CHAPTER XX

MA CHINE

THE sun shone brightly into the sewing-room; everything was neatly in place. Sewing Bird was sitting on her perch on the sewing table. Mary Frances’ work basket was at one end.

That is the way things looked as Mary Frances peeped in the door to see what the Thimble People might be doing.

She was just about to enter, when she saw a little fluttering in the work basket.

“Oh, I do hope they’ll have some fun,” she thought.

Over the edge of the basket peeped the bright little eyes of Silver Thimble. Then he tumbled out on the sewing table.

“Why didn’t you step over, Silv?” asked Scissors Shears, stepping over the side of the basket.

“I’ll take steps to find out why,” said Tommy Pin Cushion, rolling over the side.

“You’ll take steps! Impossible!” exclaimed Emery Bag. “Why, Fatty, I could get out of the basket as easily as that myself!” And out he jumped.

Then out came Pen Cil, carrying a little piece of paper.

“What’s that for?” asked Silver Thimble, pointing to the paper.

“What do you ’spose, Tinkle?” he asked, loftily looking down upon the little fellow―“to write on.”

“Oh, I ought to have known,” snickered Silver Thimble. “You always do write!”

“I am the only one of you who does, though,” and Pen Cil hopped on his one leg to the other end of the table. Jumping up and down, he began:

“All ready for the grand presentation? Let’s practice!”

“Not so fast! Not so fast! Mr. Pen Cil,” exclaimed Needle Book. “I lead!”

“Oh, beg your pardon,” said Pen Cil. “I forgot! I’m lead―ah, I’ve always been lead,” sighing.

“Ha! Ha!” laughed Tommy Pin Cushion, “tied to his miss’s apron-strings!”

“But where are the rest of us?” called out Scissors Shears.

With that, out sprang all the needles and pins―even a few safety pins Mary Frances had put in one corner of her work box; all the buttons, and all the other little findings; so many, Mary Frances couldn’t see where they came from.

Then Sewing Bird, who had been looking on with interest, began to sing:

“Now, listen here, This must be clear: This Presentation Party Is for our little Mistress dear― Look out, there, Mr. Smarty!”

as Scissors Shears nearly tumbled off the table.

“I will take The lady’s place, And you will pass Before my face As when she’s here, Our Mistress dear, At our Presentation Party

“Now, I will make My little speech, Then you can follow One and each―”

“Except,” interrupted Silver Thimble, “the tiny Tom Thumb Thimble Folks,” drawing himself up to his full height.

“They only bow― They all know how,”

said Sewing Bird.

“Now, all ready to hear the speech!”

“Speech! Speech!” cried the Thimble People.

Sewing Bird began:

“Our Mistress dear, Your heart to cheer, We’re going to give a party; And we will evermore be true, And everyone of us to you Will pledge allegiance hearty.”

This pattern plate should remain permanently in book so that tracings on tissue paper can be made from it as required.

“Next―”

Then came Silver Thimble, bowing before Sewing Bird,

“I’m Silver Thimble, Bright and nimble.”

Then Scissors Shears, bowing,

“I’m Scissors Shears, With rather long ears.”

Then Tommy Pin Cushion,

“I’m Tomato Pin Cushion― (Silv, stop your pushin’!)”

Then Emery Bag,

“I’m Emery Bag, I never brag.”

Then Needle Book,

“I’m Needle Book, Please take a look, And do not look awry; I hold within Without a pin, The Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try.”

Then Pen Cil,

“I always do right.”

“That’s no rhyme!” exclaimed Scissors Shears.

“Well, it sounds better than

“I’m Pen Cil, I present my bill.”

“Now,” said Sewing Bird,

“The little Tom Thumb Folks Will all together bow―”

“Bow, wow, wow!” finished Tommy Pin Cushion, and all the Thimble People laughed. Their laughing sounded as if the button box had been upset.

Then the needles and pins and buttons began to bow and dance, making such a funny sight that Mary Frances nearly laughed aloud.

“Won’t our mistress be pleased with all of us!” exclaimed Tommy Pin Cushion. “Come, pets!” and the needles and pins flew to him.

“Come, pets!” mimicked Emery Bag, and a few needles left Tommy Pin Cushion to go to him.

“Piggy!” exclaimed Emery Bag, looking crossly at Tommy Pin Cushion.

“Oh, no,” said Tommy. “I’m just softer-hearted than you,―so they cling to me.”

“Tee-hee,” laughed Silver Thimble; “but―our little Miss will be pleased with this party, for―

“We’re all here, We’re all here; Ready to see Our Mistress dear.”

Then came a whirring sound,

“Zee-zee-zee-zee Zumm, zumm, zumm, Zumm, zumm, zumm, Zee-zumm, zee-zumm, Zee-zumm, zee-zumm-m-m”

and Mary Frances noticed the Sewing Machine wheels going around.

“Oh, my! Oh, my!” exclaimed Sewing Bird, fluttering her wings and tugging to get away from the table,

“What an awful mistake, No song I can make― We forgot Ma!”

“Forgot whom?” asked Tommy Pin Cushion.

“Forgot me,” zummed Sewing Machine. “All theze dayz, my little onez, I’ve been hearing theze lovely lezzons―but not one of you, no, not one, remembered your Ma Chine! Zum! Zum!”

“What shall we do?” whispered the Thimble People.

“Listen to what I zay, I zay! I will take part To-day, to-day!”

“I cannot bear A thing like thiz, I wished to help Our little Mizz, Zumm! Zumm!”

Then all the Thimble People cried together,

“Oh, Miss Ma Chine, Oh, our Ma Chine, Forgive us all― Don’t make a scene!”

“Zum! Zeee-zeum,” began Ma Chine, when Mary Frances stepped in the door.

“Magic and Mystery,” she said, smiling. “I heard it all―all the lovely Presentation Party I couldn’t bear to interrupt it―and I do thank you every one, my dear little friends―and my new friend, Ma Chine.”

“Zum-zum,” hummed Sewing Machine softly.

“Some day,” added Mary Frances, “when we have time, we will have the Grand Presentation Party all over again.”

“Oh, goody! goody! won’t it be grand!” cried the Thimble People.

“To-day’s lesson,” began Fairy Lady, “is to make a kimono for Mary Marie.”

Mary Frances gravely sat Mary Marie in a chair and opened her trunk.

“That Japanese crepe is just right for the purpose,” said Fairy Lady, “with this plain lavender three-quarter inch ribbon for trimming.”

“Now comes

PATTERN 6.―DOLL’S KIMONO

See Insert I

1. Cut out by pattern of bath robe.

2. Clip several little gashes in the edge of the neck, and turn fronts and neck back on right side of goods one-quarter of an inch. Crease flat.

Do the same to the ends of the sleeves.

3. Lay three-quarter inch ribbon flat on top of the turned edges of the kimono. Baste.

To fit ribbon around curves, gather it along the fuller edge.

4. Overhand, run, or stitch down the edges along the front opening of kimono and sleeves.

5. Hem, run, or stitch down the opposite edge of the ribbon.

6. Baste seams of kimono together on right side.

Try on. Make French seams.

7. Finish the bottom of kimono with a three-quarter inch hem.

NOTE.―Instead of ribbon, trimming bands of plain lawn may be used. If these are used, proceed in the following manner:

For neck and fronts, cut band exactly the same shape as the opening of kimono, making the band one and a half inches wide.

Cut two sleeve bands each seven inches long and two inches wide.

After turning in the edges of kimono opening, turn in the edges of the trimming band one-quarter inch.

Lay it against kimono opening, fitting the neck carefully.

Fold sleeve bands in half, lengthwise. Crease well.

Open. Pin band flat against end of sleeve. Stitch one-quarter inch from edge. Turn over and crease. Turn down the other side of band one-quarter inch. Fold band along the center crease. Bring turned-in edge of band over the edge stitched to sleeve.

Baste. Hem or stitch down.

Fairy Lady gave these directions very slowly, and Mary Frances followed them carefully. When she came to stitching the band, Sewing Ma Chine said, “Little Lady Seamstress, please just put that under my foot, and it will be done in nearly no time.”

“Thank you, Ma Chine, but Mother wouldn’t let me,” said Mary Frances.

“Oh, I’ll be responsible!” said Ma Chine, and as Mary Frances set the little sleeve under the foot, she began to whirl her wheels so rapidly, Mary Frances couldn’t see them.

“Oh, thank you,” said the little girl. “Will you do the front trimming band?”

“Yez, indeed,” said Ma Chine, singing “Zum-zum-zum!”

“Isn’t this delightful, Mary Marie!” exclaimed the little girl. “What a lot of dear friends we have!”

Then Fairy Lady smiled. “The next is

PATTERN 7.―DRESSING SACK

See Insert I

1. Cut out by pattern of bath robe, making it only as long as the row of pinholes marked Dressing Sack.

2. Finish the fronts and neck, and sleeves by “pinking,” or notching closely with the scissors; or,

3. Transfer the pattern for scallops given below.

To do this―With a soft lead pencil, trace scallops through the tissue paper.

Turn the tissue over, and lay the picture of scallops against the sleeves (and fronts), and trace over on the wrong side.

This will leave a penciled outline on the goods.

Instead of this method, the outline of the scallops may be traced through tissue and “carbon” paper.

With embroidery cotton, work the scallops in blanket stitch.

THE DRESSING SACK MAY BE FINISHED WITH RIBBON OR BANDS, in just the same way as the kimono. Embroider the ribbon or bands with

31.―FEATHER STITCHING

To learn to make the stitch, use linen canvas 3 in. by 7 in., and blunt needle and heavy red working cotton.

1. Work toward you. Hold canvas over the left forefinger.

2. Five threads in and down at left hand corner, draw needle through from underneath. Let thread hang.

3. Count one thread to right, point needle downward slanting to hole directly beneath the hole needle first came through. Pull through.

4. Repeat, inserting needle one hole to the left instead of right. Always let thread fall under point of needle on right side of canvas, before pulling it through.

“Now try it on the bands of the dressing sack.”

“Good!” as Mary Frances held up the samplers. “Here is a puzzle, riddle, or conundrum:

“Mary Marie is feather-stitched― Yet not a feather is on her.”

Mary Frances laughed. “I wonder how she’d look in feathers,” she said―

Then Sewing Bird sang:

“She’d make a fine bird, Upon my word, She’d sing a sweet song, And the only thing wrong― Her feathers and song Would be tightly glued on!”

“Oh, Sewing Bird!” laughed Mary Frances, shaking her finger, “how did you know the voice of a ‘talking doll’ was ‘glued on’?”