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CLOTHING

PART I

Things to Know in Beginning to Sew

How to Keep Our Work Clean-Before we begin to sew we must see that our hands are perfectly clean and dry to prevent the needles from becoming rough or sticky, and if possible wear a clean white apron so that our work will not be soiled.

How to Sit when Sewing-Sit erect with the lower part of the back against the back of the chair; lungs expanded, and so the arms may be used with ease.

How to Thread a Needle-Pick up the spool with the right hand, break off the thread with the left hand, put the spool down. Pick up the needle with the right hand and with the same hand put the eye of the needle over the thread, drawing the thread with left hand (ready for the knot) and turning the needle into position for sewing.

If you already know how to thread a needle, read these directions carefully to see if you are doing it correctly and thus saving time and useless movements.

How to Make a Knot-The needle is in the right hand when the threading is completed. Take the thread between the thumb and first finger of the left hand, stretching the thread tightly. Wind the thread around the top of the first finger, crossing it over the end between the finger and the thumb. Roll the first finger down the thumb about half an inch, carrying the thread with it, and with the second finger push the knot formed to the end of the thread. A large knot can be made by winding the thread around the finger twice.

How to Use a Thimble-The thimble is worn on the second finger of the right hand. Get in the habit of using it, for when you become accustomed to it you can work faster. Practise using it by holding the needle between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, then placing the thimble on the eye of the needle, push the needle between the thumb and forefinger without a tension in the other fingers. Push the needle back with the left hand and repeat the motion.

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE CORRECT COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS, THREADS, AND NEEDLES IN HAND SEWING

Needle No. 1 to No. 5..............

Needle No. 6 to No. 8..

With No. 8 to No. 40 cotton, or No. 40 to No. 80 linen. For heavy, coarse materials.

With No. 40 to No. 90 cotton, or C to A and B sewing silk. For medium-weight muslins and and soft silks and linens.

Needle No. 9 to No. 10-12............With No. 80 to No. 150 cotton, or 0 to 000 sewing silk. For sheer muslins, linens, and chiffons.

(See Machine Book of directions for correct thread and needles for different materials for machine sewing.)

General Sewing Equipment

1. A sewing basket or work-box for implements.

2. Sewing needles of good steel. Packages of Nos. 5 to 10 give good

assortment.

3. Sewing thread.

4. Pins-good sharp ones.

5. Thimble-silver, aluminum, or celluloid are best.

6. Scissors. For ordinary use four or five-inch scissors and seven- or eight-inch shears are best.

7. Emery bag..

8. Tracing wheel-cost from 5 to 50 cents.

9. Stiletto-ivory or steel is best.

10. Ripping knife.

11. Tape-line or measure.

12. A ruler.

Use and Care of Sewing Machine-Before beginning to use the sewing machine, have your mother, or some one who is thoroughly familiar with it, explain the relation of its parts, especially how to thread the needle and the bobbin or shuttle, how to start the machine, tread evenly, change stitch, to use the tension, and how to clean and oil the machine. Refer constantly to the book of directions. If you do not possess one, write to the company who made your machine and get one.

Be sure that thread, needle, and length of stitch are in keeping with the material. Consult the book for size of needle and suitable thread to be used. Practise stitching and threading on heavy brown paper without thread until you can make a straight line of needle-pricks. Practise on striped material and then on plain cloth before you begin to stitch on the garment you are making.

PART II

How to Make and Use the Elementary Stitches

The Backstitch-The backstitch is a stitch used for seams. It is made by taking a short stitch back on the upper side and a longer one forward on the underside of the material. Bring needle out on top a space in advance, so that the right side or upper side looks similar to machine stitching.

The half backstitch is a stitch which is made similar to backstitch, except the needle is put back only half the space taken up instead of back the whole space.

The Basting Stitch-Bastings are stitches put into materials temporarily to hold two or more pieces together and in place for permanent hand-made or machine-made stitching. Bastings are called "even" bastings when the spaces between stitches are of equal length, "uneven"

when stitches are longer than the spaces between them, "diagonal" when stitches are slanted to secure outside material to a lining, especially when the material is "eased" on the lining.

Fig. 1-The Blanket Stitch.

The Blanket Stitch-This is used for ornament and for a finish to prevent the edge from fraying. In starting, secure the thread by a few running stitches toward the edge at the left. Work from left to right. Hold the thread under the left thumb, insert the needle to the depth required and bring it up from under the edge, allowing the thread to lie beneath the needle and forming the edge. For decorative purposes designs may be made by varying the length of the stitch and by grouping the stitches.

Buttonholes-The three different kinds of buttonholes are:

(a) One with bar at both ends.

(b) One with one round and one barred end.

(c) One called the "tailor's" buttonhole.

A buttonhole makes or mars a garment, and, therefore, should be perfectly made. To get them properly spaced, mark the points for the top and bottom buttonholes and divide the space evenly between these two points. The length of the buttonhole should be carefully marked with a pencil and should be from one-eighth to one-fourth inch larger than the button to be used. If ordinary scissors are to be used in cutting the buttonhole, place a pin at one end of the mark, fold through the center of the mark and cut to the pin. The pin holds the two pieces together and prevents the danger of cutting the buttonhole too big.

Mark and make a clean cut with buttonhole scissors which have been carefully tested for the desired length of the slit. Be sure to cut with sharp scissors along the line of a thread, so that the slit will be even and not ragged.

The buttonhole that has a bar at each end is used when the strain does not come at the ends. Example: An upright buttonhole in the center plait of a shirtwaist. When the strain does come at one end, as in a neckband, the buttonhole should have a round end where the strain

comes.

To Make the Buttonhole-Buttonholes are stranded to prevent the edges from stretching and sometimes, with material that frays easily, they are overcasted as shown in the illustration. Begin the stranding by bringing the needle up at one end of the buttonhole and allow the thread to lie along the edge of the cut and put the needle down at the opposite end, and repeat along the other edge. If heavy buttonholes are desired, the slit may be stranded with double thread.

To Make the Buttonhole Stitch (Fig. 2)-Put the cut buttonhole lengthwise of the forefinger of the left hand, holding it in position. with thumb and second finger. Bring the needle up close to the lower right corner below the cut at the depth desired for the width of the stitches of the buttonhole. Before drawing the needle through, bring the double thread as it hangs from the eye of the needle around to the

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Ends.

left under the needle. Draw the needle through the loop, allowing the thread to make a purl exactly on the edge of the slit. Repeat this stitch to the opposite end, being sure to take each stitch the same depth along one thread and very close together. Put two or three stitches across the end close to the buttonhole stitches and then put buttonhole stitch over them to finish the bar. Work the other side of the buttonhole and the second bar.

The Round-End Buttonhole (Fig. 3)-Start this buttonhole as in the barred buttonhole, working down one side. When the opposite end is reached, take the stitches on a slant. Place the needle each time at a little different angle until the end is evenly rounded. Buttonhole the other side and finish the other end with a bar.

Tailor's Buttonhole (Fig. 4)-This buttonhole has a round end or eyelet at the strain, which provides a place for the shank of the button, or the threads holding the button. It is used in garments made of heavy material.

The process in making this buttonhole is similar to the others. Baste around the line of cutting to hold material from slipping, cut slit, put in strands, overcast, and put in buttonhole stitch. At the eyelet the stitches should slant from the eyelet as the spokes do in a wheel. In this heavy material the edges of the buttonholes should be basted

together by an over-and-over stitch just back of the buttonhole stitches. and then pressed under a dampened cloth. A stiletto pushed through the eyelet before the cloth is entirely dry will make it perfectly round.

How to Sew on Buttons-To locate position for the button, lap the edges of the garment, and push a pin through at the outer end of the buttonhole. Make a knot on the thread and put the needle through from the right side, so that the knot will be on the right side under the button. Place a pin between the button and the stitches-which in a four-holed button may be put in parallel or crossed. Repeat the stitches until button is securely fastened. Remove the pin, hold the button away from the material, and wind the end of the thread several times around the threads between the button and the material. This loose sewing and winding increases the durability of the work and lessens the strain on the button.

In sewing on shank buttons, make the stitches parallel with the edge, so that the strain will come on the shank.

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The Catch Stitch (Fig. 5)-The catch or "cat" stitch is a cross stitch used to hold down edges of seams, especially of garments made of flannel. The stitch is worked from left to right. Hold the seam over left forefinger, insert the needle under the edge at the lower left corner, cross the edge, and take a small stitch to the right a few threads back to the left. Cross back again and insert the needle, taking a similar stitch through all the thicknesses of the material.

The Chain Stitch (Fig. 6)-This stitch is used for an ornament and also for padding for embroidery. Bring the needle up from under the material, hold down the thread with the left thumb, and put the needle in the same hole. Bring it up a stitch's distance below on the upper side of the thread, thus forming a loop or link.

The Cross Stitch (Fig. 7)-The cross stitch is an ornamental stitch usually worked over open-meshed canvas, called cross-stitch material. After the design is finished, the canvas threads are cut and very easily withdrawn. The stitch consists of two slanting lines crossed. These threads are put in so that the uppermost threads all slant in the same direction, usually from right to left. Bring the needle up to the right

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