Chapter I: Foreword

This book has been written to tell little girls how much fun it is to learn to sew and make pretty things for their dolls, themselves, and other people. Of course, as Sir Bodkin says, “We can’t have gains without pains,” but it is much pleasanter to learn in play how to do things the right way. This makes it easier for us when we are grown up, because we have the knowledge “at our finger-tips.”

I hope that mothers, teachers, and those interested in girls will find this book helpful, as my experience has been that children eagerly grasp and absorb facts presented in story and rhyme.

A number of these sewing-lesson stories have appeared in the _Modern Priscilla Magazine_. Acknowledgment is here gratefully made for permission to use them.

GEORGIA ELDREDGE HANLEY.

CONTENTS

PAGE
I. THE KING OF THE ONE-EYED FAIRIES 13

II. SIR BODKIN STEPS IN AND OUT 20
Using Bodkin.

III. THE STITCHERS, BASTER AND RUNNER 28
Basting and Running.

IV. DAINTY HEMMER 37
Hemming.

V. THE CREWEL ONE 46
Blanket-Stitch.

VI. OLD DOCTOR DARNER 54
Darning Stockings.

VII. THE DOLL’S BLANKET 62
Catch-stitch.

VIII. BROTHER JIM’S MARBLE-BAG 69
Back-stitch.

IX. MARGARET’S NEW MIDDY BLOUSE 79
Making Eyelets.

X. AUNTIE’S BIRTHDAY PRESENT 89
Cross-stitch.

XI. A THREE-CORNERED TEAR 96
Mending.

XII. LACY FRILLS 103
Making Ruffles.

XIII. JIM’S OVERALLS 112
Patching.

XIV. SEWING ON BUTTONS 121
Shank, Pearl, Bone, Cloth.

XV. A CREWEL FROLIC 131
Chain-stitch.

XVI. MARGARET MAKES BUTTONHOLES 138
Making Buttonholes.

XVII. TUCKING GRANDMA’S APRON 147
Marking and Basting Tucks.

XVIII. FINISHING THE GIFT 157
Gathering and Putting on Band.

XIX. RICKRACK TRIMMING 166
Sewing Rickrack Braid.

XX. THE DOLL’S CHRISTMAS PRESENT 176
Outline-stitch.

XXI. SOME MORE CHRISTMAS PRESENTS 184
Hemstitching, Rolled Hems.

XXII. FINISHING THE HANDKERCHIEFS 192
Double Overcasting in Color.

XXIII. LAZY-DAISIES AND FRENCH KNOTS 200
Lazy-Daisy Stitch, French Knots.

XXIV. A SURPRISE 209

ILLUSTRATIONS

He fell headlong to the floor _Frontispiece_

PAGE

“You can do it! You can do it!” 17

She ran to get a pretty dress 22

Running ribbon in beading 24

From the tip of her nose 30

Threading needle 31

Basting 32

Running 33

“Mark with pins” 41

Hemming 42

Blanket-stitch 49

“Blanket-stitching is quite easy” 51

Running around the hole 56

Darning up and down 57

Darning across 58

“Hold the stocking stretched on your hand” 59

Catch-stitch 65

“I’ll put you to sleep in your little bed” 67

“Hold the goods lengthwise and cut” 71

Basting and running on outside of bag 73

Basting and back-stitching on inside of bag 73

Back-stitching 75

Basting and hemming casing on inside of bag 76

Finished bag 76

Eyelet for casing 77

She went through some simple exercises 80

Making eyelets 86

Cross-stitch 92

“Press the letters on the wrong side” 94

The birds were singing 98

Mending tear 99

Gathering lace 107

Sewing on lace 107

“’Tis done at last” 109

“Ouch! I’m caught” 113

First bastings 116

Third basting 116

Sewing edge of hole 119

Sewing around patch 119

There they all were 122

Four kinds of buttons 125

Ornamental shank pearl buttons 127

Two kinds of buttons 127

Coming up the stairs singing to herself 132

Chain-stitch 134

“Follow a thread of the goods” 140

Bar half-way around 142

Bar 142

Overcasting half around 143

Buttonhole-stitch 144

Finished buttonhole 144

“Measure one inch up from the hem top” 150

Basting first tuck 152

Tucks basted ready for stitching 154

“I stitched ’em myself” 159

Basting gathers to band 161

Basting down band 162

Sewing on rickrack 170

“I’ll need to wear my apron gay” 174

Outline-stitch 180

“My doll will be glad on Christmas” 181

“Fold each square over diagonally” 186

Hemstitching 187

Hem rolling 190

First overcasting 194

Second overcasting 196

Blanket-stitch 196

Wrapping up her Christmas gifts 198

“For Mother as a surprise” 202

Lazy-daisy stitch 203

French knots 205

“A silver wrist-watch for my birthday!” 213

The One-Eyed Fairies