CHAPTER III

THE LONG AND SHORT OF BASTING.

“GOOD-BYE, dear,” said Grandma, taking leave of Mary Frances a day or two later. “You may play in the garden while I’m gone, if you want to.”

“I think I’ll stay in, Grandma, if you don’t mind,” answered Mary Frances, not quite daring to mention her sewing lessons, “I have a sort of an engagement.”

“Well! Well!” laughed Grandma, “so grown up already? You have been out every day lately―I think perhaps you’ll like to play in the sewing-room.”

“I hope you’ll have a lovely time, Nanny,” said Mary Frances as her grandma closed the door.

“I wonder if Sewing Bird will be ready for the lesson,” she thought as she skipped up the stairs to the sewing-room.

“Sewing Bird! Sewing Bird!” she whispered.

“Oh, that’s the call I love to hear; I’m always ready― Never fear!”

came the sweet singing voice of Sewing Bird.

Mary Frances was delighted.

“I’m so glad you remembered, dear little bird,” said she. “Where are you?”

“Taking a rest, In my dear little nest. Chur! Chur!”

came the answer.

“Of course,―the basket’s your nest,” laughed Mary Frances, carrying Sewing Bird to her place on the table.

“I asked Grandma if I could have the sewing-room for my play-room, and she said, ’Certainly, my dear, you may―anything to keep you happy!’”

“Twitter, twitter, twitter, twit,” sang Sewing Bird―and somehow Mary Frances knew she meant, “I’m so happy, too.”

“I love to sit And sing and sing― But lesson time Is on the wing: Miss Never-Try Never can do; Miss Never-Begin Never gets thru.”

“Oh, dear me! Sewing Bird, I want to begin right away,” said Mary Frances. “I hope to get so much done!”

“Well,” said Sewing Bird, “we will begin at once with that pretty canvas and Turkey-red working cotton (D. M. C. No. 8). You may cut some pieces of canvas seven inches long and one and one-half inches wide. Work on the sewing table―that will be easier.”

“Oh, I know,” guessed Mary Frances, “the Java canvas is to learn the stitches on.”

“Yes,” said Sewing Bird, “you use one of these pieces for each new stitch; the regular open spaces in the canvas will help us so much.”

“My needle’s all ready from the last lesson,” said Mary Frances, holding up her threaded needle, “and my thread is knotted.”

“Little Miss! little Miss! Not so long a thread! Measure it only From your hand to your head.”

“Oh,” said Mary Frances, breaking off some thread. “Thank you, I didn’t know that. I suppose it is easier to use only an arm’s length of thread.”

“Yes,” said Sewing Bird. “Now, it would be well to open the skein of cotton.”

Mary Frances did so.

“Next clip both ends through―and you will have several threads of the same length.”

“That’s so much easier,” said Mary Frances, “than cutting it each time.”

“Now, for a new kind of puzzle,” said Sewing Bird. “Take one piece of canvas already cut. For convenience we will call the regular open spaces in the canvas, ‘holes.’”

“Yes,” said Mary Frances. “I understand, dear Sewing Bird; but please tell me the puzzle.”

“A puzzle then it soon shall be, A puzzle which ne’er puzzled me, A puzzle which I’ll let you see― Its name is

3.―EVEN BASTING (ON CANVAS)

Cut canvas 7 inches by 1-1/2 inches.

1. Thread needle and knot thread.

2. Count five holes down from upper right hand end of canvas and four holes to the left.

3. Put needle in this hole, pointing downward.

4. Push needle toward the left under two threads, upward through second hole; pull through.

5. Now, again, over two threads under two threads; pull through.

6. Finish the row. Fasten thread by taking two stitches over each other in the same holes at the end. Cut off the thread.

“That’s not much of a puzzle,” thought Mary Frances, sewing carefully.

“Why is it called Even Basting?” asked Sewing Bird.

“Because the stitches are of the same length,” said Mary Frances.

“So wise you are― Soon you will be Quite a little bit Too wise for me,”

sang Sewing Bird.

“Ho, ho!” laughed Mary Frances.

“You may wonder why the knot and the finishing threads are on the right side,” continued Sewing Bird.

“Oh, I know why,” exclaimed Mary Frances. “Because basting stitches are used only to hold the work in place until it is really sewed, then they are easily pulled out if the knot and end are on the right side.”

“Bless my feathers, And bless my eye! Soon you’ll know As much as I!”

This pleased Mary Frances very much; but she said, “I don’t know―for I have no idea what comes next, my dear little teacher.”

“Oh, dear me! Our time we’re wasting, The next stitch is―

4.―UNEVEN BASTING (ON CANVAS)

1. Commence as in Even Basting.

2. Point needle downward, and bring it up through next hole.

3. Count three holes, put needle in downward and bring up next hole―‘under one thread, over three’ to end of the row.

4. Finish as in Even Basting.

“That wasn’t very hard,” said Mary Frances, holding up the canvas for Sewing Bird to see.

Then sang Sewing Bird:

“That’s all for to-day,― Put things away; And, now, little lady, Good-day, good-day!”

As Mary Frances went down the stairs, she caught the sound of her name. Her grandmother was talking.

“That’s a wonderful child,” she was saying. “She’s no bother at all. She spends hours in the sewing-room, playing with her dolls, just as happy as can be!”

“Dear Nanny!” thought Mary Frances, “I wish I could explain about everything―maybe the Thimble People will let me some day.”