dressmakers, and I know you wish to be one of the former. Sew a row of buttons on the left front of the dress and make little buttonholes to correspond on the right side.

VI

A LESSON IN STENCILLING

What is stencilling? Let us see. Stencilling is a branch of painting. Have you heard the story of the Baltimore belle in the time of the Revolution who was most anxious to go to the first big ball that was to be given after the war? The town had been divested of all the beautiful silks and satins that the great ladies were accustomed to wear. Our country had stopped importing these costly materials because there was no occasion to use them and no money to pay for them.

An invitation had been sent to one of Baltimore's fairest daughters who was intending to go with her cousin. What were they to wear? Both needed the festive garments. At last, after a careful canvass of the town, the young man managed to borrow a pair of satin breeches and a flowered coat and all the other articles necessary to make a fine dandy of those days, except the silk stockings.

The girl succeeded in finding a piece of white lawn of the coarsest kind that was sufficient to make a frock. In no way discouraged this clever young lady, who luckily could paint beautifully, started and painted little sprays of rose buds on the fifteen or twenty yards required for the gown. This made a very dainty and pretty frock.

Poor George, her cousin, was in despair in not being able to borrow or buy a pair of silk stockings, but clever Miss Betty hit on the plan of painting his legs with a thick coat of white and then decorating them with clocks on each side, so that no one at the dance even suspected that he didn't have on silk stockings.

Miss Betty's dress was voted to be the most charming dress of the evening.

Ever since I have heard this story I have wished that Miss Betty had known how to stencil. What a lot of time she would have saved! I am sure you will agree with me when you know how to stencil.

Have you noticed the flat gay decorations above the moulding in some houses? Well those are stencilled. A painter will cut out a design from a thin steel background; he lays this on the wall and paints over the open spaces in the design. It is the only true way in which he can keep his pattern. All free-hand designs are bound to show a difference in outline.

Stencilling for home decoration is used on curtains (Figure 82), portières, rugs, couch covers, table covers, lunch sets, pillow tops, (Figure 83), bags, counterpanes, as well as for dresses, parasols, wraps, scarfs, and in fact almost every conceivable object that allows the use of decoration.

You can get a stencil board from any artist supply shop, but the one you can make at home is cheaper even if it is not quite as durable.

In many of the schools, stencilling in its simplest form is taught in the kindergarten. The children are taught to fold a heavy piece of drawing paper lengthwise and draw half a design so that the centre of it is on the fold of the paper. The design is then cut away, leaving the background intact. This method is good for very simple motives. Sometimes when we do not wish our design to be so set, we will draw it without creasing the paper.

The stencil board that you can buy is very hard for little fingers to cut, besides being expensive.

To make a stencil pattern, draw a design such as a bunch of violets. Let every petal be separated from the other and where the stems should intersect leave a little space between. These little spaces or bridges are what keep the background together. Of course, as a usual thing, if you buy a stencil outfit, one pattern or more already cut comes with it. In many of the large shops stencil patterns can be bought separately, but if one has any idea of drawing it is an easy matter to make a pattern.

The design can be traced and cut on a piece of heavy manilla paper: a coat or two of shellac makes the paper stiffer and somewhat waterproof. The advantage of using drawing paper is this, that it may be cut with a pair of scissors, while a stencil board requires a sharp penknife and lots of finger strength to cut the pattern. White shellac is the best to use, as it dries quickly. It can be bought from any paint store.

The pattern now cut (Figure 84), you are ready to do a piece of real stencilling. Let us choose the cheapest thing we can get for our first attempt. A piece of cheese cloth for a sash-curtain appeals to me. Put in the hem so that the stencil will be sure to be straight. Lay a large piece of blotting paper over the board or table on which you are going to work. Place the cheese cloth on top of that. Try your stencil pattern and measure how many times you can repeat it. It is better to plan a pattern with a small space between each motif so that you will not have half or part of the design left over. Stick a pin where the centre of each motif should be.

Lay the stencil pattern in position and thumbtack it down to the cheese cloth and blotting paper. Turpentine and oil are the most satisfactory for stencilling, though there are several patent mixtures sold that are good. The paint can be mixed with the turpentine till it is the consistency of a thick cream or the brush can be dipped into the turpentine and then into the paint. In either case the brush must be wiped quite dry, as the process is more of a rubbing in one than painting. Bristle brushes of four different sizes should be in your stencil outfit. They come round and flat, (Figure 85). The frontispiece shows a child stencilling with the round brush.

Dip the brush into the mixture and be sure you wipe it off on a soft rag before painting in the design. If the brush is too wet the result is a blurred stencil.

Use a different brush for every colour. When the first motif is stencilled, move the pattern and place it over the next pin. If you want to reverse the pattern, clean it thoroughly with naptha on both sides and let it dry for a couple of minutes before using again.

To make a stencilled piece washable it has to be steamed like printed dress goods. This can be accomplished in two ways: that is, by holding it over a steaming kettle, or by laying a wet cloth over the stencilling and pressing with a hot iron.

Needless to say, a piece stencilled in water colours should not be treated like this.

Water colours or crayons can be used when a piece is not desired to be washed. The latter works in as smoothly as paints.

Scrim, cheese cloth, linen, crash, burlap, monk's cloth, and Arras cloth can be used for curtains or portières. The cost of them varies from seven cents to one dollar a yard.

Sometimes a small motif is taken and stencilled all over the material. This gives the effect of a printed pattern.

Five tubes of paint will produce almost any shade under the sun. They should be blue, yellow, red, black, and white. Blue and yellow make green; blue and red, purple; lavender, yellow and red make orange. A little black will soften the colours while white lightens the shade. Other combinations can be made by mixing three colours together. Enough of the paint should be mixed at one time to stencil the entire piece, as it is extremely difficult to mix a new batch of colour that will be the exact shade as the first. Ultramarine blue is the shade of the deep sea. Crimson lake is a bright red. Venetian red is a terra cotta. Emerald green is a blue green. Sap green is yellow green. Ivory or lamp black are the two blacks to be had in oil paints; the former is shiny while the latter is dull. Flake white is the term for white in oil paints.

Of course, you can buy ready mixed in tubes almost any shade you desire, but it is lots more fun to make your own colour combinations, as well as very much cheaper. Diamond dyes can be used for stencilling by letting one package of dye serve for one pint. The dyes will have to be boiled in the manner stated in their directions.

You will find that stencilling is the most delightful of the home crafts. Those who are not fond of needlework will find this a real wholesome pleasure.

VII

WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH ONE SKIN; CUT LEATHER BAGS, BELTS, BOOK COVERS. ETC.

There is nothing so handsome for a library table or cushion in a room of dark rich colouring as leather work. These articles are very expensive to buy and are sold in arts and crafts shops or women's exchanges and some of the department stores. You have doubtless seen the dyed whole skin used on a library table, but have you ever seen leather appliqué? That is the design cut out of a leather background and lined, or pieces of leather applied to a background.

Different kinds of leather may be used for this work. The cheapest and thinnest kind is sheepskin. Leather is usually sold by the square foot and one has to buy the entire skin. Sheepskin costs about sixteen cents a square foot; some stores charge more for it, while it is possible at a wholesale and retail shop to get it for less. The skins come dyed in all shades. Golden brown, dull gray or moss green are the most artistic for general use. Many tailors like to trim ladies' suits with leather and for this purpose many beautiful odd shades are dyed. Goatskin ranks next to sheepskin and is a trifle dearer. Chamois is good for belts or dainty opera bags. It comes in white or cream only. Calf is a beautiful substantial skin, as is also Russia calf. Pebble calf is what its name implies, very rough with a glazed finish. The other side presents an undyed appearance.

If you get a skin you should not expect to get a sofa cushion as well as a large table mat out of it. A skin carefully cut will give you one large piece and the rest of it can be planned for smaller objects, such as card cases, pen wipers, blotter corners, belts, picture frames, possibly a magazine cover or a bag. The diagram of the skin shows how carefully to cut out and plan every part of it (Figure 87).

Let us take the sofa cushion first. A bold conventional design can be used in each corner. One that has each part separate like a stencil design is one that I have in mind.

Cut each part out carefully so as not to impair the background. A cheaper grade of leather of a tone deeper or lighter can be laid under the design, though velvet is also in excellent taste for this work. Broadcloth, satin, and sometimes taffeta are also used. If a shaded effect is wanted a different coloured background can be pasted under each different section of the design. It is a better plan, however, for the amateur to restrict herself to one colour for the background as the finishing of different pieces is no easy problem (Figure 88). Library paste is the best means of making the leather and background adhere, also it does not spot as mucilage does. The majority of leather workers consider that the pasting completes the piece, while others feel that it is necessary to machine stitch along the extreme edge of the cutting. Yet again others prefer to work embroidery stitches such as open buttonhole or couching stitches. Both of these are explained at length in later chapters. A pen wiper can be made from a piece cut in circular, diamond, or triangular shapes. Cut two pieces of chamois leather the same shape. A plain piece of the leather also is needed to back the pen wiper. The chamois pieces serve as leaves on which the pen is wiped.

A card punch will be needed to make a hole through the four pieces for the ribbon or cord which holds them together.

It is most necessary to plan the design so that it will be appropriate to the object it is to be applied to. The leather should also harmonize with the colour of the room or gown with which it is used or worn.

For those who are anxious to learn how to design, books on this subject can be obtained from the public libraries. You should bear in mind, however, that practice makes all things perfect.

The different methods of applying the design had better be gone into before we proceed any further. Thick manilla paper or artist linen may be used on which to draw the design. The pattern is then thumb-tacked or pinned on a flat wooden surface, on the upper edge only, as it will be necessary to raise the paper off and on during the tracing.

An orange stick such as used for manicuring or hard pencil will be needed for the tracing. Trace along the pencilled design with a very heavy pressure so that there will be an indented line on the leather. A line once impressed is almost impossible to remove, so great care must be taken to keep the design true.

Every time you stop tracing there will be a deeper indentation; for that reason in tracing a curved line try to draw a full sweep without stopping. A ruler will be an aid in tracing straight lines.

It may be found necessary to dampen the leather so that the tracing will be distinct. In that case dampen the entire piece of leather with a wet cloth. Dampening in sections only causes water rings. Once the whole leather is dampened, however, it can be redampened in sections without fear of marking.

Designs for leather may also be applied by means of a perforated pattern and a stamping powder or paste or a transfer pattern may be also used.

The leather for cut-work may be cut with sharp scissors and manicuring scissors for round or curved places or two sharp knives of different sizes. A board of soft wood is the best on which to work.

The best kind of paste is one that has been recommended by a successful leather teacher and proves satisfactory to all who have tried it. "Bring to a slow boil a half-pound of flour in two quarts of water. Add to this mixture when cool, an ounce of nitric acid and a dram of boric acid and a few drops of clove oil." The nitric and boric acid, as well as the clove oil, can be obtained from the drug store.

If knives are used to cut out the design, thumbtack the leather before commencing.

The paste is applied lightly on the wrong side of the leather, then the lining placed over it. Lay the article with the right side up and put it under weights until it dries. Any surplus paste that may happen to ooze through can readily be scraped off.

A wide range of articles can be made from leather appliqué, whether underlaid or overlaid, such as table covers, bags, belts (Figure 89), medicine cases, card cases, mirror frames, book or magazine covers, portfolios, memorandum pads, waste baskets, pocket books, bill folders, chair covers, besides numerous other articles.

Sometimes it will be necessary to have two tracings of the design, one on the leather and one on the other background. Leather is often applied to heavy crashes for portières, or pillow tops. A bold conventionalized poppy is an excellent design for portières.

Paper is often used to line centerpieces or mats.

Rough tinted cartridge paper can be treated the same as cut leather and the daintiest of candle or lamp shades can be made of them. The design is cut out as in leather and a thin China silk lines the whole. Each section of the design may then be coloured the right shade of the silk. For instance, a design of cherries can be painted with orange and red for the cherries and the leaves green, while the paper is of tobacco brown; a narrow gold braid finishes the shade at the top and bottom, while the shade is held together with four tiny gold rivets.

VIII

TOOLED LEATHER AND TOOLS NECESSARY

Tooled leather is one of the oldest and most beautiful of crafts. Instead of weakening the leather it simply makes it more beautiful. A handsome box is made of soft wood or cardboard and covered with tooled or embossed leather and is a possession that a queen might envy.

Boxes containing tools for leather work can be had for from five to twenty-two dollars for the outfit. Twelve tools are in the box. Two modelling tools, a steel hammer, two embossing tools, a punch, an embossing ball tool, one cutting or trimming knife, and four chasing and pearling knives (Figure 90). Now I know that there are not many of you who would care to buy an outfit for five dollars, but for home use there is a simple little article that can be substituted and yet you can obtain very satisfactory results. A steel nut pick will work wonders and then, when you feel that you can do very much better work with other tools, invest in a case of them.

All leathers are not satisfactory for tooling. The best and most used is Russia calf in a heavy quality. One skin is usually the least a dealer will sell.

Let us suppose we are working on a card case. The design is traced in the manner described in the last chapter, that is, by tracing over the dampened leather.

After the design has been traced remove the paper and holding the nut pick firmly in your right hand as you would a pencil, proceed to deepen the lines. The leather must be kept moist or the tool is apt to scratch and break the outer skin. It is a work over which you may become fatigued, but you can just lay it aside till the next day and then proceed again. The deeper the tooled line the handsomer the piece. It will take several hours to tool a card case.

Another form of decorating leather is with the little geometrical die that was used so much in past winters for decorating the background of etched copper articles (Figure 91). The little die is placed on the leather with its raised or embossed side downward and one knock from a steel hammer is sufficient to make an imprint on the leather. The entire background is filled out in this manner. Hammer with an even pressure otherwise the background will be bumpy.

Sometimes you may prefer to have your background pressed or modelled and the design to stand out in relief. In that case take the bowl or thick part of the nut pick or modeller and press the background in flat. If the leather wrinkles when rubbing it change the direction of working. When the work is completed it will be noticed that the modelled part of the leather is darker and quite shiny.

Designs such as cherries, cat-tails, and most floral forms give a greater opportunity for elaborate working. They can be carried out in relief. This relief is a much more difficult work. In the first place the design is drawn on the finished surface of the leather and then, after another sponging with water, hold the leather up from the table. Holding the section to be modelled between the first finger and thumb, work the tool backward and forward under the section.

Some workers prefer to hold the working side toward them, contending that a greater pressure can be brought to bear on a downward stroke than an upward one. In that case the design is stamped or traced on the wrong side of the leather.

The oftener the rubbing is done and the leather is dampened the higher the design will stand forth. The parts to be worked in relief may be done before the background (Figure 92).

To keep the leather from falling back to its natural shape some workers paste the relief parts. My teacher used a paste that we found quite stiff enough except for large heavy objects.

To make this paste an ounce of dextrin is left soaking in water for about sixteen hours. Dextrin, by the way, is the only paste which will not stain silk. It is a white powder, and when used as a paste can be dissolved in boiling water till it is the consistency of a thick cream. When used as a modelling wax, however, it requires to be thicker than a cream. After the dextrin is dissolved mix in a pint of scrap leather that has been grated to shreds, and a few drops of turpentine. The scrap leather thickens the paste while water thins it.

Before applying the paste to the leather the raised side is placed face downward upon the marble. Take some of the paste and press it into the hollow places until they are entirely filled. After every space has been filled lay a piece of paper over them and then a cardboard or a piece of board large enough to cover all the design.

Turn the leather, paper, and board right side up on the working table. While the places are being filled in the design is apt to be pushed a little out of shape. With the finer modelling tool or your nut pick go over the flattened places again. Let the work remain on the table for four days without touching it so that it may be thoroughly dried.

Sometimes you will see a beautiful tinted leather. This is usually done by the means of dyes, or chemicals. For the amateur the former is recommended. The dye is applied to the leather with soft cotton or a sponge. To deepen the shade wet the places desired to be darker two or three times with the dye.

To obtain the brightly polished appearance so often seen in a handsome piece of leather rub the piece with your bare palms. A little wax rubbed on your hand greatly aids the work.

In all leather work it is necessary to leave a margin about a half inch at least.

Another paste which may be substituted for the formula given in this chapter is one made of equal parts of sawdust and rye flour with water.

The cutting or shaving knife that comes with the outfit is good for cutting the leather. If a deeper indentation is desired than is obtained by tracing the pattern, a slight slit may be made with the shaving knife. Of course cutting the leather weakens it and it should only be done on a very heavy piece of skin.

The hammer is indispensable for stamping in the little dies. These dies are not usually included in the outfit.

The difference between the modelling (Figures 93 and 94) and embossing tools is that the embossing tools are a greater aid in achieving fine bas-relief work. The embossing ball tool is used to make the deep indentations.

The punch is to make holes for rivets or through which cords or ribbons may be passed to connect two or more pieces of leather together as on a pad or book. The punch and pearling knives are used in fine carved leather. As one becomes proficient in the art of simple leather work she is tempted to branch out and try more elaborate work. A great many books have been written on this subject which, though perhaps puzzling to a beginner, will be interesting and invaluable if the work is taken up as a serious occupation. The best specimens of this work can be seen at the different arts and crafts exhibitions.

IX

THE SIMPLEST STITCHES IN EMBROIDERY--CHAIN STITCHING, OUTLINING, HERRING-BONING, CROSS-STITCHING, SOUTACHE, CORONATION BRAIDING

It would be hard indeed to say just how many stitches there are in embroidery, as so many are combinations of the others. The ones you will hear about are the simplest ones.

Some years ago I had a large class in embroidery in a mission school. Every seat was taken and many applicants were refused admittance. The supervisor came in one day and said that there was a little girl who was very anxious to join the class and that she knew how to sew. I did not have the heart to refuse her, so in marched little Nellie. She was just seven years old and said that she attended sewing school every Saturday at her church and that her teacher had taught her _all_ about embroidery. I gave her a little stamped design and told her to chain-stitch it and let me see how well she could do it. About five minutes later I happened to turn around and there was little Nellie frantically waving her hand. "Teacher, teacher," she said, "that is the only stitch the Lady didn't show me."

Now, as I am most anxious that nothing like that will happen to you, I will start with chain-stitching as the simplest stitch (Figure 95). It is also one of the oldest stitches in embroidery. Every museum that exhibits embroidered articles will have some elaborate designs carried out in fine chain-stitching. If the stitches are worked in filo silk or spool silk the effect is like machine work.

Draw a straight line on a piece of muslin and thread your needle with a piece of red cotton. No knots should be used in embroidery. Fasten the thread by taking three fine running stitches and one back stitch to insure firmness at the end of the line. Now with the needle in position at the beginning of the line, start by taking a straight stitch on the line. Bring the thread under and pull the needle through the material. You have made the first loop. Put your needle back into the last hole or as near as possible to it, take another stitch on the line, repeat until you come to the end of the design.

Take the same length stitch every time or you will not have a good-looking chain. If you will look at the links in your chain bracelet, you will see that every link is the same size as the others. Suppose you wanted to chain-stitch a square or a triangle: when you come to the corner do not try to make one continuous line, but carry the needle down through the material at the end of the loop to fasten the link and start the next row at right angles to it. Chain-stitching can be put to many uses. It is a pretty stitch to cover a single line in a conventional design. It is also the quickest kind of padding for large designs. When it is used as a padding, the rows are worked close to each other. If the work is to be raised very high, the chain-stitching may be placed in rows one on top of the other. You will, however, hear more about padding in a later chapter.

The next stitch we will talk about is the outlining, (Figure 96). Some people think it is simpler than chain-stitching. It was the first stitch I learned in embroidery, but it is not as pretty as chain-stitching. The first thing I did in fancy work when I was nine years old was a wonderful face cloth with a wild rose on the top, and under it my name and the motto, "_Cleanliness is Next to Godliness_," worked in red cotton. After that I made face cloths for every member of the family.

Outlining makes one think of plain sewing. There are two kinds of outlining, rough (Figure 97) and smooth, the difference being in how the thread is thrown. To make the rough outline, fasten the thread as directed in chain-stitching and on the line take a stitch about an eighth of an inch. Then work from left to right. Let the thread fall under the needle and be sure to keep it this way. A smooth outline is made by throwing the thread over the needle instead of under it; this outline can be used as stems for flowers unless a more elaborate kind is desired.

Either chain-stitching or outlining is an excellent way to decorate bureau scarfs, pillow tops, or table covers.

Herring-boning is used for finishing seams on a flannel skirt, or it may be used above hems. The little flannel skirt you intend to make for Sally Ann this winter should be finished in this way. Here is a stitch for which we do not need guide lines, though while you are learning, the lines might be helpful. Draw two parallel lines a quarter of an inch apart. Take a stitch on the upper line, about an eighth of an inch long. Then make one on the lower line, letting the thread fall always to the right. When you have made a row between with the lines, try to work one without lines and see if you can keep the herring-boning straight (Figure 98).

A plain quilt or cover for the baby can be made very attractive, by working herring-boning around the edge. If the cover is woollen, use worsted or heavy silk for the stitchery, but if it is cotton material, a heavy lustre is recommended. The needle to use depends on the thread. A sewing needle will carry a round cotton thread such as D. M. C., Madonna, Utopia, Royal Society, or Peri lustre. A crewel needle, which is a needle with a long eye, will be required for silk or worsted. An easy way to thread a No. 2 or No. 4 crewel needle with worsted is to hold the needle in the left hand and double the thread at one end and run the needle through it. Hold the thread between the thumb and first finger of the right hand so that the thread is just visible. Gently pull the needle out with the left hand and run the doubled thread through the eye. It sounds a great deal harder than it actually is, but it will require very little practice.

When you went to kindergarten did you have little pierced cards on which you made designs in coloured silks or cottons? Well they had these at my school and we made book-marks, needle-books and all sorts of funny little things. If you remember the cross-stitching of the kindergarten days, regular cross-stitching will be a simple matter. The nicest material for this work is Java canvas, which is very coarse and stiff. It is ideal for book covers or napkin rings. The holes in the canvas are so large that working on it is almost like play. As Java canvas is rather expensive you will find a coarse scrim a good substitute. A lot of boys that I once knew took up this work very enthusiastically, so simple is it.

Do you know that you can make a gingham apron for mother and decorate it with cross-stitching that will last ever so long? Get a piece of gingham with squares about an eighth of an inch. Cross-stitch it in a shade darker than the gingham or in white or red. The stitches are taken on the diagonal as shown in the diagram (Figures 99 and 100). If there is a great deal of cross-stitching to be done, the quickest way is to make all the stitches that run in one direction first, and then come back and cross them. Perhaps mother has a small piece of cross-stitching that you can use as a model. Simple triangles are easy to make. Begin the lower row with an uneven number, such as seven, nine, eleven, or thirteen. The next row make two stitches less, dropping one from each end, and so on till you have one at the top.

Now suppose that you had a little linen or silk bag on which you would like to have a cross-stitch design, yet this material is not coarse enough for you to use as a guide for the cross-stitching. Do not think you cannot do it, for I will show you a way. Get a piece of scrim just as coarse as you can find, and baste it over the place you would like to cross-stitch. Work the design on it and when the cross-stitching is all finished pull out the scrim thread by thread. Sometimes you will have to snip the thread of the scrim if your needle accidentally gets caught in them. (Figures 101, 102, and 103.)

A very simple thing to do is to braid a dress for yourself. Now that all the large pattern houses are carrying transfer patterns you can get a design for braiding very cheap. A little girl I know braided a dress for herself and one for her mother last summer. She used light blue chambray and braided it with white. There are several kinds of braid, but the easiest to use is soutache, whether it is cotton or silk. It is a flat braid and varies in width from one to three eighths of an inch. First stamp your design on the material, or if you have not a transfer pattern you can draw a design on tissue paper, making it as long as required and then baste the paper in right position on your dress. Take a stiletto, which is a little tool somewhat like a nail that is used in embroidery for piercing holes, and punch a hole on the line. Push one end of your braid through this and fasten the end of it on the wrong side of your material. Thread your needle with sewing cotton or silk the colour of the braid and sew it down with little running stitches and an occasional back-stitch to fasten it firmly. When you come to the end of the line or of the braid, carry the end through as at the beginning and fasten.

Coronation braid is beautiful, but oh, so very much harder to sew on than flat braid. There are two ways that coronation braid may be sewed on. The one that I give preference to is stamping the design on the wrong side of the material and holding the braid on the right. A stiletto hole is made on the line and the end of the braid brought through to the back and fastened securely so there will be no likelihood of its slipping. Then, holding the braid with the left hand, connect it to the material from the wrong side with fine running stitches. The stamped line on the wrong side will serve as a guide for the stitches. You can feel every time the needle touches the braid. Now perhaps many of you are wondering what coronation braid is. It is a braid that looks like fat grains of rice all strung together. There are different sizes of the braid, varying from the quarter inch to the three quarters of an inch size.

The second way to sew it on is from the right side with little slip stitches. At the small end it would be wise to take a stitch over the braid to hold it firmly. Centre pieces, bureau-scarfs or even towel ends are handsome when decorated with coronation braid, and do you know it is a very easy matter to make designs for yourself, as there is nothing prettier than daisies or wild roses for coronation braid. If the petals are too fine to allow you to use the coronation braid, then you must use one grain for each petal, cutting off the grains as you require them.

Coronation braid comes in white, Delft blue, bright green, or red. The braid is supple enough to turn sharp corners.

The daisy, as I have stated before, is one of the principal designs used for coronation braid. Braid the flower with one piece of the braid. It is not necessary to cut the braid but at the beginning and the ending of the daisy. The very largest width of coronation braid will be required for the daisy. Two grains will be sufficient for a petal. Bring the narrow ends to the centre and connect them to the material. In the centre make a cluster of French knots. The effect produced is a daisy embroidered heavily and yet quite different from satin stitch. (Figure 105.)

A belt decoration with five or six coronation daisies is very attractive when used on a light summer dress. Sometimes the owner prefers to couch the braid down with blue cotton and to work the centre of the daisy in the same colour.

A row of daisies is improved by working a fagotting stitch which is explained in "Simple Lace Stitches," between the petals. See that the braid is sewed on far enough apart that the lace stitches will not be crowded.

Coronation braid is also used with crochet stitches for the borders of centre pieces and towels.

X

SMOCKING, FEATHER-STITCHING AND LAZY-DAISY STITCH

Smocking is such a fashionable trimming this year that I am sure you will not be contented till Sally Ann has a smocked dress. Why, one cannot take a walk in the park without seeing several little children and some grown-ups, too, wearing smocked dresses. Sometimes they are made of fine lawn or pique and then again they are China silk, crêpe de chine, or cashmere.

Stamped patterns can be had for smocking but they are not at all necessary. Nearly every little English girl knows how to smock without buying a pattern and why should not you?

The simplest form of smocking is the honeycomb or diamond (Figure 106). It can be any size you wish. A good size for Sally Ann's dress is the half-inch diamond smocking. The beauty of the work lies in its regularity. To keep it so, the dots must be spaced evenly. A good way is to have a marking card. Take a piece of heavy paper or thin cardboard about six inches long by an inch and a half wide. With a ruler draw a faint line one half inch down parallel with the long edge of the card. Draw four other lines below this at quarter-inch intervals. Be sure that the space between each two lines is a quarter inch, no more or no less. Along the top line measure in one half inch. From this point make dots at quarter-inch intervals all the way across. Each line is dotted in like manner, letting each dot come directly under the upper one in straight rows. If mother has a card punch ask her to lend it to you and where the dots are make holes. A stiletto will answer the same purpose as the punch; or an orange stick may be pressed into service. Your marking card is now ready.