CHAPTER X

A DOLL’S LAUNDRY BAG

“NOW, try it on the laundry bag itself,” smiled Fairy Lady, who was waiting for Mary Frances next Wednesday.

“That’s hard to crease!” exclaimed the little girl, laying the calico down on the table and pressing the fold with her thumb nail.

“Yes,” said Fairy Lady. “It is a good idea to pinch it together between the thumb and forefinger, to make the crease.”

“Oh, that is much better,” said Mary Frances, and she soon had the little bag folded ready for sewing.

“What now?” smiled Fairy Lady.

“I begin to hem,” said Mary Frances, flourishing her threaded needle.

“What number cotton are you using?” asked Fairy Lady.

“Number twenty-four,” said Mary Frances.

“Ahem,” Thimble cleared his throat.

“A little too coarse,” said Fairy Lady. “I must tell you something about needles and threads:

“There are several different kinds of

18.―NEEDLES AND THREADS

Sharps―long needles.

Betweens―short needles for heavy work.

Ground-downs―medium long. These do not break or bend easily.

There are the long-eyed needles―worsted and darning needles.

Milliner’s very long needles.

Bodkins―long thick needles, for carrying tapes and cords.

Open a package of needles No. 5’s to 10’s. In the middle, you will find needles

No. 5―for coarse work or sewing on buttons.

No. 6―for coarse work.

No. 7―for hemming towels.

No. 8―for stitching.

No. 9―for hemming muslin.

No. 10―for fine work.

Use Needle Cotton

For Tucking, Hemming, Running. No. 9 No. 60, 70 or 80 For Stitching, Overhanding, Overcasting. . . . . . . . . No. 8 No. 50 or 60 Button-holes . . . . . . . . . No. 7 or 8 No. 36, 40 or 50 Gathering and Basting. . . . . No. 7 or 8 No. 36 or 40

“Oh,” murmured Mary Frances, “I didn’t know.”

“Of course you didn’t, dear little Seamstress,” smiled Fairy Lady. “That’s why I’m here!”

“Thank you, Fairy Lady,” said Mary Frances.

“Now, you may begin work on the laundry bag.”

Mary Frances smilingly basted the hems near the edges with even basting stitches, and then began to do the hemming.

Fairy Lady watched her intently all the while.

“There!” Mary Frances suddenly exclaimed. “I’ve broken my thread. How do I join it?”

“I will show you this once,” said Fairy Lady. “You do it in very much the same way as in starting the work,” and she taught Mary Frances how to tuck both ends of thread under the hem.

“When you finish, just fasten the thread by taking two or three stitches in the fold. That’s a pretty good looking hem for the first real hem on muslin,” said Fairy Lady.

“Now, one-quarter of an inch above the hems, put in a row of running stitches,―with once in a while a back-stitch to strengthen it. This is called combination stitch.”

When Mary Frances had done this, she held up the bag, and asked, “What shall I do next?”

“I’ll tell you more, I’ll tell you more, If you can tell What that is for!”

“I know,” guessed Mary Frances. “It’s for a casing to hold the drawing strings.”

“Oh, to my heart That music rings, For you to guess It’s ‘drawing strings,’”

sang Fairy Lady.

“How could her heart draw strings,” asked Scissors Shears of Thimble, in a whisper.

“Hush!” said Silver Thimble, raising his sword-needle.

“Snip!” snapped Scissors Shears. But Fairy Lady, not noticing, continued the lesson.

“Do you remember the overhanding stitch on canvas? Yes? Now, those little ends of the bag above the running stitches, are to be overhanded together. You put the needle in straighter, and more toward you―like this,” as she placed the needle in position.

“Now fold the two hemmed ends together, the right sides facing each other.

“Baste along the longer edges with even basting. Overhand these edges together.

“You would not always overhand the sides of a bag together,―you could run it, or back-stitch, or combination stitch it; but we want this unusually strong because your dolly will have so many clothes to be stuffed into it. I should say handkerchiefs, because this bag is really a handkerchief bag, or a _little_ laundry bag.”

“My, how well you have done this side. Let me touch the other side with my bodkin wand―there!” And behold, the other side was overhanded.

“That’s lovely, thank you, dear Fairy Lady!” exclaimed Mary Frances, examining the perfectly beautiful stitches. “How did―?”

“Oh, that was done In Thimble Land― Done by the Fairy Needle Band.”

laughed the little lady, well pleased at Mary Frances’ delight.

“Now, thread this narrow tape into a bodkin, and run it into the casing, all the way round; then tie the ends together. Now, another piece (they are twelve inches long) in the other end, and tie.”

“Oh, if it isn’t the dearest little bag I ever saw!” exclaimed Mary Frances, drawing the top together. “Isn’t it lovely! Look, Fairy Lady!”

But Fairy Lady had gone, and Sewing Bird sat in her usual place on the table, singing:

“Oh, little Miss, dear little Miss, There never was a joy like this: To keep some one from being sad, To make some dear one very glad. Oh, little lady―”

Crash!

Sewing Bird sat up stiff and hard and metallic.

“Good joke!” giggled Scissors Shears, who had jumped on the floor to scare her.

Mary Frances glanced at Sewing Bird, but the door knob was turning, and she hastily threw her sewing into her basket.

“Bring a piece of white lawn for the next lesson,” whispered Sewing Bird, throwing Mary Frances a kiss with the tip of her wing.