Part 5

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.

[Illustration: Children may be taught that darning is really quite an interesting occupation.]

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.

[Illustration: Open and turn back, so that when the oil has soaked through the clogged dirt it may be carefully cleaned away.]

[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.

[Illustration: Her sewing-machine is a good friend to the busy woman who practises the art of preventive mending.]

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.

[Illustration: Here is the piece of Glove with the fingers cut off.]

[Illustration: This shows some of the gloves stitched on the flannel inter-lining.]

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.

[Illustration: The back portion is a little longer than the front.]

[Illustration: Showing the front of the Chest Protector.]

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.

[Illustration: The Gathered Skirt which was used for the making of the Apron.]

[Illustration: The back and front views of the finished Apron.]

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.

[Illustration: SPINNING WITH A DISTAFF IN BRITTANY.

_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

[Illustration: The Cross-over Front gives a double protection over the chest.]

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.

[Illustration: The Body Section when ready for joining up.]

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.