Sewing for litte girls

Preface

It is an easy matter to interest a little girl in sewing if one approach the subject in the right way.

The average mother pays scant attention to her child's play with dolls, not realizing that it is possible to turn the making of the doll's outfit into the most practical of lessons.

While a garment for herself might at first only weary and dishearten the little seamstress, the miniature pieces have a peculiar appeal of their own that will cause her to execute the most perfect kind of work with delight.

The wise woman, therefore, will assist with suggestions about the suitability of the materials to be used, and aid in the laying on of the patterns, the cutting and the fitting, as well as instruct about the actual sewing.

Indeed, with the doll's clothes it is possible to make each article teach some special lesson under the guise of the most fascinating play, while having mother for a friend and helper will be another incentive to neatness.

PREFACE

As the making of the small clothes shows how the larger ones are put together, the child that has made a complete outfit for a doll will have, when she awakens to the delight of sewing for herself, definite ideas about how she wants her own. And after all, few things give a woman more satisfaction than the ability to sew.

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

I. Preparing dolly's bed 1

II. The sewing outfit 13

Chapter I

O bed! O bed! delicious bed!

That heaven upon earth to the weary headl

— Hood.

Do you really want to learn to sew? Well, although you are a twentieth century little girl, your mother must have some good old-fashioned ideas about things a child should be taught, and if you tell her you are ready to begin, I am sure she will help you.

Of course the very first thing you will need is a needle and thread. Now, if some well-intentioned dear old grandma has not already given you a "ready-made" work-box, filled with heavy red and blue cotton, and scissors that never were intended to cut, here's a chance to start a nice little sensible work-box such as your mother may be glad to run to in a hurry.

First, coax one of your devoted uncles to buy you a pair of small, sharp, round-pointed scissors. You will notice that I said to ask your uncle.

That's because he is less likely to think of your hurting yourself and therefore will get a good pair. But do not use them to cut wire! Ask mother to please give you a whole paper of needles for yourself (5's to 10's will be best assortment) so you can have any size you need, and then take care of them.

THE WORK-BOX

Now that you have two things, you will want to keep them together, so suppose you take a pretty candy box and use that for a work-box. Mother probably will not think it necessary to give you a number of spools of thread to start with, but she may not object to your winding off some of both the fine and coarse of her black and white, as well as a little colored silk also; and if you cannot find empty spools enough for the purpose, wind on to rolled-up pieces of writingpaper. If you will first fold this paper into strips about two inches wide, your rolls will be all the same size.

A thimble, of course, is necessary, for all fine needlewomen use a thimble, but do not let it roll away and get stepped on. It spoils the shape. And just as soon as you begin to sew, you will feel the need of a needle book to hold your loose needies, so hunt through the scrap-bag until you find some pretty little pieces of flannel and some small scraps of silk or velvet, and out of these I will show you later how to make a handy little needlebook and a small pin-cushion. But in the meantime use a piece of folded cloth.

A bodkin, or tape-needle, is quite an important part of a well-ordered sewing outfit, too, as you will find after awhile, and then if you can persuade some one to buy you a "run-in-and-hide" tape measure, and a pretty little strawberry emery, your box will be quite complete. Take good care of all your things. When you get through sewing, do not go off and leave them scattered about, but put them back in the box, replace the cover, and set them carefully away. You might want to use them soon again.

THE SEWING CHAIR AND TABLE

You probably have noticed that when mother gets ready to sew she gets out her work-table and her pet sewing chair, and makes herself as comfortable as possible. When you are ready to sew you, too, should get out your little table, if you have one, and the chair that best fits it, so you can have your things all together and keep the pieces off the floor. It is much better to work on a table than to try to keep thread, needles, scissors, thimble, pin-cushion, goods and patterns all in your lap, and besides, you would scarcely be able to move if you did. So, follow the example of your wise mother, and get everything ready before you begin.

MAKING PATCHWORK

For your first sewing lesson I am going to tell you how to run plain seams, and in order that you may have something worth while to show for your time and trouble, I will suggest that you make a quilt for Dolly's bed. First, take a piece of newspaper and cut it several inches larger all round than the exact size of the bed. Fold this in the middle lengthwise, then crosswise, making a block one-fourth the size. Cut out one of these sections, fold it twice in exactly the same way, and then cut out one of these small corners. But you have to allow for seams, on every side, so lay the small square on another piece of paper and cut it a quarter of an inch larger on each edge. Be sure to keep this pattern for future use, or else cut out all of the sixteen pieces at once, and put them where they will not get lost.

What kind of goods are you going to use, by the way? If you have many ends of silk, they would come in very handy for this purpose, but if you can't get enough, then see if you have plenty of woolen scraps such as flannel, broadcloth, serge, cashmere, etc. It is better to have them all about the same weight, although the more colors the better. But if you can get only cotton, remember that that was what the nice old-fashioned quilts were made of, and see how many pretty pieces you can find, left from wash-dresses, aprons, shirt waists and such things.

If you decide to cut out these sixteen pieces like your pattern all at once, then it would be a good idea to fit them together on a piece of paper the size of the quilt, so you can select and put the right shades together.

RUNNING THE PATCHES

When the squares are all arranged, choose a needle that is suitable for the material, because a fine needle might break on some stiff, heavy goods, while a big, coarse needle would be difficult to push through fine close cotton weaves. Select a thread, not too long, of a color as near as possible like the goods, and put on your thimble. Lay the right sides of two squares together, and, holding the edges even (or pinning them to keep them straight, if you prefer), run along one side of the blocks with your thread and needle. To do this nicely take a very small stitch on the needle, leave an equal space, and push in for the second stitch, which you must try to get the same length as the first. You ought to get four or five stitches on your needle at a time, and a little practice (holding pieces with the left hand), will enable you to get them quite perfect. Be sure to have a knot in the end of your thread, and when you have sewed across the block and finished the seam, fasten your thread by taking three or four small stitches one on top of the other.

Next take two other blocks and stitch them neatly together in the same way, fastening the end of the thread securely when you have gotten through. This done, lay the first set, smoothed out nice and straight, on top of the second, and sew across two blocks before you fasten your thread. Then, when you open out your work, you will find you have one-quarter of the patchwork done.

This may be as much as you feel like doing in one day, and if so, pick up all your things, put them carefully away, and go off to play. But be sure not to lose any of the pieces.

When you are ready to sew again, do not get 6 careless, but take the same care as at first; and when you have finished another set of four, put that away, too. When you have made them all — the four sets of four small blocks — put them together exactly as you did the little one, thus making the whole quilt.

PRESSING

I came near forgetting to tell you to take your little flatiron and press the seams open on each set of blocks as soon as finished, for if not pressed, your work will be "humpy," and not at all like what a neat seamstress would do. And when the sets of blocks are all sewed together, you must press these last seams, too, nice and flat. Then lay your patchwork on the piece of goods you are going to use for the lining or back, right sides together. Pin or baste to hold perfectly even, and cut it out the right size. Stitch around three sides, every inch or two setting your needle back a stitch to make the sewing firmer. When you have finished the three sides, turn your work right side out, smooth it into shape, and crease on both the front and back edge left open, as much of a seam as you have been taking, and pin these two edges exactly even. Sew very carefully together, taking the tiniest stitches you can, so they will not show. When all done, press the finished quilt on the wrong side and you will find you have a pretty coverlet, all made with your own fingers.

SHEETS

When you have finished your quilt, you will be apt to find that you need some sheets, too, for Dolly's bed, So, ask your mother for a clean piece of old muslin (you will find it much easier to sew than the new), and then before you cut it out make a pattern from newspaper. Cut this longer than the bed, and wider, too, folding the paper across the top, first one-quarter of an inch and then over again one inch, to make a wide hem. Allow only a quarter-inch hem for the bottom and sides, and then you will always be able to tell which end of the sheet goes to the head. Better lay this pattern on the bed next, to be sure it is plenty large enough to tuck in nicely, and after you are positive it is all right, cut the goods the exact size of the paper with the hems smoothed out straight.

BASTING

After creasing the hems all around, take some big, long stitches, called basting, to hold the hems in place.

For even basting, the stitches should be the same length ; but for the more common, uneven basting, take up a stitch as in "running," skip a space twice as long, take up another short stitch, skip a long space, and so on to the end.

HEMMING

Then prepare yourself with a fine needle and a fine thread.

Starting at the left-hand end of the hem, holding it over your left forefinger, with the folded hem on the upper side so you can see plainly, take a "teenty-weenty" stitch through the sheet, and catch the very edge of the hem as you push the needle out. Pull the thread clear up to the knot, and putting your needle in the sheet again close to the first stitch, take another one of the same length and catch that in the folded hem before you pull it out. There — that's all there is to hemming! And if you do not quite see it in your mind's eye, the little picture will make it plain. The real beauty of hemming is in having the little stitches so fine and even that they scarcely show on the right side ; but you will learn that with practice. If your first attempt at it results in work a bit clumsy-looking, do not be discouraged, for your second attempt will look better, and before long you will be able to hem almost as well as mother.

BASTING AND HEMMING

The basting stitches are the long. The hemming stitches are the short.

And if you get in a hurry for your sheets, as housekeepers often do, and do not feel like taking the time to hem them all the way around, you 10 can run the sides and bottom, using the same stitch you put the blocks together with. This is much faster sewing, and if you take pains, will look very nice, too.

CHAPTER II The Sewing Outfit

There is always work And tools to work withal, for those who will.

— Lowell.

As you have already tried running and hemming, I am going to suggest that you do a little more practicing on these two stitches by making what the children call a "polybag." This is a pretty silk bag for carrying your thread, needles, scissors and thimble when you go visiting and take your work. One presented to a child I know was made of a piece of fancy ribbon six inches wide and twenty-seven inches long, although any pretty piece of goods cut that shape would do just as well. First fold under each end one-eighth of an inch (basting if necessary to keep in place), and then lap over four inches, like a great wide hem, and baste that. Next, taking a thread the same color, hem each of these ends across, taking the nicest kind of little stitches, so the thread will scarcely show on the right side. Fasten securely when you come to the end, or it will pull apart when you begin to use it. Then run a line of stitches half an inch inside each row of hemming, which will leave a little narrow opening or casing, for holding the ribbon when you are ready to draw your bag together.

OVER-HANDING

When you have each end finished nicely this way, fold the strip together in the middle, and begin right at the fold to over-hand the two edges, by putting the needle through both pieces at once as they are held side by side, pulling it out, and putting in again in very much the same way as when hemming. Only, if you will look carefully at the illustration you will see that the goods must be held differently. Over-hand up each side until you come to the two hems, which should just exactly meet, then fasten very tightly, and sew over and over again to prevent coming apart. When both sides are done, and you turn your work right side out, you will see that you have made a pocket or bag about six inches square, that has a pretty three-inch doubled ruffle on each side.

Now thread one yard of quarter-inch ribbon in

your bodkin, run it through the opening you left

for the purpose clear around the bag, and tie the

ends in a little bow. Taking another yard of the

THE SEWING OUTFIT

same kind, start that from the opening on the other side of the bag, and carry around in the same way; tie in a like bow. Does this sound

OVER-HANDING

strange? Well, it is not, for if you do exactly as I have directed, you will find that when you take a bow in each hand and pull, your bag will begin to close up! And if people ask you why this is called a "polybag," you can tell them probably because it can be used for so many different things, as every one that has studied the meanings of words knows that "poly" stands for "many." Another pretty and very simple bag is made by gathering one edge of a strip of fancy silk twenty-seven inches long by nine inches wide and then over-handing it firmly to a circle of cardboard that measures four inches across, and that is covered with silk. This forms the bottom. Sew the ends together and run double drawstrings of baby ribbon through a casing made at the other edge, to close the bag at the top.

Such a bag could be made, though, of any kind

'POLYBAG of ribbon or even pretty wash goods. Plain cotton duck, with your initial or monogram on one side and with a tape for a drawstring, would make 16

THE SEWING OUTFIT

a nice and very practical bag, as it could be easily washed when soiled.

PIN case

With all this work, however, you must be feeling the need of a needlebook and a pin-cushion. A pretty little case for pins, is made by first cutting out two circles of light cardboard one and one-half inches in diameter, and then two circles of pretty silk or velvet two inches across. With a strong thread run around close to the edge of the good's, and after laying the cardboard in the center, draw up tight, yet smooth and even, and fasten securely. When both pieces of cardboard have been covered on one side in this way, put the two unfinished sides together, hold firmly in place with your left hand, and sew them with small fine stitches, over and over, as you over-handed the bag. Then hide your sewing by filling the edge all around with a row of pins.

NEEDLEBOOK

For a nice needlebook, cut a four-inch square from some heavy goods like the scraps from mother's broadcloth dress, or your winter coat, and nick all around the edge to make it look pretty. Cut two smaller squares of fancy flannel, nick them, pin in place so you are sure they are exactly in the middle, and tack right through the center from top to bottom, making a book when folded over that is four inches long by two inches wide. Then, if not too thick, punch a small hole clear through as it is folded, at the top, middle and bottom, and tie in short lengths of baby ribbon to make pretty bows. Slip in an eight-inch length of this ribbon clear across the middle of the broadcloth, on the inside, and tack in several places as well as at the edge, to make places to hold the paper of needles, bodkin, darners, etc. The ends left flying, of course you know, are to tie the book shut when you are through.

SEWING APRON

Did you ever notice, by the way, that when mother sits down to sew she usually puts on a fresh, white apron? This is to keep the threads and lint from her dress, as well as to keep her sewing nice and clean. So, if you are going to be a thorough little seamstress, you better make yourself a sewing apron right away. Use any kind of thin white goods, or a short length left from one of your summer dresses, if you like colors.

Taking a full width of goods that is thirty inches long, crease a one-inch hem along one end, 18

THE SEWING OUTFIT

and hem it very nicely. Then fold over nine inches (the way you did the top of the little bag), to make a deep pocket across the bottom, and over-hand up each side with close, fine stitches so the sewing will hold. Next, crease a line up and down the apron, directly in the middle, and on this line fasten the pocket to the apron itself, so as to divide it in two parts, one for the sewing things and the other for the work.

Taking a double thread, run two rows, half an inch apart, across the top of the apron, and draw it up to about twelve inches. Cut for a band a strip of goods thirteen inches long and two and one-half inches wide, and adjust the apron to it, pinning the gathers in place the way you like and allowing the ends of the band to extend beyond far enough to catch the strings. Then baste.

COMBINATION BACKSTITCH

Sew the band and apron evenly together, after every three running stitches setting your needle back a stitch, making what is called the combination backstitch, to hold firmly.

Next, fold under the other side of the belt (and the ends) one-eighth of an inch first, then again directly in the center of the belt, so that it will be double and the edge come over just far enough to hide the raw edge of the first seam. Pin or baste carefully in place, and hem the belt along the edge very closely, taking the stitches only through the gathers, so they will not show through on the right side.

A CONVENIENT SEWING APRON

For the strings, cut two lengths twenty-four inches long, and three inches wide, and make tiny one-eighth inch folds along each side, which you can either hem or run, and fold a one-inch hem across one end of each. When all nicely finished, plait the other end of each string up small enough to slip in the opening left at the ends of the belt, and hem it into place with particularly fine, close stitches that will be strong enough to hold.

When all done, press with a hot iron, to make nice and smooth, and tack a dainty bow on one corner of the pocket. Then how proud you may feel of your work, when you come to wear it! 20

CHAPTER III Buttons and Buttonholes

Seam, and gusset, and band,

Band, and gusset, and seam, Till over the buttons I fall asleep,

And sew them on in my dream!

Hood.

Before going any further, you better learn the proper way to sew on a button, for that is something many grown up people do not know. If yours has four holes like the one I have pictured, note that I have marked them 1, 2, 3, 4».

SEWING ON BUTTONS

Take a double thread, with as fine a needle as you can use, make a small knot, put the button in place, and push the needle up through hole No. 1. Lay a pin across the center of the button and hold it with your left thumb and forefinger while you push the needle down through hole No. % and draw the thread tight enough to hold the pin. Take several more similar stitches and then push the point of the needle up through hole No. 3, carry it over the pin also, down through hole No. 4, and repeat several times.

Then bring the needle up along the under side of the button, remove the pin, and wrap the thread around the now loose stitches holding the button, and you will make a nice little shank. Lastly, push the needle back through to the under side, fasten the thread and clip off.

THE WAY TO SEW ON A BUTTON

Next you must cut your buttonholes, but be sure to get them in the right place, and exactly the right size.

Take a heavy thread to match, go with a long

stitch around the slit twice, to strengthen the cut,

as shown in the illustration, then start from the

inside end. Set your needle exactly as shown in

BUTTONS AND BUTTONHOLES

the drawing, with the thread from the eye coming around the point from the right, so it will form a knot when you draw it back, away from you, to make a firm edge. This takes practice, but any clever little girl can do it.

In working a buttonhole be sure to start from the inside end.

A DAINTY PENCIL-CASE

A pretty little pencil-case I know you will find convenient for use at school, so you better make one immediately.

Take a strip of plain blue chambrey (or similar material), 20 inches long and 5 inches wide. Crease a quarter-inch fold around the four sides ? 23 then a line through the center lengthwise, and another exactly in the middle each side, marking four long, narrow, even divisions.

Turn a second fold one-half inch wide across one of the short ends, for a hem, and hem it down. Bring the two corners of the opposite short end together (with the fold on the outside) and over-hand at the center line, then turn inside out and press out flat and you will see you have made a pointed flap.

Next bring the short hemmed end up to meet the turn of the pointed flap, and beginning at the edge of the hem, over-hand along each side to the botom of the case.

Now you will see that you Have simply a bag, closed pattern for pen- with a flap; but if you will cil-case backstitch on the line of the up HERE

BUTTONS AND BUTTONHOLES

FINISHED PENCIL-CASE long creases you made at the start, from the bottom to the very edge of the hem, you will find you have four neat little pockets to hold your pencils. Attach a loop of cord or tiny tape to the end of the flap, and sew a button on the center line of the backstitching, in the exact spot to catch the loop. Then you can keep it securely closed.

CHAPTER IV Dolly's Drawers

By the work one knows the workman.

— La Fontaine.

Making Dolly's drawers so they would allow her to sit, puzzled me greatly when I was a little girl. Her jointed kid body allowed the legs to bend so much that there was never room enough in the seat, and it took me some time to figure it out for myself, but I finally did it this way:

I measured first the length I wanted the garment from the waist-line in front to the knee, and then the inside of the leg from body to knee, and wrote the numbers down ; next from the waist in the back to the knee when Dolly was bent in a sitting posture. This proved considerably longer than the first. Then I measured from a line taken straight down the middle of the front to a similar straight line down the back, around the hips when she was bent, and I found she was much broader from her side line to the back line than from the side line to the front line.

Folding a strip of paper that was deeper than the length of the drawers, I placed the fold at her side line, and creased where the top and bottom should come; then opening out, I corrected this roughly indicated mark according to the measurements first set down, and — lo — there was a pattern cut to fit. And the following is the queer-shaped piece I had cut !

PATTERN FOR ONE LEG OF DRAWERS

But it looked so different from most drawerpatterns I had seen, I was not sure I was right until I sewed the seams and tried the garment on.

To make the drawers in this way, after they are cut from the pattern, first fold the hems at bot- 28

DOLLY'S DRAWERS

torn, and where they are to be open down the middle of the back, and baste.

A FRENCH SEAM

FRENCH SEAM

Lay the two short, front edges together, with the hems on the inside, and sew with a running stitch very close to the edge. Trim the edges even, near to the sewing, then fold over the other way, exactly on the stitching and sew up once more, now using the combination backstitch. You will then have what is called a French seam, and it not only makes your sewing stronger, but it folds in and covers the raw edges.

Fold and crease one leg at the dotted side line, and then with the hems inside, stitch the two rounded edges together, from the hem at the bottom to the notch, and fasten securely. Gather along the edge of the back piece separately as far as the back hem, draw it up to fit the front, and stitch the two pieces together back to the notch.

After doing the other leg the same way, trim off close to the sewing, turn the garment inside out, crease on the stitching for another French seam, and stitch this time straight around from one bottom hem to the other. Now you will see you have left no raw edges.

But you need a belt, so cut a strip one inch wide, and one inch longer than the waist measure, and fold under each end one-quarter of an inch to strengthen for the button and button-hole.

DOLLY'S DRAWERS

After gathering the top of the drawers from the notch near the side, to the back hem, and pinning the center of the belt to the center of the drawers (at the front), on the outside, draw up to fit the cft To 85/-T

A SINGLE LEG

belt, and sew all the way around. Stitch carefully, then crease a tiny fold along the other side, turn the belt exactly in the middle and hem down on the wrong side.