Chapter III: Part I: Dress Economies (2)

Only two colours will be needed for this design, and the number of stitches used must give a multiple of 8.

_1st and 2nd Rounds._—Black.

_3rd and 4th Rounds._—Grey.

_5th and 6th Rounds._—1 B, 2 G, 4 B, 1 G. Repeat.

_7th and 8th Rounds._—1 B, 2 G, 1 B, 4 G. Repeat

_9th and 10th Rounds._—1 B, 2 G, 1 B, 4 G. Repeat.

_11th and 12th Rounds._—7 B, 1 G. Repeat.

_13th and 14th Rounds._—3 G, 1 B, 2 G, 1 B, 1 G. Repeat.

_15th and 16th Rounds._—3 G, 1 B, 2 G, 1 B, 1 G. Repeat.

_17th and 18th Rounds._—4 B, 2 G, 1 B, 1 G. Repeat.

_19th and 20th Rounds._—Grey.

_21st and 22nd Rounds._—Black.

Design No. 8.

This border works out a good deal wider than the others, and would perhaps be more suitable for a man’s stocking; or to reduce the width the stripes from each edge could be omitted. Stitches giving a multiple of 8 will be required.

_1st and 2nd Rounds._—Black.

_3rd and 4th Rounds._—White.

_5th and 6th Rounds._—Black.

_7th and 8th Rounds._—Grey.

_9th and 10th Rounds._—5 G, 3 B. Repeat.

_11th and 12th Rounds._—6 G, * 1 B, 7 G. Repeat from *.

_13th and 14th Rounds._—2 G, * 1 W, 7 G. Repeat from *.

_15th and 16th Rounds._—1 G, * 3 W, 5 G. Repeat from *.

_17th and 18th Rounds._—3 W, 4 G, Repeat.

_19th and 20th Rounds._—2 W, * 4 B, 1 G, 3 W. Repeat from *.

_21st and 22nd Rounds._—3 W, 5 G. Repeat.

_23rd and 24th Rounds._—1 G, * 3 W, 5 G. Repeat from *.

_25th and 26th Rounds._—2 G, * 1 W, 7 G. Repeat from *.

_27th and 28th Rounds._—6 G, * 1 B, 7 G. Repeat from *.

_29th and 30th Rounds._—5 G, 3 B. Repeat.

_31st and 32nd Rounds._—Grey.

_33rd and 34th Rounds._—Black.

_35th and 36th Rounds._—White.

_37th and 38th Rounds._—Black.

Making a Child’s Overall from a Narrow Skirt.

Good quality washing materials for making children’s everyday frocks are now so very much more expensive than in pre-war days, that the economical woman who happens to have a number of washing skirts of the narrower type so popular a few years ago, would be wise to make some good use of them.

While it is a comparatively simple matter for the woman who makes her own clothes to remodel a full skirt into a narrow design quite successfully, it is not so simple to adapt a narrow design to a wider pattern. Even if one could match the material, it is never wise to use new fabric with old, and the freshness of the new material would only give emphasis to the fact that the other parts were slightly worn.

Here is a suggestion that may not have occurred to everyone. Have you ever thought what really excellent little garments for the children can be made from the best parts of a cotton skirt? As an example, we are showing how the child’s overall illustrated can be cut from a two-piece skirt of quite the narrowest type (this design only measures 1⅜ yards round the hem) without even cutting into the parts that are likely to be the most worn.

Whether the skirt used is made of linen, piqué, casement cloth, or any of the stouter washing fabrics, it would serve admirably for making this little frock that can either be worn as an overall over another frock, or as a little summer play frock without another dress underneath.

The skirt made use of in this instance is a two-gored design, with a seam at each side, and to cut the pattern as shown on the diagram, the hem of the skirt should be unpicked, also the side seams from the waist to just below the hips, or just far enough to allow of the skirt being laid flat out on the table.

[Sidenote: Easy to Make and to Slip On.]

Take care to see that you have the skirt placed so that there is an even fold at centre back and front, and the side seams back one another, then lay on your pattern. You will see that in placing the sleeve portion it comes over the side seam of the skirt, giving you two seams in the sleeve instead of one, but the second seam will come on the under-arm so that it will not in any way spoil the appearance of the garment. The collar and cuff portions will need to be lined in order to neaten them, and you will probably find sufficient from the cuttings to cut these out again, or if not, a small piece of white calico could quite well be used for this.

The back of the overall is cut down from neck to hem, and finished with a hem at each side, and fastened with buttons and buttonholes.

Many varieties of trimming could be used for a little overall of this description. French knots worked in a contrasting colour along the hem and round the collar and cuffs would be effective, or some simple cross-stitch animal designs would look well.

Use Clark’s “Anchor” Coton à Broder, No. 12.

A frock for a two-year old has been used as an example, but it would be quite possible to cut a larger size in a like manner, though it might be necessary to put a false hem of some other material.

Stitchery.

If you are interested in Needlework, you will like the
magazine “Stitchery” that is being edited by Flora
Klickmann. It deals with practically every form of
Needlecraft, plain and fancy, including Crochet. It is
a high-class publication, printed in the same style as
“Needlework Economies.”

Re-footing made Easy.

This method of knitting hose renders it an easy matter to repair the heel and toe when these parts become worn. By simply undoing the end stitch of a row of crochet chain stitches, the sole, heel, or toe part can be almost instantly removed by pulling the thread and undoing the crochet. The chain stitches are used to join the different parts, which are worked separately and then joined together.

When the worn part is removed, a piece exactly the same size is knitted and joined to the remainder of the sock with the row of chain stitches. In this way the leg and instep portions, which seldom wear out, may be made to serve for two or three renewals of the parts exposed to wear.

It is just as easy to knit a sock or stocking in the new way as in the old, and the saving effected by the new way is great, especially now, when woollen thread is both scarce and expensive. The same may be said about cotton thread.

The sock or stocking is begun in the usual way, and may be made either plain or ribbed.

The sock illustrated is a full-size man’s sock, and the joinings are shown in the dark line round the heel, along the side of the foot, and across the instep at the beginning of the front toe part.

These joinings were made in black thread on the white sock in order to show the joinings, but in making a sock they must all be worked with the same thread as in the sock. Then the joinings are not visible on the outside, nor is there a seam on the inside, as the row of chain stitches forms a flat line.

Working the Leg.

In the sock shown here 80 st were cast on three No. 12 knitting-needles. On these were worked 4 inches of ribbing—1 plain, 1 purl. Then 5 inches of plain knitting with a back seam.

The Instep.

Divide for the heel, putting 20 st at each side of the back seam, all on one needle. Divide the 39 remaining st on to the two needles, and continue knitting on these (leaving the heel needle for the present), knit and purl alternate rows until the piece is 6 inches long. Put the 39 st on one needle, and leave this part aside for the present.

The Heel.

Cast on 41 st on a needle in “slip loops,” that is, wind the thread once round the top of the thumb, and take over the loop so formed on to the needle.

[Sidenote: Renewing Worn Portions.]

Knit the 41 loops, purling the 21st for the back seam, which is preserved for the entire heel.

Purl the next row, then knit and purl alternate rows until there are 24 rows in all.

Closing the Heel.

_1st Row._—Knit to the 9th st after the back seam, slip the 10th st, k next stitch, pull the slipped stitch over, k 1, turn (leaving 8 st).

_2nd Row._—Slip 1st st and pull back to the 10th after the back seam, purl 10th and 11th together, purl next st, turn and repeat these 2 rows until all the stitches at each side have been taken in. Cut the thread, leaving a short end attached.

The Sole.

There should now be 24 st at each side of the heel, and 23 along the top of it. Cast on a number equal to these, 71, with the “slip loops.” K and p alternate rows for 4 rows. Then decrease in every plain row in the 3rd and 4th st from each end, thus:—k 2, sl 1, k 1, pass the slipped st over, k to the 4th st from the end, k 4th and 3rd together, k 2.

Continue until the stitches are reduced to 39, to correspond with the stitches on the instep.

Knit this piece until it is exactly the same length as the instep portion.

The Toe.

Take two additional needles, cast on 20 st on one, and 19 on the other, following after those on the sole needle, making the “slip loops” as before. Join round, and k 2 rows plain.

Decrease in the next round thus:—k first 2 on the sole needle, sl 1, k 1, pass the slipped st over, k to the 4th st from the end of this needle, k 3rd and 2nd together, k 2.

Knit first 2 st on next needle, sl 1, k 1, pass the slipped st over, k remainder of needle, k next needle to the last 4 st, k 4th and 3rd st together, k 2.

Knit 6 rounds. Decrease as before.

Knit 5 rounds. Decrease. Knit 4 rounds. Decrease.

Knit 3 rounds. Decrease.

Knit 2 rounds. Decrease.

Decrease in every 2nd round until there are 11 st remaining on the sole needle. Put back and front needles together, and taking a corresponding stitch from each needle, cast off 2 together. Draw the thread through last loop and cut it, leaving a short end.

The Method of Joining.

Commencing at the back part of the leg portion, place the heel in position, having the wrong sides turned towards you.

With a No. 1 steel crochet hook, make a chain on the end of the thread, insert the hook through the 1st st on the heel, and through the 1st st on the needle of the leg portion, draw a loop through these 2 together, and through the chain on the hook, insert the hook through the next st on the heel, slip off the joined st on the needle, insert the hook through the next st on the needle, draw a loop through the 2 st and the loop on the needle, repeat to the end of the needle, then take up the foot part, and put it in place on the heel. Join in the same way, inserting the hook through corresponding stitches. Continue up the side, across the instep and along to the heel again. Fasten the thread, leaving about an inch of it. Work the end into the following stitches to conceal it.

It can be readily seen that when any part is worn and requires to be renewed, the joining thread can be cut and unravelled as far as required.

To Renew the Toe Portion.

Undo the chain stitches along the front, cut the sole part in a line with the front, unpick the threads to get an even line of stitches, pick these up on a needle, and knit the toe piece exactly like the first one. Join to the front in the same manner.

To Reinforce the Heel and Toe.

It is not generally known that these parts can be so reinforced that their durability is prolonged two or three times. The best method of doing this is shown in the sock illustrated.

“Star Sylko” No. 5, matching the colour of the sock, is worked into the lines of knitted stitches, using a darning needle for the purpose.

Take up one side of each st on the needle, draw the thread through, working in perpendicular rows, come back on the other side of the stitches down to where the 1st row was commenced, and so on. In this way the cotton thread is all on the outside of the woollen knitting, and receives all the friction from the shoe, while it never comes next to the skin. The dark strip down the heel shows where the strengthening stitches have been worked in.

To Re-Knit a Heel and Toe into a Machine-Knit Sock.

In the machine-knit sock the heel and toe are not made in the same way as in most of the hand-knit variety, but usually on the lines of the illustration at bottom of page. In the case of the heel, a portion of the leg has been worked to show how the heel is made straight on to this.

[Sidenote: Repairing Machine-made Socks.]

Cut away the heel at its base to the 1st decreasing st. Make a cut across the sole next the heel in a line with the 3rd decreasing at each side.

Turn back 3 rows under the sole, where they must be secured with a flat seam, using a piece of the same kind of thread and a darning needle. Pick up the stitches at the base of the heel on to a knitting needle. Fasten the thread and knit a row. Then purl and knit alternate rows, taking the first 2 st together in every row until the st are reduced to one-third of those in the 1st row.

Continue working a plain and a purl row alternately on these stitches, increasing by picking up a loop at the end of each row from the side of the flap just worked, until you have closed the heel, and have the original number of stitches on the needle. Join to the sole part with a row of crochet chain stitches.

The Toe Part.

This is worked exactly like the heel, picking up one-half of the st round the foot part. Knit the toe part as in the heel, working back to close the toe in the same way, then join to the front part with a row of chain stitches.

How to Re-heel a Worn Sock.

When the heel only becomes worn out in a hand-knitted sock or stocking, it is an easy matter to replace the worn-out portion and the adjacent weak parts.

If possible, let the mending thread be a little finer in texture than that used in the stocking, and when not possible to match the thread in colour use white—in fact, many people prefer white heels and toes in their hosiery.

We are illustrating a grey sock re-heeled with white to show clearly how the work is done. Run a coloured thread through each stitch at the base of the heel in a straight line from side to side. In the same way run another piece of thread through the stitches at the top of the sole where it adjoins the heel “closing” portion, that is from the first to the last stitch on the centre of the heel to where the stitches at each side of the heel were raised.

Now count the number of rows in the heel before the “closing” was begun, and the number of stitches at each side of the back seam after the closing was finished. Take a note of these, as the piece re-knitted must fit exactly.

Cut away the worn part that you wish to replace from the second row _inside_ the marking thread, and the second row from each side where the side stitches were taken up. Pick out the cut threads from each side of the heel until you come to the “raised” stitches, which you may leave for the present as they cannot ravel.

Pick out the cut threads from the rows inside the marking threads in the same way. The marking thread should be through every stitch so that they cannot ravel.

Take up the stitches at the base of the heel and re-knit exactly as it was before and close it in the same way. Tie the thread when the last row in the heel closing is done, cut it and work the end in through the stitches.

Thread a darning needle with a length of the same kind of thread and fasten the thread to the beginning of the heel at the right side. * Run the needle behind the next of the “raised” stitches on the sole at the base of that stitch, bring it back to the heel, and running it inwards through the first stitch where it was brought out bring it out through the next heel stitch and repeat from * up to the stitches on the needle which are connected to those on the thread in the same way, slipping off each stitch when joined. Work down the other side in the same way, fasten off the thread and cut it. Work in the end of the thread through a few stitches. Remove the marking threads. This heel will have no seam.

Slippers you can Make.

Footwear, like everything else, is exceedingly high-priced at present, and to know how to economize in this direction is a serious problem. But have you ever thought of making your slippers? This is really quite possible. Indeed, there is no reason why very presentable shoes and slippers cannot be made at home. In nearly every household the materials are already at hand. Pieces of velvet, tweed, felt or cloth are all suitable, and to show what can be done in this way we illustrate here two pairs of comfortable slippers made from oddments.

The first is a neat pair made from a piece of left-over dress material, in black and white woollen check, a bit of red flannel for lining and some navy serge coating for the soles, which are formed over the usual cardboard. Then the pair of men’s slippers were built up on a pair of leather soles with fleecy lining. Grey tweed left over from making a boy’s suit was utilised, and a scrap of blue flannel shirting forms the lining.

You will probably see the advantage of making these at home, and any comfortable old slipper can be cut up for a pattern.

They are made in the same way if you make the soles yourself, but with the purchased slipper sole there is a slight difference in the manner of attaching the upper.

The Check Slippers.

In cutting the upper, no turnings will need to be allowed for the upper edge, but allow a margin of a quarter-inch around the side which comes next to the sole. Cut both lining and material the same size.

The Sole.

Cut this out in stiff cardboard, then cut a covering for it from the lining material, allowing a half-inch margin all round. Place the cardboard on the centre, and draw the edges of the lining together from opposite sides with crossing stitches, using stout linen thread for this purpose and a coarse sewing needle. The cardboard must be covered smoothly and securely with the flannel and gatherings made at the heel and toe parts. The upper side of this sole is the inside of the shoe, and the stitching underneath. Now lay this sole on another piece of cardboard, and cut out the shape again just one-eighth of an inch larger all round. Lay this on the felt or piece of tweed intended for the outer sole and cut out the shape. Take the cardboard pattern for this sole and cut away a quarter-inch margin around. This smaller shape is put between the inner and outer soles when making up the shoe. Stitch up the side seams in material and lining. Press both seams out flat, place opposite to each other and tack the lining along the top edge to the check material. Now bind the edges together with a strip of ribbon or narrow tape. It is as well to stiffen the back of the slipper a little with an interlining of thin cardboard or tailor’s canvas.

Now take up the flannel covered sole and place the upper over it, having the smooth side of the sole turned from you; sew the edge of the upper very securely to the wrong side of the sole, putting the stitches into the flannel only, and about an eighth of an inch from the extreme edge. Lay the small cardboard sole over the one just put in and secure it with a couple of stitches, place the tweed sole on top of it with its edge overlapping evenly all round. Using thick black thread, the stronger the better, slip-stitch the sole through the inside edge to the upper where it turns in under the first sole. It is necessary to notch the edge of the cardboard stiffening where it overlaps the sole, in order to make it lie flat.

The Men’s Slippers.

The same directions apply to these with the exception of the mode of attaching the ready-made sole. Turn in both edges of the uppers and tack securely around, then top-sew together, place over the sole and stitch the sewn edges to the middle section of the sole, turning back the leather edge for this purpose. No binding was used for this slipper, but the lining had its edge turned in as well as the material, then the lining was tacked with the turned in edge coming a little above the material so as to form a narrow piping around the top.

Artistic Crochet

Edited by FLORA KLICKMANN

Contains beautiful designs in Crochet for useful and
decorative purposes. It is uniform with this volume, and
issued by the same publishers.

Mending a Man’s Shirt.

One of the many expensive necessaries in these expensive days is a man’s white shirt. In many cases the finished article is treble the price it was in 1914. This is partly due, of course, to the increase in the cost of labour, as there is a considerable amount of skilled work entailed in the cutting out and putting together of a man’s white shirt. And the high price is partly to be accounted for by the increased cost of materials.

But with all the care in the world, shirts will still wear out, and must somehow be replaced. Fortunately this difficulty is not such a serious one as it at first appears; a shirt can quite easily be renovated—and without having that amateurish look that so often just spoils things.

Repairing Shirt Tails.

The first parts to go, very often, in a man’s shirt are the tails. Well, the simplest way to deal with this is to cut them off right across, above the weak places. This is really far more satisfactory than patching. A piece of calico or longcloth from another discarded article is not difficult to get. Measure the same size as the portion cut off. Hem round three sides. Run and fell the fourth side to the shirt itself.

Perhaps you did not know, as I did not myself until recently, that many of the essential details which go to make up the shirt, can be purchased separately. In this way a weak front or collar, or the cuffs can be removed, a new one substituted, and you have a new shirt without its cost.

Cuffs are parts that soon show signs of wear, and frayed cuffs gives the shirt—and the man—a weary look. In this case, unpick the cuffs if possible, if not, cut them off close up. The new cuffs can be bought into which the sleeve is inserted, and the shirt regains its sprightly appearance. At the time of writing, the price of these cuffs is 6½d. and 8½d. per pair, and the result is well worth this small expenditure.

Another method of repairing the cuffs is to cut off the frayed cuff, and put on a narrow band. In this case, separate cuffs would be worn. You do not even need to make these bands yourself. They can be bought ready for use.

About Collar Bands.

Most women have, at one time or another, struggled with the shirt collar-bands of their menfolk. When it is your first one, you start off quite happily. After all, you say, it is a simple matter to cut such a band, and will only require a small piece of material. But you soon find out that it is not so simple as it looks, and, being shaped, needs more material than you had thought for. And when you have finished it, you have neither satisfied yourself, nor the owner of the shirt. Men often assume a superior indifference to clothes, but there are certain things about which no indifference is visible, one being the collar band of their shirt. Collar-bands are cut in a scientific manner, and even experienced workers, knowing that they are not very easy to make, will probably be as thankful as less advanced workers, to buy them shaped and stitched, ready for applying to the shirt. These collar-bands can be bought singly or in half dozens, and can be supplied opening at the front or back, according to the fastening of the shirt for which they are needed. The present price of these collar-bands is 3d. each. They are made in white calico, also in sateen for coloured shirts.

[Sidenote: Fronts that you can Buy.]

When Buttonholes are Torn.

“But,” says someone, “buttonholes are my trouble. You can’t, surely, buy new buttonholes to replace the broken ones?” True, but the case is by no means hopeless. If this is your difficulty two courses are open to you. Either refront the shirt, or else an additional front can be worn outside the white shirt. This latter plan would perhaps be too warm in the summer, though an extra front is a useful addition in the winter. The use of separate fronts and cuffs help to solve the ever-present laundry problem, as these can be sent to the laundry for stiffening and polishing, while the unstiffened shirts can be washed at home, thus effecting a very considerable saving in expense.

If, however, the separate front is objected to, you can buy fronts for letting into worn shirts. There are two kinds, the front in one piece for shirts fastening at the back, and the dividing front for shirts fastening in front. These are supplied square, as shown in the illustration. There are two qualities, price 9½d. and 1/-.

To apply the new front, first tack it on to the old front, then cut it to the shape required, allowing sufficient margin to turn in a fell. Then cut away the unnecessary material at the back from the shirt, leaving here sufficient to turn in a fell. In this way you have practically a new shirt again.

These are the portions that are most likely to show signs of stress and wear. Should any rents occur elsewhere, a little patch must be added.

A Patch may be Necessary.

It is hardly necessary to remind you that it is better to mend and patch with material that is not quite new. Very often a pillow-case that is worn in one part will supply a sufficient amount of sound material for re-tailing a shirt.

In looking through the shirts of your menfolk, you will probably find one wants a new collar-band, another new cuffs, another a front, and so on. They will not all need repairing in every direction. But even if they did, and you had to get several new portions for one shirt, it would be well worth your while, as the cost of these portions is very slight.

Mending a Collar.

Men’s collars are among those articles that one had come to regard as useless as soon as they are torn or worn, and therefore at the first sign of disrepair to be replaced by new ones. Yet collars nowadays are a far more expensive item than they were a few years back; a frequent supply of new collars means a considerable outlay. Before discarding the torn collar, therefore, it is well to see if it is not possible to repair it, and it nearly always is possible.

The tear usually occurs in the little projecting flap for the buttonhole, either where this piece joins the main part of the collar, or the buttonhole itself. Two such tears are illustrated. Now either of these can be very easily mended with a piece of tape. First of all, wash all the starch out of the collar. When quite dry, tack a small piece of tape over the tear, as illustrated, and machine it in place. This makes a perfectly neat mend, and is quite easy to do. Moreover when the collar is starched again, the tape does not show.

The Wisdom of Preventive Mending.

We do not, nowadays, spend long hours bending over fine stitchery that is destined for no really useful purpose. To efficiently understand how to mend and how to make is our more practical aim. A distinctive and imperative branch of this knowledge is the art of preventive mending.

From the gracious days of our grandmothers, or our even more remote ancestors, comes a lavender-scented remembrance of patiently executed needlework, almost unbelievably fine; wonderful samplers were made and monumental pictures depicting Bible scenes were toiled over until the last of the innumerable stitches was filled in, and the triumph ready to be framed and hung up on the wall of the best parlour.

Some of us possess examples of these forgotten arts, bead necklaces so finely constructed that, entirely handmade and needle-threaded as they were, they altogether surpass the pretty ornaments of the present day, made upon apache looms. Samplers, too, we fondly cherish, if we are fortunate enough to have had one or two handed down from mother to daughter in our family.

The Day of the Ready-Mades.

But life to-day is more strenuous; the pride of the needlewoman must, in the majority of cases, have a more practical aim. We do not despise the lavender-scented sweetness and tranquility—sometimes we even sigh for the qualities that can only come to perfection in days of unhurried calm—but we recognise the every-day usefulness of the modern needlewoman and applaud the sanity of her methods.

Microscopic stitching is a delightfully interesting pursuit for the woman of leisure. The busy girl or the house-mother, harassed with many cares, would not find such sewing a sedative for tense and weary nerves; but the capable woman with quick, deft fingers and mind alert, finds it both interesting and exhilarating, in its practicality, to sit down and either make or mend something.

Mending and altering are two branches of the great art of Needlecraft which no woman can afford to despise in these days of ready-made frocks and shop-bought costumes. Turnings may be insufficient, buttons sewn on with too scant stitches, hooks and eyes trembling to fall off, but these deficiencies very easily can be put to rights. And the business girl would find herself sorely pressed for time to do the necessary shopping, matching trimmings, and the travelling to and from the dressmaker for fittings-on, while not her time alone but her pocket also would seriously suffer if the ready-to-wear gowns and walking-suits were suddenly to be banished from our drapery stores.

A shop-bought costume that doesn’t fit, however, isn’t cheap at any price. Learn, therefore, how to make alterations in the most common-sense and practical fashion, and take preventive measures, before the garment is worn for the first time, to overcome the little deficiencies that we may expect to discover in the “ready-mades.”

Tools for the Practical Needlewoman.

Chief among the aids for the practical needlewoman, taking first rank among her valuable assistants, comes the sewing-machine. For hard wear and every-day use machine-stitching is generally much neater and stronger than hand sewing, and the pace, of course, is far quicker. Her sewing-machine is a good friend to the busy woman who has most need to practise the art of preventive mending, for strength and speed are two of her chief demands.

It pays to understand one’s sewing-machine, and to treat it with tender care. Rough usage, or careless handling through ignorance of the rightful functions of the different delicate pieces may lead to dire disaster. A handbook of instructions is always given when the machine is purchased: cherish this book, for if it is mislaid you are at sea without your chart. The inexperienced girl who makes her early attempt to fathom the mysteries of the sewing-machine will find that a little personal instruction (which may be had at the depôt of her own make of machine) will be more helpful than an hour spent in trying to solve intricate problems by the aid of the printed page. Later on, however, the printed directions will read lucidly enough when her mind is conversant with the everyday workings of the machine, and an intelligent glance at her useful little handbook will disclose to her the cause and the remedy of the defective action.

Keep the machine scrupulously clean and thoroughly well oiled. To do this is again to recognise the wisdom of preventive measures. An un-oiled, dirty machine will always cause trouble in working, for when the parts do not run smoothly, dropped and uneven stitches are a frequent embarrassment.

[Sidenote: The Sewing Machine.]

Oil in every part, and open and turn back so that when the oil has soaked through, the clogged dirt may be carefully cleaned away.

A capacious mending basket is a necessity for the practical worker, and it is all the more convenient if it stands upon legs, table height, and can be carried about to be stationed just within comfortable reach of the mender’s right hand.

Keep always some tailor’s canvas for use as stiffening, buckram for millinery, white leno, and fine black lining, rolls of old linen and flannel for patching, stray pieces of lace, and left-over lengths of embroidery or insertions. Roll up all oddments in soft, clean muslin with tape or label attached, on which is written a list of the trifles to be found within your treasury.

If you frequently find your tape measure mislaid, try this plan, and thus prevent the long searching that interrupts your sewing. Cut as long a piece off your tape as will stretch from end to end of your machine, and paste it along the front edge of the stand. It thus will be _always_ at hand when required, and will serve at any rate for all the shorter measurements required.

It is a good plan to assemble your hooks and eyes on safety pins. Slip the opened pin through the separate hooks and eyes, then when they are all securely dangling, firmly close your safety pin, and they are ready for use when needed and will not get tangled and twisted together as so often happens if they are kept in a box.

Keep odd buttons in glass bottles. No more hunting in the dark and dust! You can see the button for which you are searching, and by shaking the bottle can bring it near to the top, where it can be easily reached. Bone or pearl buttons for underwear, or any others that are not affected by exposure, may be securely fixed upon a hairpin. Straighten out one of the long hairpins, bend back one end about a quarter or half an inch, run the point through the holes, and when your buttons are neatly crowded together turn up the other end to hold them securely.

Aids to Strength and Durability.

We have heard that in China it is the custom to pay the family doctor to keep his patients in good health rather than to call him in only after illness has laid the sufferer low. Many of us applaud this system, but have neither the opportunity nor, perhaps, the courage, to defy conventions in England.

But why not pursue the same wise course in dealing with household mending? It works admirably.

Take that proverbial stitch that “saves nine” in very good time, even before there is any apparent need for for it, and you’ll find it will work miracles.

[Sidenote: Preventive Mending.]

Stockings, for instance. The toes and heels of children’s stockings may be neatly darned before they are worn for the first time, for this purpose using crochet silk or mercerised thread, which is less bulky and clumsy than wool. Insist on frequent change of hosiery, and forbid the wearing of any stocking that shows even the tiniest hole. To prevent those long running ladders which are almost impossible to mend, sew a band of silk or cotton, or a border cut from an old stocking, round each hem of the new pair. Hose supporters (chief cause of these destructive ladders) will seldom cut through this double band. Or another excellent plan may be adopted. Take a round brass ring and double crochet closely over it to make a soft, firm covering. Sew this securely into position upon the stocking top with neat, strong stitches, and always insert the clip of the suspender within this ring. You will thus make it impossible for the tension to strain the stocking beyond the area enclosed by the ring.

In the knees of children’s stockings small shields may be placed, pieces cut from other stockings and fastened in so neatly that they are quite inconspicuous and not at all uncomfortable.

The “ready-mades,” whether visiting frocks, walking suits, or underwear, as was hinted in a previous paragraph, cry out loudly for preventive mending. For instance, sleeves should be stitched in by machine, for on ready-made clothes the machine stitching is not always carefully done, and a weak place in the sleeve seam will quickly give way under strain and start an ugly tear.

Embroidery with scalloped or pointed edging should be machined strongly all round the extreme edges, the machine needle patiently following the circuitous course of the pattern. This will double the life of embroidered lace, preventing frayed untidiness and breaks, gaps and tears.

To prevent an embroidery flounce from ragging out before the petticoat itself is any the worse for wear, neatly hem the edge as soon as it threatens to fray or gets torn by an accidental mis-step, and add a bordering of Valenciennes or fine Torchon lace.

Buttons should receive careful attention when any ready-made garment is bought. The trimness of effect and the general prettiness of coat or costume may be entirely spoilt if one of a set of distinctive buttons is allowed to drop off and get lost. Therefore sew on all buttons at the time of your purchase. Stitch carefully with a strong thread; when you have sewn through and through the button half a dozen times, wind your thread round and round the strands which hold the button, between the button and the cloth, making a sort of shank. Treat boot and shoe buttons in the same way.

It is wise to strengthen bed-linen with broad tape laid on at the corners, inconspicuously stitched into position, so that an added firmness is given to the sheets where the clothes-pegs might do most damage.

Look closely into the wool-worked buttonholing at your blanket ends. You may, with advantage, stitch fresh buttonhole edgings that will keep the neat turn-over, when the blanket is in use, for a longer time than if the shop-bought edging were left to suffice.

Remember that half-an-hour spent weekly in preventive mending, will save the busy housewife hours of darning and patching later on.

For Keeping out the Wind.

The value of old Kid Gloves.

With furs advanced 80 per cent. in price in some cases, and every sort of leather and skin at a premium, it is evident that many who would like new furs, and a leather waistcoat for motoring, will have to forego these for a while, now that such items have become so expensive.

Those who are studying economy, however, will find an excellent substitute for the leather, and the fur skins, in the old kid gloves that have got beyond even the cleaner’s kindly aid. It is always the fingers and thumb that go; the remainder of the glove will be a serviceable bit of kid. These pieces can be used in a variety of ways, and since they are impervious to wind, they may save you many a chill—or more serious illness,—if you find a new thick winter coat beyond your purse in these hard times.

Cut off the fingers and thumb, remove the fasteners, cut the glove up to the top at the front opening, and spread it out flat—as you see in the small illustration. There will be a little fulness at the thumb-pieces, but this can be doubled over and stitched down flat.

Perhaps your thickest coat is not nearly thick enough for the piercing east winds that come to us in the early part of the year, finding out our weak spots.

For an Under-coat or Waistcoat.

If you wish to avoid the cost of a new big coat, why not make a small sleeveless coat, or a waistcoat to wear under your outdoor coat? For this you will need about 1½ yards of silk for the outside, some thin flannel for the interlining, and some more silk, or other suitable material for the lining. I suggest silk, because this slips on so easily, and the outer coat, in turn, slips on easily over the silk waistcoat. It takes so little material that in all probability you can get enough out of the silk lining of some discarded coat or underskirt. Then of course there are the old gloves. Cut out the silk, outer and lining, and the flannel, by the same pattern. Deal with the flannel first. Onto this stitch the pieces of glove—they merely want pinning in place first of all, and then run the machine round each fragment. Put them on as they will best cover the flannel, it doesn’t matter how irregular it all is, so long as the flannel is completely covered. It doesn’t look elegant, as you are doing it; that again, is unimportant, as it is all hidden by the silk. If you have not enough gloves for your needs, a few bits of chamois leather will help you out.

Then make up the little undercoat, with the glove-covered flannel as interlining, the kid against the lining, and you will find you have something that keeps out the wind in a way a woollen hug-me-tight could never do. And the glove-lined garment takes up so little room that it does not add to one’s bulk; in addition, it is very light in weight—a great advantage.

The idea is capable of various developments. A velvet stole edged with a little fur could be interlined in the same way. It would be light and warm, and a real comfort on cold days. It is quite surprising how the kid interlining adds to the warmth of a garment.

A chest protector, like the one we illustrate, is invaluable for the girl who has a weak chest, and is out in all weathers. This again is quite easy to make.

In a garment like this, or any large surface, it is as well to run the machine down the material after the pieces are all joined up; this “quilts” it and holds it together.

For Men’s Waistcoats.

Many men complain that they feel cold at their back, even though they are wearing the thickest of vests. This is probably due to the fact that the material used in making the back of the waistcoat is many degrees thinner than that used for the fronts. The defect can be easily remedied, however, if you have three or four old pairs of gloves.

Cut out a piece of stout black lining, the size of the back piece of the waistcoat. Stitch the portions of the gloves to the wrong side of this lining. They will not need to come below the strap at the waist-line. Then turn in the edges, and apply this to the inside of the waistcoat (glove pieces inside of course), and run it neatly all round, taking care that it does not show above the top of the waistcoat at the back. It will keep it better in place if you run a line of stitching down the centre of the back, from top to bottom, after the lining has been run on all round.

You will have a perfectly neat looking garment that simply looks like a waistcoat with black lining at the back.

I advise this lining being put on by hand rather than by machine.

An Apron you can make from a Summer Skirt.

The attractive little apron illustrated on this page has been made with the expenditure of very little time and trouble, from a straight-gathered cotton voile skirt.

The simple gathered full type of skirt has been very popular for the summer frock during the last two or three years, and when this has lost its freshness for dress wear, the material will often be found to be in quite good enough condition to turn to account in the manner suggested.

At the top of the page the skirt is shown before its transformation; the two lower figures give the front and back views of the apron when finished, and you will see that it is quite a becoming little garment of the fashionable button-on-the-shoulder style, with straps crossing at the back.

To make the apron, first take your skirt and rip the gathers away from the band at the top, measure 30 inches from the centre front of the skirt folded together, and cut away the extra fulness from the back. The larger portion you have then forms the apron. If the skirt you are using happens to be one that fastens with a seam at the centre front, it will be best to use the back of the skirt for the centre front of the apron, to avoid a seam down the centre.

Unless the skirt is a very short one, you will find it will be quite long enough without making any alteration in the hem, but as most skirts have a fairly deep hem, it would be quite possible to let this down if necessary.

To form the curved sides for the under-arm, measure 12 inches along the top edge from the centre front, and cut a half-circle 7 inches deep and 12 inches across in each side of the apron.

Now take the piece you cut away from the back of the skirt, and from this cut a straight double strip 12 inches long and 4 inches deep for the front yoke band, and two further double strips each 17 inches long and 4 inches wide for the shoulder straps. Mitre one end of each of the shoulder straps and slant the other ends, taking 2 inches off the length for the outer edge of the strap. If your skirt should not be full enough to give sufficient material for the double straps, they could quite well be lined with some other material, or could even be made a little narrower.

Finish the back edges of the apron with narrow hems, also the armholes. Gather the front and place between the double yoke band. The backs are also gathered and placed between the slanting ends of the shoulder straps, putting the shortest part of the strap towards the back.

Cross the straps at the back of the apron, and fasten the mitred ends to the yoke band with buttons and buttonholes. Your little apron is then complete.

_Photo by
M. Parsons._]

Knitting Your Own Woollen Spencers.

Provided you are fond of knitting and can work fairly quickly, you will find it a great economy to make your own woollen spencers.

If you are careful to select wool of good quality, you will be well rewarded for the time spent in making, as hand-knitted woollens can always be relied upon to show less shrinkage with constant washing than even the most reliable makes of all-wool woven underwear.

Here is a practical little design that is very easily made, and very comfortable for wearing, the cross-over front giving a double protection over the chest.

Materials required.

7½ ounces of 4-ply white A.A. “Peacock” Fingering, and 4 No. 13 steel needles.

Abbreviations used.

=K= = knit; =p= = purl; =st= = stitch or stitches.

The Back.

The body section is worked in one piece, and is commenced from the back.

Cast on 100 st.

Knit 20 rows of ribbing, 1 plain and 1 purl alternately.

Now commence working a plain and a purl row alternately, knitting plain the first 4 st and the last 4 st of both the plain and the purl rows. These plain stitches prevent the edges of the work from curling up, and give a flat under-arm seam.

Work 60 rows in this way, increasing 1 st in the 6th st from each end of every 15th row. Continue for 5 more rows, which will bring you to the armhole.

_86th Row._—Cast off 12 st, p to 4 st from the end of the row, k 4.

_87th Row._—Cast off 12 st, k to the end of the row.

Cast off 1 st at the commencement of each of the next 4 rows. This should leave you with 80 st on the needle.

Now work 49 rows, a plain and a purl row alternately, slipping the 1st st of every row. In these rows purl the return rows right across, omitting the four plain st at each end.

N.E. D

The Front.

To divide the st for the fronts, k 34 st on to a spare needle, cast off 12 st for the back of the neck, and on the remaining 34 st work one front as follows:

_1st Row._—Cast off 2 st, k to the end of the row.

_2nd Row._—Slip 1, p to the end of the row.

_3rd Row._—Cast off 2 st, k to the end of the row.

_4th Row._—Slip 1, p to the end of the row, then cast on 6 st to form the front border.

On these 36 st work 30 rows, a plain and a purl row alternately, working the 6 border st plain in every row, and slipping the 1st st when turning from the armhole edge.

In the next row increase 1 st in the 7th st. Work 35 more rows, and increase 1 st in the 7th st from the border edge in every 6th row.

Now in the next 4 plain rows increase 1 st in the 2nd st from the armhole edge, and after working the next plain row cast on 12 st for the front of the armhole.

Now work 60 rows, a plain and a purl row alternately, continuing the increasings from the front edge, with 5 rows between, and working 4 plain st in every row to form the seam from the armhole edge. In the 31st and 51st rows, k the 6th and 7th st from the armhole edge together to decrease a little to shape for the waist. Work 20 rows of ribbing; cast off. Reverse the directions for the right front.

To finish the neck, pick up the back of the 6 st, cast on for the border, k 80 rows; cast off. Stretch this strip round the back of the neck, and sew into position. Sew up the

(_Concluded on page 52_).

A Child’s Knitted Petticoat.

This little petticoat is made to fit a child of from four to five years, and measures 20 inches from the neck to the lower edge of the skirt.

Materials Required.

Five ounces of Messrs. J. & J. Baldwin’s White “Beehive” 4-ply Scotch Fingering, 1 pair of long No. 10 bone needles, and a set of No. 11 steel needles.

Abbreviations Used.

K = knit; P = purl; O = over (put the wool over and make a stitch); N = narrow (knit two stitches together); st = stitch or stitches.

Cast on 291 st.

_1st Row._—Plain.

_2nd Row._—Purl.

_3rd Row._—K 2, * O, K 4, K 3 together, K 4, O, K 1, repeat from * to the end of the row, ending with K 2.

_4th Row._—Plain.

Repeat the 3rd and 4th rows 32 times, or until the skirt is the length required.

_69th Row._—K 6, K 3 together, * K 9, K 3 together, repeat from * to the end of the row.

_70th Row._—Purl.

_71st Row._—K 5, K 3 together, * K 7, K 3 together, repeat from * to the end of the row.

_72nd Row._—Purl.

_73rd Row._—K 4, K 3 together * K 5, K 3 together, repeat from * to the end of the row.

_74th Row._—Purl.