Chapter XIII: Making a Doll’s Apron

“IN cutting any garment, wherever there will be a pull upon the goods, what threads should bear the strain?”

“The warp threads,” answered Mary Frances, deeply interested.

“Good,” said Sewing Bird Fairy Lady, “the warp threads, or lengthwise of the goods. Now, we are ready for

PATTERN 2.―DOLL’S APRON

1. Cut a piece of lawn five inches, lengthwise of the goods; and
seven inches wide. You can pull out a thread and cut along the
line it makes, to get a perfectly straight edge.

2. Cut two strings each six inches long, lengthwise of the goods,
and one and one-half inches wide.

3. Cut a band four inches long, and two inches wide.

“How tall is your dolly?” she asked.

“I’ll have to measure,” said Mary Frances. “Come,” she said, “Angie, dear, wake up! Mother wants to see how big her dolly has grown.”

Angie was very good and stood quite still while Mary Frances held her against the yardstick.

“Sixteen inches tall,” she said; “nearly half a yard.”

“Then the apron will be just right,” smiled Fairy Lady. “Now, I’ll give you directions.”

MAKING A DOLL’S APRON (PATTERN 2)

1. Fold the two five-inch sides together, to find center. Clip a
notch at the top.

2. Open. Turn an inch hem at the bottom, and baste it in place.
Hem with No. 9 needle, and No. 60 or 70 white cotton.

3. Turn a quarter inch hem on the sides. Baste and hem.

“Next you gather the top, and set the gathers into the band; but first you must learn about

20.―GATHERING

Gathering is done by the use of the running stitch.

1. Turn the goods over one-quarter of an inch from edge and pinch
a crease to mark a line to follow with the gathering stitches.
Open it up.

2. Use a thread a little longer than the space to be gathered,
which is from the center notch to the side of the apron.

(Use No. 40 cotton for gathering the apron.)

3. Make a good-sized knot, put needle in downward on right side
of goods.

4. Sew on crease, taking several stitches before pulling needle
through. Aim to take up on the needle about half as many threads
of the goods as you skip, but do not trouble to count them.

5. When finished, make a knot in the end of the thread and let it
hang.

6. Put a pin in at the last stitch you took, and draw up the work
a little, fastening the thread over and under the pin.

Stroke the gathers.

“Stroking is done to make the gathers set more evenly.”

21.―STROKING OF GATHERS

1. With right side toward you, begin at left hand edge.

2. Hold work between the thumb and first finger of left hand.
Keep thumb below gathering thread.

3. Put point of a blunt needle or eye of an ordinary needle under
a little plait of the goods and bring it up under the thumb, draw
needle down and pinch plait with thumb.

NOTE.―Stroking is not often done to very thin goods, lest it be
torn, but many small stitches are placed on the needle at once
and pinched together before pulling the thread through.

“Now the apron is ready for

22.―SETTING GATHERS IN A BAND

1. Find the middle of the band and clip a tiny notch in edge of
each side.

2. Clip off each corner of band, to avoid thickness of goods.

3. Pin the right hand end of the gathered piece one-quarter of an
inch from the right hand end of band.

4. Pin the center of the gathered piece to the center of the band.

5. Pin the left hand end of the gathered piece one-quarter of an
inch from the left hand end of the band.

6. Tighten or loosen the gathering thread to the exact length of
the band and fasten under and over the pin.

7. With needle point, distribute, or spread, the gathers evenly.

8. With gathers toward you, baste with small even basting stitch
just above the gathering thread.

9. With stitching stitch, sew the gathering to the band, taking
up one gather at a time. Fasten thread and cut off.

10. Turn up the band. Fold the opposite side over toward you
one-quarter of an inch from the edge. Crease. Do the same to the
ends of band.

11. Fold this over the gathers, bringing the folded edge just
over the stitching.

12. Pin the middle of the band to the middle of the stitching,
and the ends to the ends, exactly even.

13. Baste, with even basting.

14. Hem the gathers against the band, taking up one gather at a
time. Do not let the stitches show on right side.