Needlework Economies

EDITED BY
FLORA KLICKMANN

A Book of
Creating and Repairing
with Leftovers
and Tidbits

[1]

Edited by Flora Klickmann

War is a tough, harsh teacher, and its lessons are painful to learn; yet some of what it teaches is crucial for us, and one of its most important lessons is about the wrongness of waste.

To many of us, "waste" was a word with a relative meaning. What one woman considered waste was not necessarily waste to another, we argued. It was wrong for the factory girl to let her skirts fall apart from not being mended; but it wasn't wrong for wealthier women to toss their clothes as soon as they showed the slightest wear, because they could afford to buy more, we said; and besides, it was good for business—that was a favorite argument used by the extravagant to justify their reckless waste.

But we have all learned the value of saving in recent years, and we’ve seen how individuals’ thriftiness can be crucial for the country’s well-being. It will take a long time before we can return to the easy abundance we experienced before the war. In any case, the prices of all goods will remain higher. The woman who can repurpose materials and create things with her own hands is the one who will be making money, as she will be providing one of the most costly resources today—personal labor. The tips in this book are meant as ideas that can be expanded in various new ways.

[2]

[3]

The brassiere, or bust bodice, is an essential piece for anyone looking to maintain a tidy appearance now that low-cut corsets are so popular. It has the huge benefit of correcting rounded shoulders for those who tend to slouch while walking, and it prevents that unattractive ridge frequently seen at the back of jackets or blouses caused by the top of the corset.

They are so easy to make that every woman and girl should create as many as she needs, since they are costly to buy. The clothes you make for yourself are likely to last three or four times longer than the purchased ones, and this, too, [4] at about one-third the price.

The pattern for the bra shown here is in three parts: the front, side front, and back. Half a yard of 36-inch wide linen or cambric is enough. The material used must be strong but lightweight, and linen is definitely the best for comfort.

Having cut out the sections, sew all seams with a line of stitching that is less than a quarter of an inch from the edge. Open the seams flat and cover each one with a casing made from a strip of linen, turning the edge inward. Each casing should be half an inch wide. Stitch close to the edge on each side. The three center casings should have buttonholes stitched in the center, going upward, each about an inch long. These are meant to allow for a strip of whalebone, which is eight inches long and can be easily removed for washing.

Turn in a narrow hem on each side of the shoulder area and sew it in place. Prepare the insertion and position it on the front, marking the lines on each side. Cut the material down the center where the different strips will go, turn in a narrow hem, and sew all around. Then, turn a hem all around the edge and sew it.

With the crochet hook, make a row of 8 chain 1 double crochets into the edge of the hem from the lower edge of the back[5] all the way to the opposite point and around each armhole. In each loop, make 7 chain 1 double crochets twice, with 5 chain 1 double crochets from loop to loop.

Sew a patent fastener to the top edge of the back and a long strip of tape to the lower edge. The tapes cross at the back and come around to the front to adjust the fit of the bra.

This is the beautiful Rose beading in Irish crochet, made with Manlove’s Irish lace thread, No. 50, using a No. 6 crochet hook.

Form 6 ch into a circle.

1st Row.—Chain 6, then 1 triple crochet into the ring, chain 3, then 1 triple crochet into the ring 4 times, chain 3, and then 1 single crochet into the 3rd chain of the 6 chains.

2nd Row.—1 double crochet in each loop.

3rd Row.—5 ch 1 dc into the dc between the petals in the last row.

4th Row.—1 double crochet, 10 treble crochet, 1 double crochet into each loop.

5th Row.—Same as 3rd, but 6 ch instead of 5.

6th Row.—1 double crochet in each loop.

7th Row.—8 chains, picot 5 of them, 3 chains, 1 double crochet into the 3rd treble on the 1st petal in the last row; 6 chains, picot 5 of them, 1 double crochet into the 9th treble on the same petal; 6 chains, picot 5 of them, 1 double crochet into the 3rd treble on the next petal; 6 chains, picot 5 of them, 1 double crochet into the 9th treble on the same petal.

8th Row.—Turn with 8 chains and repeat the 4 picot loops as in the last row, for 8 rows of the 4 loops.

16th Row.—Chain 5, then do 1 treble in the 1st loop, 2 chains, and 1 treble in each of the other loops, then turn.

17th Row.—10 chains 1 double crochet into the 2nd of the 5 chains at the turning of the last row.

18th Row.—Make the 4 picot loops again over the 10 chain and create 5 rows. Then repeat the 16th and 17th rows and add 8 more rows of picot loops.

Make another rose and attach it to the picot loops in the last row to match up with the joining of the first one.

When the front strip is long enough, create the strip for each shoulder and the front piece, connecting each one to the loops in the straight strip.

Make the straightening rows on each side with 1 treble and 2 chains into each loop and petal along the edges, positioning the treble stitches so that the chains create a straight line.

Work a 2nd row of 2 chains and 1 triple crochet into each space of the 1st row, then finish with 3 double crochets into each space.

Now sew the insertion in place on top and connect the shoulders with a flat "run and fell" seam.

Sew a piece of tape with a loop at the end to the front point to attach the bra to the corset.

[6]

Machine-made filet net was used to create this pretty yoke, on which the trefoil is embroidered in darning stitch with Tenax embroidery silk in a moss-rose shade of pink. Other lovely shades are available in the Tenax silk, and blue, green, or mauve will work just as well. The shape is cut out from the net, leaving two meshes for a margin at all edges.

Using No. 70 Peri-Lusta crochet cotton, overcast the two rows of meshes left as a margin with an overcasting through each mesh, then with a No. 5 crochet hook work a row of d c all around the edges, 2 d c into each mesh.

Around the edge of the sleeve part, neck, and fronts of the yoke, make a row of 9 chain loops, 1 into every 4th double crochet.

Then into each loop, put 7 chain 1 double crochets twice.

The trefoil is then worked in basic darning stitch. Keep the wrong side facing you while doing the embroidery, as all thread fastenings need to be made on this side.

The trefoil can easily be copied from the diagram.

[7]

Use No. 70 Peri-Lusta Crochet for this lovely yoke.

Form a ring with 5 chain stitches, then add 8 double crochet stitches, and finish the row with a slip stitch into the first double crochet. Chain 6, then make 1 treble crochet into the next double crochet stitch, followed by 3 chains and 1 treble crochet into each double crochet stitch. Chain 3 and then slip stitch into the 3rd of the 6 chains to close a row of 8 spaces.

3rd Row.—5 double crochet into each stitch.

4th Row.—Ch 7, make 1 long treble into the 1st ch (wrap the thread 3 times around the hook)—the ch 7 counts as a long treble—yarn over and pull through the loops of the long treble two at a time, but keep the last loop on the hook; make another long treble into the same ch stitch, yarn over and pull through as before, then pull through all the loops together. Ch 7, and repeat the 2 long trebles into the 1st of the 7 ch, ch 1, and then make 1 double crochet into the double crochet over the next treble in the row below, repeat this long treble loop into the double crochet over each treble (8 loops).

5th Row.—6 chain, bring these up behind the 1st loop and secure with a double crochet in the center of the loop, 10 chain, 1 double crochet into the center of each loop.

6th Row.—12 dc over each 10 ch.

7th Row.—10 chains, 6 triple treble into the double crochet at the center of the 1st loop below, 3 chains between the triple trebles, * 10 chains, 1 double crochet over the double crochet at the center of the next loop, 10 chains, 6 triple trebles with 3 chains between into the double crochet over the center of the next loop, and repeat from *.

8th Row.—12 double crochets over each 10 chain, over each 3 chain put 1 double crochet, 7 chains, 1 double crochet.

Join the Patterns.

Work the last row to the 3rd group of picots, create 2 of the picots as before; for the 3rd picot, only make 2 chain stitches, join to the 3rd picot on the previous motif with a double crochet, make 2 chain stitches, then move on to the next picot on the motif you are working on, and join the next two in the same way; make 12 double crochets over the next 10 chain stitches, 6 chain stitches then 1 double crochet into the double crochet between the two bars on the previous motif after joining, come back on the 6 chain stitches with 2 chain stitches, 1 double crochet over the center of the 6 chain stitches, 3 chain stitches, 12 double crochets over the next chain stitches on the motif, then join the next 3 picots as before and finish off the motif.

The extension of the front on each side is made up of a motif and the point. For the point, create the ring like you did in the center of the motif, then make 6 chain stitches, and do 1 triple crochet into the first double crochet, followed by 3 chain stitches and 1 triple crochet into each of the next 2 double crochets, then turn.

2nd Row.—9 double crochet into the 1st loop, 5 double crochet into each of the next two, turn, and place three of the long treble loops into the double crochets over the treble stitches in the same way as in the motif.

4th Row.—Chain 10, do 1 double crochet into the top of the long treble loop; add the 6 triple treble crochets into the double crochets as before, with 3 chains in between and the two 10 chain loops.

5th Row.—Create the picots and d c’s like in the motif, connecting to the 2 lower groups of triple trs just like before.

There are a total of 23 motifs needed: 4 for each front, 5 for the back, 4 for each shoulder, and the two extensions.

Stockings that have been re-soled following these directions can be worn with slippers and will feel comfortable.

Place the stocking as shown in Fig. 1, cut off the sole at the dotted line a—b; then cut off the toe at the line c—d. Since the heel of the sole piece won't lie flat, it needs to be slit until it looks like fig. 2 when laid out. Cut pieces from the leg of another stocking following these patterns, allowing for turnings as follows:

Fig. 1 shows the toe piece, which is ½-inch at points c—d where it connects to the stocking; fig. 2. It measures ½-inch all around except at the lines a—b and c—b, where only ¼-inch is allowed. If the stocking is too short, you can fix this by leaving the extra length needed at fig. 1, a, and fig. 2, d, along with the turnings discussed earlier.

Machine the new toe piece onto the stocking at c—d (fig. 1), open and press the seam. Sew a—b to b—c of the sole piece (fig. 2), open and press the seam. Attach this new sole to the stocking, open and press the seam. Secure all seams with small slip stitches.

It’s recommended to use mercerized cotton or silk and to keep the machine tension relatively loose.

[9]

In a Christmas package sent to me from Italy this year, I found two of the cutest little aprons I have ever seen—let alone owned.

They were so unique and yet so simple to make that I think every girl who likes aprons would love to have one. I've added another one to these two, just as simple, and it costs only a few pennies altogether.

A Slip-on Apron.

The first of the three is one of the Italian ones, made from two yards of regular kitchen paper towel. This specific one is made from unbleached linen, completely free of colored stripes or borders.

From a two-yard piece of towels, cut a ten-inch strip to use for the waistband.

At one end of the long piece, make a three-inch hem; this will be the front.

Now lay this strip on the table, and measuring 39 inches from the hem, make a dot with a pencil. Use this dot as the center of a circle 33 inches in circumference, which you will also mark out with the pencil using a compass. Next, cut out this circle and neatly turn in the raw edge, making a small hem. At the back of the apron, which is the end that isn’t hemmed, make three pleats—one box pleat in the center and two outward-turning ones on either side of the center pleat.

Cut the ten-inch strip into two 5-inch pieces and join them in the middle to create a long band. Fold this neatly in half and taper one end, while keeping the other end straight.

[10]

Join the back of the apron and sew it on securely by machine. Add a fastening like a button and buttonhole, or a hook and eye, or a snap fastener, on each end of the belt to finish the apron.

Slide your head through the circular opening, let the apron drape over your shoulders, and fasten the waistband in the front. That's how you create the simplest and quickest apron you can imagine.

The design on my little apron features three traditional red roses with green leaves and stems, separated by five dots that get progressively larger, with the biggest in the middle. This pattern runs across the bottom of the apron, about half an inch from the front hem, and again around the neckline, but three inches from the edge of the circle. Surrounding the circle is a line of stitching in brown silk, followed by a row of green French knots, and then another line of brown, creating a narrow band.

In the middle of the belt is a large button covered in linen, with a single red rose, stem removed, stitched onto it.

A Smocked Apron.

The second apron is also Italian, but this one is more suitable for sewing or knitting, when one's dress is likely to collect threads or fluff from the wool. It’s easily made from a piece of white [11] alpaca, 22 inches long by 27 inches wide. A straight piece of fabric is used, and the edges are scalloped in three-inch wide scallops. Down both sides and along the bottom, there’s an embroidered design of leaves in white silk, with a central flower done in Richelieu openwork, and the effect on the alpaca is really very beautiful.

At the top, the apron is tapered with three groups of honeycomb or diamond smocking that end in points. There's a small pocket on the right side with some smocking at the bottom to match. This pocket is made from a 6-inch square of the fabric and is attached to the apron using feather-stitching.

The band is made of a piece of alpaca that’s one yard long and about an inch wide. This band is stitched all around by machine.

Pleated Work Apron.

Last of all comes the little odd apron, but I wouldn't be surprised if many of you liked it less than the other two.

For this, you'll need one yard of lightweight fabric in a nice check or plaid pattern, and a quarter of a yard of solid lightweight fabric to match or complement the color. One of the many I've made was in white lightweight fabric, with a plaid design of light blue and brown. To go with this, I chose a solid chocolate brown, and it looked really beautiful when it was finished.

From the yard of fabric, cut a strip three inches wide along the edge. Then, from the leftover piece, cut a strip six inches wide across the fabric's width. This will leave you with a piece that is 27 inches wide and 30 inches long. Most zephyrs are 30 inches wide in a single layer.

Lay the material flat on the table and fold down a narrow hem where the selvedge has been cut off, also making a hem on the selvedge side. Then take two corners of the square and bring them together to form a miter, being very careful to match the pattern of the material. This creates a pocket, which is handy for holding anything. Next, cut the plain material into three strips, each 3 inches wide, and join them into one long piece. Then cut the 6-inch piece of checked zephyr into two pieces, each measuring 3 inches wide, and also join them into one long strip.

[12]

This leaves you with one long strip of plain fabric, one medium-sized piece of check, and one shorter strip of check.

Take the short piece of checkered fabric, which is only a yard long, and cut off a piece of plain fabric that's one inch shorter. Lay the plain fabric on top of the checkered one and temporarily secure them together with a line of thread down the center. Fold the checkered fabric over the plain one to create a narrow border on each side, and stitch it with a machine. Leave one end of this band raw, and round off the other end, continuing the little border the same way as the sides.

From the 60-inch strip of check fabric, cut off a yard length, and do the same with the plain fabric, following the same steps as before, but make sure to finish one end straight. This creates the shoulder straps and band of the apron, and should leave you with two strips of material: one check measuring 24 inches and one plain measuring 18 inches. Cut the plain strip into two pieces that are one-and-a-half inches wide, and then join them back into one strip. Fold down each side of this strip to create a band, and sew it along the top edge of the pocket, angling each end for a nice finish.

When this is done, take a stitch with a needle through the center of the pocket and the apron, and this keeps it from gaping.

Take the top of the apron next and make twelve half-inch tucks, six going one way and six the opposite, but both facing inward toward the center of the apron. Before doing this, fold down the rough edge to create a neat header. Sew the two straps onto each end of the top. From the leftover piece of zephyr, cut a strip one-and-a-half inches wide and the length of the top of the apron bib. Fold in each side and both ends, and stitch across the top of the bib to cover the straps.

To complete the apron, make a buttonhole at the rounded end of one of the straps, and sew a button on the other strap. Then take an iron and create half-inch pleats from top to bottom, using the stitched pleats of the bib as a guide.

When wearing the apron, the straps should go over your shoulders, cross at the back, and wrap around your waist, fastening with a button in the center front.

The description of this apron might seem a bit complicated, but it’s actually really straightforward, easy to make, and quite affordable.

[13]

Clothes are often thrown away as if they're useless just because they're worn in some areas, but with a bit of creativity and careful cutting, they can often be turned into something really functional. For example, it's often possible to make clothes for kids by using the least worn parts of larger clothes. Slightly worn wool vests can be perfectly transformed into pants for babies.

To make these, take the old vest and cut along the line A B, shown in the little diagram. This cuts away the most worn part of the garment. Curve out at the bottom, along the lines C D and E F.

The stitches needed for the little clothes are really easy. Sew the edges together from D to E. Fold down about a ½-inch around the curved areas and use a herringbone stitch or a machine stitch. At the top, fold down a 1-inch hem and stitch it the same way. Create two eyelet holes in the back and add a drawstring. You’ll end up with a cozy little outfit for the baby.

A Use for Old Pantyhose.

A cozy pair of bloomers for a little girl aged 5 or 6 can be made from the legs of winter stockings that have worn-out feet. You’ll need two pairs. First, cut off the legs just above the darns on the heel, then cut up the back seam and lay them flat. Now place your pattern on top, and you’ll probably find you can cut out all four pieces, keeping in mind that the stockings will stretch, so you can cut them significantly narrower than regular fabric. Once the seams are stitched together (a single line of stitching is enough), create a hem wide enough to thread in elastic at the waist and the bottom of the legs, and you’ll have a comfy and cozy garment. If the stocking legs aren't wide enough for your pattern, you can easily trim corners from the ankle or front of the foot and attach them to each piece. This may sound bulky, but the seams can be stitched quite narrow (they won’t fray at all), and since they’re made of wool, they are perfectly soft and won’t be noticeable when worn.

[14]

Furs are a really expensive item, especially these days. However, some extra warmth around the throat and neck is essential in cold weather. The issue is perfectly addressed by the collars shown here. In addition to being warmer, they offer a break from a regular scarf and, with a careful choice of color, can add a stylish touch to any coat.

A collar with very little shaping.

This well-fitting collar is made using basic knitting with minimal shaping and is then styled to have a fur-like look with a Teazle Brush.

Required materials.

3 oz. Teazle Wool. Two No. 8 Celluloid Knitting Needles. A large button mold. Two or three dress fasteners.

This collar should be worked at a tension to produce about 6 stitches and 12 rows per inch.

Cast on 45 stitches.

Work 8 rows in simple knit stitch.

* 9th Row.—K 5, turn.

Row 10.—K 5.

11th Row.—K 5, lift the stitch before the next one and knit it together with the next stitch (this avoids a hole), K 4, turn.

12th Row.—K 10.

13th Row.—K 10, lift the stitch up before the next one and knit it together with the next stitch, K 4, turn.

14th Row.—K 15.

Continue like this, adding 5 extra stitches every other row, until all 45 stitches are back on one row again *.

Knit straight until the shortest side measures 9 inches.

Finish at the wide edge, then repeat from * to * once.

Knit 9 rows without shaping, then repeat from * to *.

Knit 9 inches straight without shaping. Repeat from * to * one more time.

Knit 8 rows straight. Cast off.

The Button.

Cast on 3 stitches.

Knitting plain, increase one stitch at the beginning of each row until there are 15 stitches on the needle.

Knit 6 rows without any shaping. Then, decrease once at the start of each row until only 3 stitches are left. Bind off.

Raise the surface of each piece gently with a Teazle Brush until you achieve a fluffy effect.

[15]

Cover the button mold with the small round of knitting and sew it onto the right front. Sew dress fasteners in place on each front.

If necessary, the collar can be lined with silk or sateen.

A Cute Sailor Collar.

This sailor collar is a fashionable addition to any coat, while also providing the extra warmth needed on chilly winter days. Knitted in simple stitches, the shaping is easy to follow.

Required materials.

3½ oz. Teazle Wool. Two size 8 celluloid knitting needles. A large button mold. Two or three dress fasteners.

This Collar should be made with a tension that results in about 6 stitches and 12 rows per inch.

Commencing along the lower edge at the back of the collar, cast on 126 stitches.

Knitting plain, decrease once at the beginning and end of every 12th row until 4 stitches have been decreased on each side (leaving 118 stitches in the row).

Then make one increase at the beginning and end of every 14th row until you have made two increases on each side, resulting in 122 stitches on the needle, and 76 rows (6½ inches) from the start.

The stitches now need to be divided for the neck opening like this: K 42, cast off 38, K 42. For the last 42 stitches, proceed with the first shoulder piece as follows: On the outside edge, continue to increase once every 14th row, while on the neck edge, decrease once every 2nd row until you have decreased 6 stitches, then decrease once every following 12th row until you’ve decreased 3 more stitches.

Knit back to the neck edge, then continue to decrease once (at the neck) every 12th row. Shape the front and shoulder as follows: Knit to 5 stitches before the shoulder edge, turn, and knit back.

Knit until you have 5 stitches left from the end of the previous row (i.e., 10 stitches from the shoulder edge), turn, and knit back.

* Knit until you have 5 stitches left on the last row, turn, and knit back. Repeat from * until only 5 stitches are left in the last short row.

In the next row, all the stitches need to be knitted into one row again, but to avoid small holes forming at the turns of the short rows, a loop from the row below should be lifted up and knitted together with the next stitch above the turn.

Knit 8 rows without shaping. Cast off.

Join the wool again at the neck where the 42 stitches were left, then work the second shoulder on these stitches to match the first.

The Button.

Cast on 3 stitches.

Knitting plain, increase once at the start of each row until there are 15 stitches on the needle.

Knit 6 rows straight. Then decrease once at the start of each row until only 3 stitches are left. Bind off.

Raise the surface of each piece lightly with a Teazle brush until you achieve a fluffy effect. Cover the button mold with the small round of knitting and sew it onto the right front. Attach dress fasteners in place on each front.

If needed, the collar can be lined with silk or sateen.

[16]

It’s always the neck and wrist areas that first show signs of wear on a knitted sports coat or jersey, and often a piece of clothing is thrown away just because these parts look shabby or outdated.

Have you ever thought about knitting a completely new set of collar and cuffs to replace the dirty parts, or to add to a collarless jersey or coat? The current collar and cuffs can easily be cut off, and the raw edges can be neatly buttonholed with wool before sewing on the new set.

You’re probably not going to find wool in the exact color of your jersey, so it’s better to go for a striking contrast, like purple on a light blue jersey, or emerald green on a white one. If your jersey already has two colors or is particularly bright, black makes a nice contrast. This year, especially, contrasts in color are very trendy, so your redesigned jersey will definitely be in style.

Here’s a handy little set that you’ll find pretty easy to put together.

The Collar.

This is the always-popular sailor shape that can be easily adapted to most outfits.

“Sirdar” Sports Wool has been used for making No. 9 bone needles; or a 5-ply “Sirdar” Scotch Fingering would work up at a similar tension. Three ounces of wool will be enough for the set.

Abbreviations Used.

K = knit; P = purl; N = narrow (k two st together); st = stitch or stitches.

Commence from the back edge and cast on 78 stitches.

K 17 rows plain.

18th Row.—K 8, P to 8 st from the end of the row, K 8.

19th Row.—Knit regularly.

Repeat the 18th and 19th rows two times.

24th Row.—K 8, P 4, * K 6, P 6, repeat from * 3 times, K 6, P 4, K 8.

25th Row—K 12, * P 6, K 6, repeat from * 3 times, P 6, K 12.

Repeat rows 24 and 25 once.

28th Row.—K 8, P 10, * K 6, P 6, repeat from * twice, K 6, P 10, K 8.

29th Row.—K 18, * P 6, K 6, repeat from * twice, P 6, K 18.

Repeat the 28th and 29th rows one time.

Repeat from the 24th row once, and then from the 24th to the 27th row once. This completes the pattern.

K 24, then alternate between a plain row and a purl row[17], always working the 8 border stitches in every row.

Now to divide for the neck: K 34, and slip these stitches onto a safety pin. Cast off 14 stitches for the center of the neck, and on the remaining 34 stitches, knit up the left front of the collar like this: Work 10 rows in plain and a purl row alternately, knitting the 2nd and 3rd stitches together of every row turned from the neck edge, and continue the 8 plain border stitches.

Continue shaping like this, also decreasing at the edge by purling the 10th and 11th stitches together every 4th row from the border edge.

When you've knitted all but the 8 border stitches, keep going with plain knitting, decreasing only from the neck edge, until only 3 stitches are left.

Reverse the instructions for the right side of the collar.

Now pick up all the loops from the neck edge and knit 6 plain rows.

The Handcuffs.

Cast on 50 stitches.

K 13 rows plain.

14th Row.—K 6, P to the 6th stitch from the end of the row, K 6.

15th Row.—Basic.

Repeat the 14th and 15th rows once.

18th Row.—K 6, P 4, K 6, P 6, K 6, P 6, K 6, P 4, K 6.

19th Row.—K 10, P 6, K 6, P 6, K 6, P 6, K 10.

Repeat the 18th and 19th rows once.

22nd Row.—K 6, P 10, K 6, P 6, K 6, P 10, K 6.

23rd Row.—K 16, P 6, K 6, P 6, K 16.

Repeat the 22nd and 23rd rows one time.

Repeat from the 16th row to the 19th row one time. This finishes the pattern.

K 16 rows of knit and purl alternately, working the 6 border stitches in knit on every row.

K 6 plain rows, bind off.

For a No-Collar Coat.

Another easy way to refresh the neck of a collarless jersey coat is to knit a strip of plain fabric that’s 4 inches wide and 12 inches long, and then stretch it along the neck edge. You can make matching cuffs as well.

A nice striped effect for this finish can be achieved by using two different shades of wool, working four rows of one and then four rows of the other.

[18]

Never be tempted to toss out a pair of gloves, no matter how old they are. That is, until you've concluded that they are completely useless. Just because a glove has holes in the fingers, a badly torn thumb, or a split palm, doesn’t mean it’s only good for housework.

Our illustration will show what can be done with gloves that seem “almost useless” to most people.

To mend a glove that’s worn between the fingers.

The first part to wear out is usually between the fingers. This is especially true for washing gloves, which tend to shrink, and wash leathers, unless they have a splice seam, will always do this.

As the fingers get smaller, the gap between them increases, and it can't be stitched closed because that would make the hand too constricted and the fingers too short.

To fix this, take a spool of strong thread and a small fur needle (three-sided needle) and create a fine net between your two fingers.

Buttonhole the edge of the split as you create the lattice. Insert your needle into the edge of the hole and make one buttonhole stitch; then take your needle into the other side of the hole with another buttonhole stitch. Then make two buttonhole stitches, and bring your needle up to the top edge of the hole, close to where you started.

This creates bars about 1/16 inch apart, with two buttonhole stitches in between.

This done, flip the glove and do the same thing from side to side, tying off the thread each time it overlaps the under-threads. This way, a small net is created.

This network is flexible and will wear and wash into shape, lasting as long as the glove itself.

Making a clean patch.

Next to the fingers, the thumb is the biggest issue.

I find that opening carriage doors has an unfortunate way of tearing a glove right where the thumb meets the palm.

If there's a lot of space, this split can be neatly joined together, but[19] the smarter approach is to fix it with a small piece of an old glove.

Tack the patch in, and then with fine silk the color of the glove, sew a buttonhole stitch around the edge of the tear, taking up the under-skin as well. This keeps it firm and neat, and the patch can be trimmed underneath, leaving just a small margin for stretch.

Adding a New Thumb.

If the tip of the thumb wears out and can't be fixed, you can easily replace it with a brand new one. I have an old piece of chamois leather that I save for this exact reason, and it works perfectly.

Cut out the torn thumb carefully, keeping the shape as intact as you can. Open the seam and lay it flat on the piece of leather or kidskin that you’re using to fix the glove.

Cut around the pattern, leaving a small margin, since your sewing isn't as precise as that done by a professional.

Then attach the new thumb to the glove around the base.

Buttonhole this carefully in, and lastly buttonhole the seam up the thumb and across the top. This will be found quite easy.

For colored kid gloves, I buy scraps of kid leather from the shoemaker, and you can get a pretty nice-sized piece for a low cost, big enough to cut any size thumb and to leave enough scraps for patching.

Always remember when putting on gloves to go slowly, pulling on the fingers first, then half the palm, and lastly the thumb.

Be just as careful when taking off as you are when putting on, and shape each finger and thumb properly.

[20]

Materials Needed.

For the hat shown, a buckram shape was used with the brim slightly curled all around, deeper at the back than the front, and featuring a tall crown; 1 ounce of purple wool and 3 ounces of white 4-ply “Beehive” Scotch Fingering; five No. 14 long steel knitting needles. The fifth needle is only needed for the brim, where there are too many stitches for three needles.

Hat shapes change from time to time, but the basic principles stay the same, and with a bit of adjustment, this can be adapted to fit any style of the “sailor” type.

Instructions.

Commence by casting on 2 stitches on each of three needles. Knit the first row plain.

2nd Row.—Knit two times into each stitch, like this—knit the stitch, but keep it on the left needle, twist the tip of the right needle to the back of the stitch and knit the other side of this stitch, then drop the stitch off the left needle. Repeat for every stitch.

3rd Row, and every Alternate Row.—Knit plain.

4th Row.—* Knit 1, then knit into the next stitch twice, and repeat from *.

6th Row.—* Knit 2, then knit into each stitch twice, repeat from *.

8th Row.—* Knit 3, knit into the next stitch twice, repeat from *.

Continue in this way, increasing the number of stitches in each section by 1 stitch before the increase until, in the 46th row, there are 24 stitches in each section, which means 144 stitches in the row.

Knit 42 rows on the 144 stitches.

89th Row.—* Knit 11, then knit two stitches into the next stitch, repeat from *.

90th Row.—Knit plain and repeat these 2 rows until the count in each section reaches 20, then knit 10 rows of the 240 stitches.

Use the spare needle to remove some of the stitches, placing 60 stitches on each of the 4 needles.

Knit in a 1x1 ribbing all the way around for 16 rows, then cast off the stitches on 2 of the needles. Continue the ribbing on the other 2 needles for the wider part of the brim, casting off 4 stitches at the beginning and end of each row (using the stitches on the 2 needles) until this piece measures 1½ inches, then cast off.

It will be necessary to adjust the covering to match the shape to ensure that it fits evenly, and to add or remove a row or two as needed for each section of the shape while working.

Stretch the fabric over the mold and pin it along the line between the top and the brim to the mold. Turn the inside of the hat toward you and gather the edge of the fabric to fit the mold along the[21] edge of the crown. Sew the fabric securely to this edge of the mold. Shape the hat and press the brim with a warm iron, placing a damp cloth underneath and on top; iron until the cloths are completely dry.

The Group.

This is made with the new floral knitting, and it provides a lovely finish to a very practical and flattering hat.

Using the same type of white wool and 2 needles, cast on 20 stitches and work 30 rows, alternating between 1 knit row and 1 purl row, so that there is a right side and a wrong side to the band.

31st Row.—Knit 13 (with the white wool), attach the purple wool right after the 13th stitch, and knit 4 p (purple), then finish the row with white.

When using two or more colors in this type of knitting, one of the yarns is held across the fingers of your left hand just like in crochet, and the yarn for the stitch is taken from this by inserting the needle underneath and pulling the loop through the stitch on the left-hand needle. Keep the different yarns on opposite sides of your work to prevent tangling, and make sure the yarns at the back are even and not pulled too tightly; otherwise, your work will pucker.

32nd Row.—Knit 7 w (white), 1 p (purple), 12 w.

33rd Row.—Knit 11 stitches (always slipping the first stitch), 1 purl, 8 stitches.

34th Row.—Knit 9 stitches, 1 purl, 10 stitches.

35th Row.—Knit 9 stitches, purl 2, knit 9 stitches.

36th Row.—Purl 10 with yarn, 1 purl, 9 with yarn.

37th Row.—Knit 8 stitches, 1 purl, 11 stitches.

38th Row.—Knit 12 stitches, 1 purl, 7 stitches.

39th Row.—Knit 7 with, 1 purl, 12 with.

40th Row.—Purl 12 stitches, 1 purl, 7 stitches.

41st Row.—Knit 7 with, 1 purl, 12 with.

42nd Row.—Purl 12 with yarn, 1 purl, 7 with yarn.

43rd Row.—Knit 7 with, 1 purl, 1 with, 2 purl, 9 with.

44th Row.—Knit 8 stitches, 4 purl, 1 knit, 3 purl, 4 knit.

45th Row.—Knit 4 with, 8 purl, 1 with, 2 purl, 5 with.

46th Row.—Knit 4 stitches, 5 purl, 3 stitches, 4 purl, 4 stitches.

47th Row.—Knit 6 with, 1 purl, 2 with, 1 purl, 2 with, 4 purl, 4 with.

48th Row.—Knit 5 stitches, purl 3, knit 1, purl 3, knit 1, purl 3, knit 4.

49th Row.—Knit 3, purl 4, knit 2, purl 1, knit 2, purl 1, knit 7.

50th Row.—Knit 5, purl 4, knit 3, purl 5, knit 3.

51st Row.—-Knit 4 stitches, purl 2, knit 1, purl 8, knit 5.

52nd Row.—Knit 4, purl 4, knit 1, purl 4, knit 3, purl 1, knit 3.

53rd Row.—Knit 3 stitches, purl 3 stitches, knit 1 stitch, purl 4 stitches, knit 1 stitch, purl 3 stitches, knit 5 stitches.

54th Row.—Knit 10 stitches, purl 2, knit 1, purl 3, knit 4.

55th Row.—Knit 7 with, 1 purl, 6 with, 3 purl, 3 with.

56th Row.—Knit 2, purl 5, knit 4, purl 1, knit 1, purl 2, knit 5.

57th Row.—Knit 4 knit, 4 purl, 1 knit. 4 purl, 1 knit, 3 purl, 3 knit.

58th Row.—Knit 4, purl 1, knit 1, purl 4, knit 2, purl 2, knit 1, purl 1, knit 4.

59th Row.—Knit 5 with, 2 purl, 2 with, 8 purl, 3 with.

60th Row.—Knit 3, purl 4, knit 1, purl 2, knit 10.

61st Row.—Knit 11 stitches, 3 purls, 6 stitches.

62nd Row.—Purl 6, knit 1, purl 13.

Knit the next 22 rows in all white, then repeat from the 31st row three more times, finishing with 30 rows of white.

Press this band on the inside like at the brim, fold in each end to create an angle, and secure it on the[22] inside with a few stitches using the wool thread. Flatten the ends, then position the band around the hat as shown and sew it in place.

Wash the hat.

The cover and band come off easily when it's time to clean the hat.

Make a lather with warm soapy water, immerse the item and press and squeeze it with your hands, but don’t rub it, until it appears clean. Then squeeze out as much water as you can and rinse it in clean warm water. Again, squeeze it as dry as possible, and place it immediately in front of the fire until it's nearly, but not completely, dry. Make sure the wrong side is facing out. Press the wrong side with a hot iron until it’s completely dry, pull it into shape, and put it back over the buckram.

The band, or cover, if it's made with colored wool, should have a handful of salt added to the lather and rinsing water.

[23]

You can create beautiful effects for turnover stocking tops by knitting in two or three shades of wool. The designs shown are made with grey wool, contrasting with black and white just to highlight the difference, and using bright colors would make many of these designs really striking. For example, saxe blue and bright brown would look nice on a grey sock, and emerald green with white on a navy sock is another great combo; you can also incorporate the specific school colors of a boy, adding a uniform touch to his outfit.

These tops are really easy to make and can be included in any sock patterns. It's best to start with six or eight rows of ribbing since this helps them fit well. Once the fancy design is finished, turn the work before starting the sock itself. Make sure you have the correct multiple of stitches for the design you've chosen. If needed, add the right number of stitches after the ribbing, then decrease them back to the original number to achieve the even rib before starting the sock.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the wools need to be handled loosely, or the design will become cramped. You can also easily avoid the wools twisting together while you work by weaving the new wool over and then under the shade you used before when switching from one wool to another.

If you notice that your design has shrunk a bit after finishing, pressing it with a hot iron over a damp cloth can help fix this. In fact, all knitted clothing benefits from being pressed this way.

The instructions provided are for a sock designed for a boy aged six to seven years. The leg length is 11½ inches to the heel when the top is folded down, and the foot length is seven inches from heel to toe.

The Sock.

Abbreviations Used.

K = knit; P = purl; N = narrow (decrease a stitch by knitting two stitches together); St = stitch or stitches.

Materials needed: 4 ounces of Messrs. J. & J. Baldwin’s 4-ply grey “Beehive” Scotch Fingering, half an ounce each of white and black wool, and four No. 15 steel needles.

With gray wool cast on 64 stitches, 22 on each of two needles and 20 on the third needle. Work in a rib of K 2 and P 2 for 8 rounds. Work one plain round, increasing your number of stitches to 70, then start the fancy top, using the three yarns as follows:

10th and 11th Rounds.—4 gray (G), 3 white (W), 4 G, 3 black (B). Repeat.

12th and 13th Rounds.—2 Black, 2 White, 3 Green, 2 White, 2 Black, 3 Green. Repeat.

[24]

14th and 15th Rounds.—2 W, 2 B, 3 G, 2 B, 2 W, 3 G. Repeat.

16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th Rounds.—4 G, 3 B, 4 G, 3 W. Repeat.

20th and 21st Rounds.—2 White, 2 Black, 3 Green, 2 Black, 2 White, 3 Green. Repeat.

22nd and 23rd Rounds.—2 Black, 2 White, 3 Green, 2 White, 2 Black, 3 Green. Repeat.

24th and 25th Rounds.—4 G, 3 W, 4 G. 3 B. Repeat.

Work a plain round in the gray wool and decrease your stitches to 64 again.

Turn the work, and start the ribbed section with K 3, P 1.

Work for 5½ inches, then start shaping for the leg as follows: K 1, N, work in rib to the last four stitches of the round N, K 1, P 1.

Decrease in this way four times, with 7 rows in between each decrease.

Work an inch without shaping, then divide the stitches, putting half on one needle for the heel, making sure the decreases are centered on the needle.

The Heel.

Make one extra stitch so that you have an odd number on the needle (you should have 29 stitches), and then knit and purl a row alternately (always slipping the first stitch) until you've worked the same number of rows as you have stitches on the needle, ending with a purl row.

K 16, N, K 1, turn.

P 5, Purl 2 together, P 1, turn.

K 6, N, K 1, turn.

P 7, Purl 2 together, P 1, turn, and continue in this manner until all the stitches have been worked onto one needle again.

Pick up 14 loops on each side of the heel and start working in[25] rounds again for the foot, continuing the rib on the instep needles while using plain knitting for the underside of the foot.

In the first round, narrow at each side by taking the two lowest stitches picked up from the side of the heel flap together.

Repeat this decreasing three times, with 1 round in between each. Keep knitting the foot without further shaping for 3½ inches, until you are ready for the toe.

The Toe.

Put half your stitches on the heel needle, and divide the rest between the other two needles. Knit the toe in plain stitching all around, decreasing at each end of the heel needle, and at the outer end of the other needles every other round, until you have only 20 stitches left in the round. Place these on two needles and cast off both needles together.

Design #2.

For this pattern, the number of stitches used must be a multiple of 8.

1st and 2nd Rounds.—3 G, 5 B. Repeat.

3rd and 4th Rounds.—1 B, * 1 G, 7 B. Repeat from *.

5th and 6th Rounds.—4 G, * 3 B, 5 G. Repeat from *.

7th and 8th Rounds.—1 G, * W, 2 G, 1 B, 1 G, 1 B, 2 G. Repeat from *.

9th and 10th Rounds.—3 W, 5 G. Repeat.

11th and 12th Rounds.—1 G, * 1 W, 2 G, 1 B, 1 G, 1 B, 2 G. Repeat from *.

13th and 14th Rounds.—4 G, * 3 B, 5 G. Repeat from *.

15th and 16th Rounds.—1 B, * 1 G, 7 B. Repeat from *.

17th and 18th Rounds.—3 G, 5 B. Repeat.

Design #3.

For this pattern, the number of stitches used must be a multiple of 6.

[26]

Commence the border by working 2 plain rounds in the black yarn, then 2 plain rounds in the white.

5th and 6th Rounds.—1 B, 5 W. Repeat.

7th and 8th Rounds.—1 W, * 3 B, 3 W. Repeat from *.

9th and 10th Rounds.—2 W, 1 B. Repeat.

11th and 12th Rounds.—1 W, 3 B, 1 W, 1 B. Repeat.

13th and 14th Rounds.—1 W, * 3 G, 3 W. Repeat from *.

15th and 16th Rounds.—5 G, 1 W. Repeat.

17th and 18th Rounds.—White.

19th and 20th rounds.—Black.

4th Design.

For this pattern, the number of stitches used must be a multiple of 10.

Rounds 1 and 2.—White.

3rd and 4th Rounds.—Black.

5th and 6th Rounds.—1 B, 1 W. Repeat.

Rounds 7 and 8.—White.

9th and 10th Rounds.—1 W, * 2 B, 3 W, 2 G, 3 W. Repeat from *.

11th and 12th Rounds.—4 B, 1 W, 4 G, 1 W. Repeat.

13th and 14th Rounds.—1 W, * 2 B, 3 W, 2 G, 3 W. Repeat from *.

15th and 16th Rounds.—White.

17th and 18th Rounds.—1 B, 1 W, Repeat.

19th and 20th Rounds.—Black.

21st and 22nd Rounds.—White.

Design #5.

For this pattern, the number of stitches needed must be a multiple of 11.

Round 1 and 2.—White.

3rd and 4th Rounds.—Black.

5th and 6th Rounds.—3 G, 1 W, 2 B, 2 W, 2 B, 1 W. Repeat.

[27]

7th and 8th Rounds.—1 W, 1 G, 1 W, 2 B, 1 W, 2 G, 1 W, 2 B. Repeat.

9th and 10th Rounds.—1 B, * 1 W, 2 B, 1 W, 4 G, 1 W, 2 B. Repeat from *.

11th and 12th Rounds.—3 B, 1 W, 6 G, 1 W. Repeat.

13th and 14th Rounds.—1 B, * 1 W, 2 B, 1 W, 4 G, 1 W, 2 B. Repeat from *.

15th and 16th Rounds.—1 W, 1 G, 1 W, 2 B, 1 W, 2 G, 1 W, 2 B. Repeat.

17th and 18th Rounds.—3 G, 1 W, 2 B, 2 W, 2 B, 1 W. Repeat.

19th and 20th rounds.—Black.

21st and 22nd Rounds.—White.

Design #6.

For this pattern, the number of stitches used must be a multiple of 8.

1st and 2nd Rounds.—4 B, 4 G. Repeat.

3rd and 4th Rounds.—4 G, 4 B. Repeat.

5th and 6th Rounds.—Black.

7th and 8th Rounds.—3 G, 5 B. Repeat.

9th and 10th Rounds.—2 G, * 2 W, 3 B, 3 G. Repeat from *.

11th and 12th Rounds.—2 G, * 1 B, 3 W, 1 B, 3 G. Repeat from *.

13th and 14th Rounds.—1 G, * 3 B, 2 W, 3 G. Repeat from *.

15th and 16th Rounds.—4 B, * 3 G, 5 B. Repeat from *.

17th and 18th Rounds.—Black.

19th and 20th Rounds.—4 B, 4 G. Repeat.

21st and 22nd Rounds.—4 G, 4 B. Repeat.

Design #7.

Only two colors are needed for this design, and the number of stitches used must be a multiple of 8.

1st and 2nd Rounds. —Black.

3rd and 4th Rounds. — Grey.

5th and 6th Rounds.—1 B, 2 G, 4 B, 1 G. Repeat.

7th and 8th Rounds.—1 B, 2 G, 1 B, 4 G. Repeat

9th and 10th Rounds.—1 B, 2 G, 1 B, 4 G. Repeat.

11th and 12th Rounds.—7 B, 1 G. Repeat.

13th and 14th Rounds.—3 G, 1 B, 2 G, 1 B, 1 G. Repeat.

15th and 16th Rounds.—3 G, 1 B, 2 G, 1 B, 1 G. Repeat.

17th and 18th Rounds.—4 B, 2 G, 1 B, 1 G. Repeat.

19th and 20th Rounds.—Gray.

21st and 22nd Rounds.—Black.

Design #8.

This border is quite a bit wider than the others and might be more appropriate for a man’s stocking; alternatively, to narrow it down, the stripes from each edge could be removed. You’ll need stitches in multiples of 8.

1st and 2nd Rounds.—Black.

3rd and 4th Rounds.—White.

5th and 6th Rounds.—Black.

7th and 8th Rounds.—Gray.

9th and 10th Rounds.—5 G, 3 B. Repeat.

11th and 12th Rounds.—6 G, * 1 B, 7 G. Repeat from *.

13th and 14th Rounds.—2 G, * 1 W, 7 G. Repeat from *.

15th and 16th Rounds.—1 G, * 3 W, 5 G. Repeat from *.

17th and 18th Rounds.—3 W, 4 G, Repeat.

19th and 20th Rounds.—2 W, * 4 B, 1 G, 3 W. Repeat from *.

21st and 22nd Rounds.—3 W, 5 G. Repeat.

[28]

23rd and 24th Rounds.—1 G, * 3 W, 5 G. Repeat from *.

25th and 26th Rounds.—2 G, * 1 W, 7 G. Repeat from *.

27th and 28th Rounds.—6 G, * 1 B, 7 G. Repeat from *.

29th and 30th Rounds.—5 G, 3 B. Repeat.

31st and 32nd Rounds.—Gray.

33rd and 34th Rounds.—Black.

35th and 36th Rounds.—White.

37th and 38th Rounds.—Black.

Good quality fabric for making kids' everyday dresses is now way more expensive than it was before the war, so a smart woman who has a few narrower washing skirts that were trendy a few years back should definitely find a way to make use of them.

While it’s relatively easy for a woman who sews her own clothes to successfully turn a full skirt into a narrower style, it’s not as straightforward to adjust a narrow style to a wider cut. Even if you could find matching fabric, it’s generally not a good idea to mix new fabric with old, as the new material would only highlight the wear and tear of the older pieces.

Here’s a suggestion that might not have crossed everyone’s mind. Have you ever considered what great little outfits for kids can be made from the best sections of a cotton skirt? For example, we're showing how the child’s overall illustrated can be cut from a two-piece skirt of the narrowest type (this design only measures 1⅜ yards around the hem) without even cutting into the areas that are likely to get the most wear.

Whether the skirt is made of linen, piqué, casement cloth, or any of the sturdier washable fabrics, it would work perfectly for creating this little dress that can be worn either as an overall over another dress or as a standalone summer play dress without anything underneath.

The skirt used here is a two-gored design, with a seam on each side. To cut the pattern as shown in the diagram, you need to unpick the hem of the skirt and the side seams from the waist down to just below the hips, or just far enough to lay the skirt flat on the table.

Make sure the skirt is positioned so that there's an even fold at the center back and front, with the side seams lined up with each other, then lay your pattern on top. You'll notice that when placing the sleeve piece, it overlaps the side seam of the skirt, creating two seams in the sleeve instead of one. However, the second seam will fall under the arm, so it won’t affect the look of the garment. The collar and cuff pieces will need to be lined for a polished finish, and you’ll likely find enough fabric from the cuttings to cut these out again. If not, a small piece of white cotton can work just as well for this.

The back of the overall is designed with a cut from the neck to the hem, finished with a hem on each side, and secured with buttons and buttonholes.

Many types of trimming could be used to give a little extra detail to this description. French knots done in a contrasting color along the hem and around the collar and cuffs would look great, or some simple cross-stitch animal designs would also be nice.

Use Clark’s “Anchor” Embroidery Cotton, No. 12.

A dress for a two-year-old has been used as an example, but it would be totally possible to cut a larger size in a similar way, although it might be necessary to add a fake hem made from a different material.

[30]

This method of knitting socks makes it easy to fix the heel and toe when they wear out. By just unpicking the end stitch of a row of crochet chain stitches, you can almost instantly remove the sole, heel, or toe by pulling the thread and undoing the crochet. The chain stitches are used to connect the different parts, which are made separately and then joined together.

When the worn-out part is removed, a piece the same size is knitted and attached to the rest of the sock with a row of chain stitches. This way, the leg and instep sections, which rarely wear out, can be used for two or three repairs of the parts that do wear out.

It’s just as easy to knit a sock or stocking using the new method as it is with the old one, and the savings from the new method are significant, especially now when wool yarn is both hard to find and pricey. The same goes for cotton yarn.

The sock or stocking is started in the usual way and can be made either smooth or ribbed.

The sock shown is a full-size men's sock, and the seams are indicated by the dark line around the heel, along the side of the foot, and across the instep at the start of the front toe area.

These connections were made with black thread on the white sock to make the joins visible, but when making a sock, everything should be done with the same thread as the sock itself. This way, the joins aren't visible on the outside, and there's no seam on the inside, since the row of chain stitches creates a flat line.

Leg Day.

In the sock shown here, 80 stitches were cast on using three size 12 knitting needles. Four inches of ribbing were worked—1 knit, 1 purl. Then, 5 inches of plain knitting with a back seam followed.

The Instep.

Divide for the heel, putting 20 stitches on each side of the back seam, all on one needle. Divide the 39 remaining stitches onto two needles, and continue knitting on those (set aside the heel needle for now). Knit and purl alternate rows until the piece is 6 inches long. Put the 39 stitches on one needle and leave this part aside for now.

The Heel.

Cast on 41 stitches on a needle using “slip loops,” which means wrap the thread once[31] around the top of your thumb and then transfer the loop that's created onto the needle.

Knit 41 stitches, purling the 21st for the back seam, which is kept for the whole heel.

Purl the next row, then knit and purl alternate rows until you have a total of 24 rows.

Closing the heel.

1st Row.—Knit up to the 9th stitch after the back seam, slip the 10th stitch, knit the next stitch, pull the slipped stitch over, knit 1, turn (leaving 8 stitches).

2nd Row.—Slip 1st st and pull back to the 10th after the back seam, purl 10th and 11th together, purl next st, turn and repeat these 2 rows until all the stitches at each side have been taken in. Cut the thread, leaving a short end attached.

The Sole.

There should now be 24 stitches on each side of the heel and 23 along the top of it. Cast on 71 stitches using the “slip loops.” Knit and purl alternating rows for 4 rows. Then decrease on every plain row in the 3rd and 4th stitches from each end like this: knit 2, slip 1, knit 1, pass the slipped stitch over, knit to the 4th stitch from the end, knit the 4th and 3rd together, knit 2.

Continue until the stitches are reduced to 39, to match the stitches on the instep.

Knit this piece until it matches the length of the instep part exactly.

The Toe.

Take two more needles, cast on 20 stitches on one and 19 on the other, following the stitches on the main needle, making the “slip loops” like before. Join in the round and knit 2 rows plain.

Decrease in the next round like this:—k[32] first 2 on the sole needle, sl 1, k 1, pass the slipped st over, k to the 4th st from the end of this needle, k 3rd and 2nd together, k 2.

Knit the first 2 stitches on the next needle, slip 1, knit 1, pass the slipped stitch over, knit the rest of the needle, then on the next needle, knit to the last 4 stitches, knit the 4th and 3rd stitches together, then knit 2.

Knit 6 rounds. Decrease as you did previously.

Knit 5 rounds. Decrease. Knit 4 rounds. Decrease.

Knit 3 rounds. Decrease.

Knit 2 rounds. Decrease.

Decrease every 2nd round until there are 11 stitches remaining on the sole needle. Bring the back and front needles together, and taking a matching stitch from each needle, cast off 2 together. Pull the thread through the last loop and cut it, leaving a short end.

The Joining Method.

Starting at the back of the leg area, position the heel so that the wrong sides are facing you.

With a No. 1 steel crochet hook, make a chain at the end of the thread, insert the hook through the first stitch on the heel, and through the first stitch on the needle of the leg section. Draw a loop through these two together and through the chain on the hook. Insert the hook through the next stitch on the heel, slip off the joined stitch on the needle, insert the hook through the next stitch on the needle, and draw a loop through the two stitches and the loop on the needle. Repeat this until the end of the needle, then move to the foot part and position it on the heel. Join in the same way by inserting the hook through corresponding stitches. Continue up the side, across the top of the foot, and back to the heel again. Fasten the thread, leaving about an inch of it. Weave the end into the following stitches to hide it.

It’s clear that when any part is worn out and needs to be replaced, the thread can be cut and unraveled as much as needed.

To Refresh the Toe Area.

Undo the chain stitches along the front, cut the sole part in a straight line with the front, unpick the threads to create an even line of stitches, pick these up on a needle, and knit the toe piece just like the first one. Attach it to the front the same way.

To Strengthen the Heel and Toe.

It’s not widely recognized that these areas can be strengthened to extend their lifespan by two or three times. The most effective way to achieve this is demonstrated in the illustrated sock.

“Star Sylko” No. 5, matching the color of the sock, is woven into the lines of knitted stitches, using a darning needle for that purpose.

Take one side of each stitch on the needle, pull the thread through, working in perpendicular rows. Come back on the other side of the stitches down to where the first row started, and keep going. This way, the cotton thread stays on the outside of the wool knitting and takes all the wear from the shoe, while never touching the skin. The dark line down the heel indicates where the reinforcing stitches have been done.

To Re-Knit a Heel and Toe into a Machine-Knit Sock.

In the machine-knit sock, the heel and toe aren't made the same way as in most hand-knit socks, but usually based on the illustration at the bottom of the page. For the heel, a section of the leg has been worked to demonstrate how the heel is created directly onto it.

Cut away the heel at its base to the 1st decreasing stitch. Make a cut across the sole next to the heel in line with the 3rd decreasing stitch on each side.

Turn back 3 rows under the sole, where they should be secured with a flat seam, using a piece of the same kind of thread and a darning needle. Pick up the stitches at the base of the heel onto a knitting needle. Secure the thread and knit a row. Then alternate between purling and knitting each row, taking the first 2 stitches together in every row until the stitches are reduced to one-third of those in the first row.

Continue working a knit row and a purl row alternately on these stitches, increasing by picking up a loop at the end of each row from the side of the flap you just worked, until you've closed the heel and have the original number of stitches on the needle. Join to the sole part with a row of chain stitches.

The Toe Part.

This is done just like the heel, picking up half of the stitches around the foot part. Knit the toe part as in the heel, working back to close the toe in the same way, then join it to the front part with a row of chain stitches.

[34]

When the heel of a hand-knitted sock or stocking gets worn out, it's easy to replace the damaged area and the surrounding weak spots.

If you can, use a mending thread that’s a bit finer than the one used in the stocking. If you can't match the thread color, go with white—actually, a lot of people like having white heels and toes in their hosiery.

We are showing a gray sock that has been re-heeled with white to clearly demonstrate how it's done. Thread a colored string through each stitch at the base of the heel in a straight line from side to side. Do the same by threading another piece of string through the stitches at the top of the sole where it meets the "closing" part of the heel, from the first to the last stitch in the center of the heel to where the stitches on each side of the heel were lifted.

Now count the number of rows in the heel before the “closing” started, and the number of stitches on each side of the back seam after the closing was done. Make a note of these, as the piece you re-knit must fit perfectly.

Cut away the worn section that you want to replace from the second row inside the marking thread, and the second row from each side where the side stitches were taken up. Remove the cut threads from each side of the heel until you reach the “raised” stitches, which you can leave for now since they won’t unravel.

Pick out the cut threads from the rows inside the marking threads in the same way. The marking thread should go through every stitch so that they can't unravel.

Take the stitches at the base of the heel and re-knit them just like they were before, then finish it off the same way. Tie the thread when you finish the last row of the heel closing, cut it, and weave the end in through the stitches.

Thread a darning needle with a length of the same type of thread and attach it to the start of the heel on the right side. * Run the needle behind the next of the “raised” stitches on the sole at the base of that stitch, pull it back to the heel, and push it inward through the first stitch where it came out, then bring it out through the next heel stitch and repeat from * up to the stitches on the needle that are connected to those on the thread in the same manner, slipping off each stitch once it's joined. Work down the other side in the same way, secure the thread, and cut it. Weave in the end of the thread through a few stitches. Remove the marking threads. This heel will have no seam.

[35]

Footwear, like everything else, is really expensive these days, and figuring out how to save money in this area is a serious issue. But have you ever considered making your own slippers? This is definitely doable. In fact, there’s no reason why you can’t create stylish shoes and slippers at home. Most households already have the necessary materials. Pieces of velvet, tweed, felt, or fabric all work well, and to demonstrate what can be done this way, we have illustrated two pairs of comfy slippers made from leftover materials.

The first is a tidy pair made from some leftover dress fabric, in black and white wool check, a bit of red flannel for the lining, and some navy serge for the soles, which are shaped over the usual cardboard. Then, the men’s slippers were constructed on leather soles with soft lining. Grey tweed leftover from making a boy’s suit was used, and a piece of blue flannel shirt material makes up the lining.

You’ll likely recognize the benefit of making these at home, and any comfy old slipper can be used as a pattern.

They are made the same way if you make the soles yourself, but with a purchased slipper sole, there's a slight difference in how the upper is attached.

The Check Slippers.

In cutting the upper, no allowances need to be made for the upper edge, but leave a margin of a quarter-inch around the side that will be next to the sole. Cut both the lining and the material to the same size.

The Sole.

Cut this out of stiff cardboard, then cut a covering for it from the lining material, leaving a half-inch margin all around. Place the cardboard in the center and draw the edges of the lining together from opposite sides with crossing stitches, using strong linen thread and a coarse sewing needle. The cardboard must be[36] covered smoothly and securely with the flannel, making gathers at the heel and toe parts. The upper side of this sole is the inside of the shoe, with the stitching underneath. Now place this sole on another piece of cardboard and cut out the shape again, just one-eighth of an inch larger all around. Lay this on the felt or piece of tweed meant for the outer sole and cut out the shape. Take the cardboard pattern for this sole and cut away a quarter-inch margin around it. This smaller shape goes between the inner and outer soles when making the shoe. Stitch up the side seams of the material and lining. Press both seams flat, place them opposite each other, and tack the lining along the top edge to the check material. Now bind the edges together with a strip of ribbon or narrow tape. It’s a good idea to stiffen the back of the slipper a bit with an interlining of thin cardboard or tailor’s canvas.

Now take the flannel-covered sole and place the upper over it, with the smooth side of the sole facing away from you; sew the edge of the upper securely to the underside of the sole, inserting the stitches into the flannel only, about an eighth of an inch from the very edge. Lay the small cardboard sole over the one you just attached and secure it with a couple of stitches, then place the tweed sole on top, making sure its edge overlaps evenly all around. Using thick black thread, the stronger the better, slip-stitch the sole through the inside edge to the upper where it folds under the first sole. It's important to notch the edge of the cardboard stiffening where it overlaps the sole to ensure it lies flat.

Men's Slippers.

The same instructions apply to these, except for how to attach the pre-made sole. Fold in both edges of the uppers and secure them with tacks all the way around, then sew them together at the top. Position this over the sole and stitch the sewn edges to the middle part of the sole, folding back the leather edge for this step. No binding was used for this slipper, but the lining's edge was folded in along with the material. Then, the lining was tacked with the folded edge slightly above the material to create a narrow piping around the top.

[37]

One of the many pricey essentials these days is a man’s white shirt. In many cases, the final product costs three times what it did in 1914. This is partly because of the rise in labor costs, as a significant amount of skilled work goes into cutting and assembling a man’s white shirt. Additionally, the high price can also be attributed to the increased cost of materials.

But no matter how careful you are, shirts will still wear out and will eventually need to be replaced. Luckily, this problem isn't as big as it seems at first; a shirt can be easily restored—without looking cheap or amateurish, which often ruins the whole vibe.

Fixing Shirt Tails.

The first parts to go in a man's shirt are often the tails. The easiest way to deal with this is to cut them off straight across, just above the weak spots. This is actually much more satisfying than patching. You can easily find a piece of calico or longcloth from another old item. Measure it to the same size as the section you cut off. Hem around three sides and attach the fourth side directly to the shirt.

Maybe you weren't aware, like I wasn't until recently, that many of the key components that make up a shirt can be bought separately. This way, you can replace a worn-out front, collar, or cuffs with new ones, and you'll have a new shirt without the full price.

[38]

Cuffs are parts that quickly show signs of wear, and frayed cuffs give the shirt—and the person wearing it—a tired look. In this case, unpick the cuffs if you can; if not, cut them off close to the sleeve. You can buy new cuffs that you can insert the sleeve into, and the shirt will get its lively appearance back. As of now, the price of these cuffs is 6½d. and 8½d. per pair, and the result is well worth this small expense.

Another way to fix the cuffs is to cut off the frayed part and attach a narrow band. In this case, you'd wear separate cuffs. You don't even have to make these bands yourself; you can buy them ready to use.

About Collar Bands.

Most women have, at some point, dealt with the collar bands of their partners' shirts. When you start making your first one, you feel pretty good about it. After all, you think it's just a straightforward task that only needs a little bit of fabric. But you quickly realize it's not as easy as it appears and that it actually requires more material than you expected. By the time you finish, you're likely to feel unsatisfied, and the shirt owner won't be happy either. Men often act like they don’t care about clothes, but there are some things they definitely care about, like the collar band of their shirt. Collar bands need to be cut in a precise way, and even seasoned seamstresses, knowing how tricky they can be to make, would appreciate being able to buy them pre-shaped and stitched for attaching to the shirt. These collar bands can be purchased individually or in sets of six and come with openings at the front or back, depending on how the shirt fastens. The current price for these collar bands is 3d each. They are available in white calico as well as in sateen for colored shirts.

When Buttonholes Are Torn.

“But,” says someone, “buttonholes are my problem. You can’t really buy new buttonholes to replace the broken ones, right?” That’s true, but it’s not hopeless. If this is your issue, you have two options. Either you can refront the shirt, or you can wear an additional front outside the white shirt. The second option might be too warm in the summer, but an extra front is definitely useful in the winter. Using separate fronts and cuffs helps tackle the ongoing laundry challenge since you can send those out for stiffening and polishing while washing the unstiffened shirts at home. This way, you can significantly save on costs.

If you don’t want to use a separate front, you can buy fronts to attach to worn-out shirts. There are two types: one-piece fronts for shirts that fasten at the back, and divided fronts for shirts that fasten in the front. They come in square shape, as shown in the illustration. There are two qualities, priced at 9½d. and 1/-.

To attach the new front, start by tacking it to the old one, then cut it to the needed shape, making sure to leave enough margin to tuck it in. After that, remove the excess material from the back of the shirt, leaving enough to tuck in as well. This way, you essentially have a brand-new shirt again.

[40]

These are the areas that are most likely to show signs of stress and wear. If any tears happen in other places, a small patch should be added.

A patch might be needed.

It’s hardly necessary to remind you that it’s better to fix and patch with material that isn’t completely new. Often, a pillowcase that’s worn in one spot can provide enough good fabric for repairing a shirt.

While sorting through your men's shirts, you'll likely notice that one needs a new collar, another needs new cuffs, and yet another needs a new front, and so on. They won't all require repairs in every area. But even if they did, and you had to replace several parts on one shirt, it would still be worth it since the cost of these parts is pretty minimal.

Men’s collars are one of those items that people tend to see as useless once they’re torn or worn out, so they’re usually replaced at the first sign of damage. However, collars today are much more expensive than they were just a few years ago; constantly buying new collars can really add up. Before throwing away a damaged collar, it’s a good idea to check if it can be repaired, and it almost always can be.

The tear typically happens in the small flap for the buttonhole, either where this piece connects to the main part of the collar or the buttonhole itself. Two examples of such tears are shown. Either of these can be easily fixed with a piece of tape. First, wash all the starch out of the collar. Once it's completely dry, place a small piece of tape over the tear, as shown, and sew it in place with a machine. This creates a perfectly neat repair and is pretty straightforward. Plus, when the collar is starched again, the tape won’t be visible.

[41]

We don’t spend long hours now hunched over delicate stitching that has no real useful purpose. Our more practical goal is to efficiently learn how to repair and create. A unique and essential part of this knowledge is the skill of preventive mending.

From the elegant days of our grandmothers and even further back to our ancestors, we have a lavender-scented memory of painstakingly done needlework, almost incredible in its delicacy; beautiful samplers were created and grand pictures showing Bible scenes were worked on until the last of countless stitches was completed, ready to be framed and displayed in the best parlor.

Some of us have examples of these forgotten crafts, bead necklaces so carefully made that, being completely handmade and threaded by needle, they far exceed the pretty jewelry of today, made on Apache looms. We also cherish samplers, if we are lucky enough to have one or two passed down from mother to daughter in our family.

The Day of the Ready-Mades.

But life today is more intense; the pride of the seamstress must, in most cases, have a more practical purpose. We don’t overlook the lavender-scented sweetness and tranquility—sometimes we even long for the qualities that can only be achieved in times of unhurried calm—but we acknowledge the everyday usefulness of the modern seamstress and appreciate the practicality of her approach.

Microscopic stitching is a wonderfully intriguing activity for the woman with time on her hands. The busy girl or the overwhelmed housewife, burdened with numerous responsibilities, wouldn’t find such sewing to be a relief for frazzled nerves; but the skilled woman with nimble fingers and a sharp mind finds it both engaging and refreshing. It’s practical for her to sit down and either create or repair something.

Mending and altering are two aspects of the important art of Needlecraft that no woman can ignore in today's world of ready-made dresses and store-bought outfits. If seams are too loose, buttons are sewn on with weak stitches, or hooks and eyes are about to fall off, these issues can be easily fixed. A working woman would find herself really pressed for time to manage shopping, matching trims, and traveling to and from the tailor for fittings, and not only would her time be affected, but her budget would also take a hit if ready-to-wear[42] dresses and suits were suddenly removed from our stores.

A store-bought costume that doesn’t fit isn’t worth the money, no matter the price. So, learn how to make adjustments in a sensible and practical way, and take steps to fix any minor issues before wearing the garment for the first time, to address the little flaws we might find in the “ready-mades.”

Tools for the Practical Sewing Skills.

Chief among the tools for the practical seamstress, taking the top spot among her valuable assistants, is the sewing machine. For durability and everyday use, machine stitching is usually much neater and stronger than hand sewing, and, of course, it’s much faster. Her sewing machine is a great ally for the busy woman who needs to master the art of preventive mending, as strength and speed are two of her main priorities.

It’s important to understand how your sewing machine works and to treat it with care. Rough handling or careless use due to not knowing how the different delicate parts function can lead to serious issues. A manual is always provided when you buy the machine: hold onto this book, because if you lose it, you’ll be lost without guidance. The inexperienced person who is just starting to figure out the sewing machine will find that a little personal instruction (which is available at the dealer of her specific machine brand) will be more useful than spending an hour trying to figure out complicated problems just using the manual. However, later on, the printed instructions will be clear once she gets familiar with how the machine works daily, and a quick look at her handy manual will reveal the cause and solution to any problems she encounters.

Keep the machine impeccably clean and well-oiled. Doing this is about understanding the importance of preventive measures. A dirty, un-oiled machine will always create problems during operation because when the parts don’t run smoothly, dropped and uneven stitches are a common hassle.

Oil in every area, and open and turn back so that when the oil has soaked through, the blocked dirt can be carefully cleaned away.

A large mending basket is essential for the practical worker, and it’s even more convenient if it’s on legs at table height and can be easily moved to be positioned[43] within comfortable reach of the mender’s right hand.

Always keep some tailor’s canvas for stiffening, buckram for hats, white leno, and fine black lining. Have rolls of old linen and flannel for patching, stray pieces of lace, and leftover lengths of embroidery or insertions. Roll up all the odd bits in soft, clean muslin with tape or a label attached, listing the items inside your collection.

If you often lose your tape measure, try this tip to avoid the long searches that interrupt your sewing. Cut a piece of tape that stretches from one end of your sewing machine to the other, and stick it along the front edge of the stand. This way, it will always be available when you need it and will work for all the shorter measurements you need.

It's a smart idea to put your hooks and eyes on safety pins. Open the pin and thread it through the individual hooks and eyes. Once they're all hanging securely, close your safety pin tightly. This way, they're ready for use when needed and won't get tangled and twisted together like they often do if stored in a box.

Keep odd buttons in glass bottles. No more searching in the dark and dust! You can see the button you're looking for, and by shaking the bottle, you can bring it close to the top, where it’s easy to reach. Bone or pearl buttons for underwear, or any others that won’t be damaged by exposure, can be securely attached to a hairpin. Straighten out one of the long hairpins, bend back one end about a quarter or half an inch, push the point through the holes, and when your buttons are neatly packed together, turn up the other end to hold them securely.

Strength and Durability Aids.

We’ve heard that in China, it’s common to pay the family doctor to keep patients healthy instead of just calling him when someone gets sick. Many of us admire this system, but we don’t have the opportunity, or maybe even the courage, to challenge traditions in England.

But why not take the same smart approach when it comes to fixing things around the house? It does wonders.

Take that proverbial stitch that “saves nine” in good time, even before there seems to be any need for it, and you’ll find it works wonders.

Stockings, for example. The toes and heels of kids' stockings can be neatly darned before they’re worn for the first time, using crochet silk or mercerized thread, which is less bulky and clumsy than wool. Insist on changing hosiery frequently, and don’t allow the wearing of any stocking that has even the tiniest hole. To prevent those long runs that are nearly impossible to fix, sew a band of silk or cotton, or use a border cut from an old stocking, around the hem of each new pair. Hose supporters (the main cause of these destructive runs) will rarely cut through this double band. Alternatively, you can take a round brass ring and double crochet closely over it to create a soft, firm covering. Sew this securely into place on the top of the stocking with neat, strong stitches, and always insert the clip of the suspender inside this ring. This way, you’ll keep the tension from straining the stocking beyond the area enclosed by the ring.

In the knees of children's stockings, small patches can be inserted, cut from other stockings and attached so neatly that they’re hardly noticeable and not uncomfortable at all.

The "ready-mades," whether they're dresses, casual outfits, or underwear, as mentioned earlier, really need some preventative repair. For example, sleeves should be sewn in by machine, since the machine stitching on ready-made clothes isn't always done well, and a weak spot in the sleeve seam will easily give way when under stress, leading to an unsightly rip.

Embroidery with scalloped or pointed edges should be stitched securely all around the outer edges, with the machine needle carefully following the intricate path of the design. This will extend the life of embroidered lace, preventing fraying, untidiness, and any breaks, gaps, or tears.

To stop the embroidery flounce from fraying before the petticoat itself shows any signs of wear, neatly hem the edge as soon as it looks like it might unravel or gets torn by an accidental misstep, and add a trim of Valenciennes or fine Torchon lace.

Buttons deserve close attention whenever you buy a ready-made garment. The neat look and overall appeal of a coat or outfit can be completely ruined if one of its unique buttons falls off and gets lost. So, make sure to sew on all buttons right after you purchase the item. Use a strong thread and stitch carefully; once you've sewn through the button several times, wrap the thread around the strands holding the button, between the button and the fabric, creating a little shank. Do the same for boot and shoe buttons.

It’s smart to reinforce bed linens with wide tape placed at the corners, discreetly sewn in place, so that the sheets are sturdier where the clothespins could cause the most damage.

Look closely at the wool-worked buttonholing on the ends of your blanket. You might want to add new buttonhole edgings that will maintain the neat fold when the blanket is in use for a longer time than if you just relied on the store-bought edging.

Remember that half an hour spent weekly on preventive mending will save the busy housewife hours of darning and patching later on.

[45]

The value of old Kid Gloves.

With fur prices jumping 80 percent in some cases, and all kinds of leather and skin at a premium, it's clear that many people who want new furs and a leather vest for driving will have to hold off for a while since these items have become so costly.

Those studying economics, however, will find a great alternative to leather and fur in old kid gloves that are beyond even the cleaner's help. It's usually the fingers and thumb that wear out; the rest of the glove is still a useful piece of kid leather. These pieces can be repurposed in many ways, and since they block the wind, they can save you from getting chilly—or even facing a more serious illness—if a new thick winter coat is out of your budget during these tough times.

Cut off the fingers and thumb, take off the fasteners, cut the glove up to the top at the front opening, and lay it out flat—as shown in the small illustration. There will be a bit of extra material at the thumb sections, but this can be folded over and sewn down flat.

Perhaps your thickest coat is not nearly warm enough for the biting east winds that arrive in the early part of the year, uncovering our weaknesses.

For an undercoat or vest.

If you want to skip buying a new big coat, why not make a small sleeveless coat or a vest to wear under your outdoor coat? For this, you’ll need about 1½ yards of silk for the outside, some thin flannel for the interlining, and some more silk or another suitable material for the lining. I recommend silk because it goes on easily, and the outer coat will slide on smoothly over the silk vest. It requires so little material that you could probably use the silk lining from an old coat or underskirt. Then, of course, there are your old gloves. Cut out the silk for the outer layer, lining, and flannel using the same pattern. Start with the flannel. Sew on the pieces of glove; just pin them in place first and then run the machine around each piece. Place them so they cover the flannel well; it doesn't matter how irregular it looks as long as the flannel is fully covered. It won’t look elegant while you’re doing it, but that’s not important since it will all be hidden by the silk. If you don’t have enough gloves for your project, a few pieces of chamois leather can help out.

Then create the small undercoat, using glove-covered flannel as the interlining, with the kid leather against the lining, and you'll discover you've made something that blocks the wind in a way that a woolen hug-me-tight never could. The glove-lined garment is so compact that it doesn't add to your bulk; plus, it's incredibly lightweight—a significant benefit.

The concept can be developed in multiple ways. A velvet stole trimmed with a bit of fur could be lined similarly. It would be lightweight and cozy, a true comfort on chilly days. It's quite surprising how the kid interlining enhances the warmth of a piece of clothing.

A chest protector, like the one we show, is essential for a girl with a weak chest who is outside in all types of weather. This is also pretty easy to make.

In a piece of clothing like this, or any large fabric, it's a good idea to run the machine down the material after all the pieces are sewn together; this "quilts" it and keeps it all together.

For Men's Vests.

Many guys complain that they feel cold in their back, even though they’re wearing the thickest vests. This is likely because the material used for the back of the waistcoat is significantly thinner than what’s used for the front. However, the issue can be easily fixed if you have three or four old pairs of gloves.

Cut out a piece of sturdy black lining that matches the size of the back piece of the waistcoat. Sew the glove pieces to the inside of this lining. They shouldn’t extend below the waistline strap. Then, fold in the edges and attach this to the inside of the waistcoat (glove pieces on the inside, of course) and stitch it neatly all around, making sure it doesn’t peek out above the top of the waistcoat at the back. It will stay in place better if you stitch a line down the center of the back, from top to bottom, after the lining has been sewn all around.

You will have a perfectly neat-looking garment that just looks like a waistcoat with black lining in the back.

I recommend that this lining be applied by hand instead of by machine.

[47]

The cute little apron shown on this page was made with very little time and effort, using a straight-gathered cotton voile skirt.

The simple gathered full type of skirt has been very popular for summer dresses over the past two or three years, and when it has lost its freshness for dress wear, the fabric is often still in good enough condition to be repurposed in the suggested way.

At the top of the page, the skirt is displayed before it changes; the two lower figures show the front and back views of the finished apron, and you'll see that it's a really cute little outfit in the trendy button-on-the-shoulder style, with straps crossing at the back.

To make the apron, first take your skirt and detach the gathers from the band at the top. Measure 30 inches from the center front of the skirt, which should be folded together, and cut away the extra fullness from the back. The larger portion you have left will be the apron. If the skirt you’re using has a seam that fastens at the center front, it’s better to use the back of the skirt for the center front of the apron to avoid having a seam down the center.

Unless the skirt is really short, you’ll find it’s long enough without changing the hem. However, since most skirts have a pretty deep hem, it would be easy to let it down if needed.

To create the curved sides for the underarm, measure 12 inches along the top edge from the center front, and cut a half-circle that is 7 inches deep and 12 inches wide on each side of the apron.

Now take the piece you cut from the back of the skirt, and from this, cut a straight double strip that is 12 inches long and 4 inches deep for the front yoke band, along with two more double strips, each 17 inches long and 4 inches wide for the shoulder straps. Angle one end of each shoulder strap and taper the other ends, cutting off 2 inches from the length for the outer edge of the strap. If your skirt isn’t full enough to provide enough material for the double straps, you can easily line them with a different fabric or even make them a bit narrower.

Finish the back edges of the apron with narrow hems, and do the same for the armholes. Gather the front and insert it between the double yoke band. The backs are also gathered and positioned between the slanting ends of the shoulder straps, with the shortest part of the strap facing towards the back.

Cross the straps at the back of the apron, and attach the angled ends to the yoke band with buttons and buttonholes. Your little apron is now finished.

[49]

If you enjoy knitting and can work fairly quickly, you'll find it really cost-effective to make your own woolen vests.

If you choose high-quality wool, you'll be rewarded for the time you put into making it, as hand-knitted wool garments tend to shrink less with regular washing than even the most dependable brands of all-wool woven underwear.

Here’s a handy little design that’s super easy to make and really comfortable to wear, with the crossover front providing extra protection over the chest.

Required materials.

7½ ounces of 4-ply white A.A. “Peacock” Fingering, and 4 No. 13 steel needles.

Used abbreviations.

K = knit; p = purl; st = stitch or stitches.

The Return.

The body section is made in one piece, starting from the back.

Cast on 100 stitches.

Knit 20 rows of ribbing, alternating between 1 knit and 1 purl.

Now start knitting a plain row and a purl row alternately, knitting the first 4 stitches and the last 4 stitches of both the plain and the purl rows. These plain stitches keep the edges of the work from curling up and create a flat under-arm seam.

Work 60 rows like this, increasing 1 stitch in the 6th stitch from each end of every 15th row. Keep going for 5 more rows, which will take you to the armhole.

86th Row.—Cast off 12 sts, purl to 4 sts from the end of the row, knit 4.

87th Row.—Cast on 12 stitches, knit to the end of the row.

Cast off 1 stitch at the beginning of each of the next 4 rows. This should leave you with 80 stitches on the needle.

Now work 49 rows, alternating between a plain row and a purl row, slipping the 1st stitch of every row. In these rows, purl the return rows all the way across, omitting the four plain stitches at each end.

[50]

The Front.

To divide the 34 stitches for the fronts, move 34 stitches onto a spare needle, cast off 12 stitches for the back of the neck, and with the remaining 34 stitches, work one front as follows:

1st Row.—Cast off 2 sts, knit to the end of the row.

2nd Row.—Slip 1, p to the end of the row.

3rd Row.—Bind off 2 stitches, knit to the end of the row.

4th Row.—Slip 1, purl to the end of the row, then cast on 6 stitches to create the front border.

On these 36 stitches, work 30 rows, alternating between a plain row and a purl row, keeping the 6 border stitches plain in every row, and slipping the first stitch when turning from the armhole edge.

In the next row, increase 1 stitch in the 7th stitch. Work 35 more rows, and increase 1 stitch in the 7th stitch from the border edge every 6th row.

Now in the next 4 plain rows, increase 1 stitch in the 2nd stitch from the armhole edge, and after working the next plain row, cast on 12 stitches for the front of the armhole.

Now work 60 rows, alternating between a knit and a purl row, continuing the increases from the front edge, with 5 rows between, and knit 4 stitches in every row to create the seam from the armhole edge. In the 31st and 51st rows, knit the 6th and 7th stitches from the armhole edge together to decrease a little for shaping the waist. Work 20 rows of ribbing; then cast off. Reverse the instructions for the right front.

To finish the neck, pick up the back of the 6 stitches, cast on for the border, knit 80 rows; bind off. Stretch this strip around the back of the neck and sew it into place. Sew up the

(Concluded on __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__).

[51]

This little petticoat is designed to fit a child aged four to five years and measures 20 inches from the neck to the bottom edge of the skirt.

Required Materials.

Five ounces of J. & J. Baldwin’s White “Beehive” 4-ply Scotch Fingering, 1 pair of long size 10 bone needles, and a set of size 11 steel needles.

Used Abbreviations.

K = knit; P = purl; O = over (bring the yarn over and make a stitch); N = narrow (knit two stitches together); st = stitch or stitches.

Cast on 291 stitches.

1st Row.—Simple.

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.—Basic.

Repeat the 3rd and 4th rows 32 times, or until the skirt is the desired length.

69th Row.—K 6, K 3 together, * K 9, K 3 together, repeat from * to the end of the row.

70th Row.—Knit.

71st Row.—Knit 5, knit 3 together, * Knit 7, knit 3 together, repeat from * to the end of the row.

72nd Row.—Knit.

73rd Row.—K 4, K 3 together * K 5, K 3 together, repeat from * to the end of the row.

74th Row.—Knit.

You should now have 147 stitches on the needle. Create a row of holes for the ribbon by repeating K 4, O, N all the way across and purling a return row.

The Corset.

Knit 48 plain rows, purling[52] the 6th stitch from each end of the row on the right side of the piece.

Now divide for the armholes like this: Knit 36 stitches onto a spare needle, knit 75, and slip the remaining 36 stitches onto a spare needle.

On the 75 center stitches, continue as follows: Knit 1, Purl, Knit plain to the end of the row. Repeat this row 21 times, then work 40 plain rows without decreasing.

This brings you to the neck of the petticoat. To create the shoulder sections, K 15, cast off 23 sts (or up to 15 sts from the other end of the row), 1 on the remaining sts, K 36 rows. Cast off. Work on the other shoulder the same way.

Now on the 36th stitch at each side of the work, knit up the backs to match the front, creating the armhole slopes by decreasing 1 stitch in the first 9 rows from the armhole edge each time. When knitting the backs, bind off all the stitches when you reach the neck. Attach the shoulder straps from each side of the front to the 15 bound-off stitches from the armhole edge of each back, and finish the neck by picking up all the loops along the edge and knitting 6 rows of ribbing, making holes for threading the ribbon in the third row.

The Sleeves.

Pick up the loops around the armhole edge using No. 12 needles and knit for 20 rounds, alternating between a plain round and a purl round. In every other round, decrease 2 stitches; these decreases should be made at the top of the armhole slope on each side to create a gusset for the underarm. Finish with 6 rows of ribbing.

Wool Sweaters

(Continued from __A_TAG_PLACEHOLDER_0__).

underarm seams, leaving a half-inch opening above the ribbing in the right seam.

The Sleeves.

Pick up the loops around the armhole edge onto 3 needles. Place 18 stitches from each side of the underarm seam onto 1 needle (36 stitches in total), and divide the remaining loops onto the other needles.

Work 5 rounds, then in the next round decrease 1 stitch at each end of the underarm needle. Repeat these 6 rounds twice.

Work for 8 inches without decreasing, then for the next 4 inches decrease 1 stitch at each end of the underarm needle every 6th row. Finish with 30 rows of ribbing, and cast off.

If you want to add elbow sleeves, finish the sleeve with 15 rows of ribbing after knitting 8 inches without decreasing.

The bodice overlaps in the front and ties with ribbons at the neck and waist. Pull the ribbon from the left front of the waist through the opening in the right seam, and create a slot over the left seam by knitting a small strap (12 rows on 4 stitches) and sewing it onto the seam just above the ribbing; pull the ribbon from the right front through this and tie the ends together at the back.

[53]

Some of the women who have organized sewing parties or gathered clothes for soldiers and sailors in the past few years could share some intriguing stories about the unusual items many enthusiastic volunteers have crafted in their eagerness to help. As soon as war was declared, hundreds of women from all walks of life stepped up, eager to create something; but what about the shirts that were 6 feet long and the neckbands made of flannel—not just one or two, but dozens of them, prompting a special warning from the daily press?

And we have to remember that many of these seamstresses must have gone through our schools—whether elementary or secondary—and have spent a couple of hours each week for six or seven years “learning needlework.” Also, the types of garments needed weren’t new; they are worn by men in both times of peace and war.

Such a result of "learning needlework" really makes you think. Has the training in schools prepared the girls for making and mending clothes for themselves and others—updating old ones, and generally using the needle to help with comfort and saving money at home?

This brings us to a very relevant question. Is it possible to train the girls at school in cutting out and creating garments in a way that makes the work less intimidating and accessible to all of them? Experience has shown that cutting out paper garments from detailed diagrams filled with “inches in” and “inches down” is not very practical. The key to success is getting the girls to measure an actual person and then create a pattern that they can properly “try on” for themselves based on these measurements.

Take, for example, the making of a dress, like the one the girl is wearing in the picture. This twelve or thirteen-year-old was part of a group of thirty or forty, where each girl made a similar dress for herself. All measuring, pattern making, material cutting, assembling, and sewing—everything from start to finish was done by the girls themselves.

To start, they partnered up, and each girl made a yoke, cuff, and sleeve pattern for her partner. There was no need to create a paper pattern for the skirt of the dress. No fabric was cut until the patterns were just right.

A yoke is a very useful and essential part of many garments, but usually, it's not considered easy to cut a pattern that fits a specific wearer; however, these girls found it simple enough by following this plan.

The illustration shows one girl measuring the neck[54] of her friend; this is the only measurement needed for cutting the pattern. It should be taken by holding the tape loosely around the neck, allowing the head to move easily in position.

A rectangular piece of paper—newspaper works well—measuring the neck length one way and one-and-a-half times that length the other way, was then cut out. So, if the neck is 12 inches, the paper will be 12 inches by 18 inches. (See Fig. 1). The method used to create the yoke from this will be clear by following each step in the sketches. The two shorter sides were folded together as shown in Fig. 2, creating a double piece. The two top corners were brought over until they met in the middle, as in Fig. 3, and the triangular pieces were cut off, leaving a double piece, as in Fig. 4. Care must be taken in the next step to bring the slanting edge (A) next to the two open straight edges over to the bottom edges D; thus A and D lie exactly on top of each other, and the second slanting edge B covers the fold C.

The pattern now starts to resemble a yoke and is soon[55]complete. Two pieces need to be cut off, one for the neck and the other for the shoulder. Fig. 6 clearly shows how this is done, and once it's finished, the result is a yoke pattern, as shown in Fig. 7. The illustration gives a good idea of the “fit” of a yoke cut this way. The girls were quite particular about the neck and shoulder curves, as well as the width across the back and front; many small changes were made before the pattern was deemed satisfactory and ready to cut the fabric from.

Having created a decent yoke pattern, the next step was to work on the sleeve. An oblong piece of paper was needed again, and its size was determined as shown in the two pictures. The measuring tape was wrapped loosely around the top of the arm, and three or four inches were added to account for arm movement. This provided the required width, and the length was measured by placing the tape on top of the shoulder, as shown in the illustration, then wrapping it around the bent elbow to the wrist.

When this rectangle was folded in half lengthwise, it looked a bit like a sleeve, but to shape it correctly, two other dimensions were needed. The next two photos show the girls figuring that out. The length of the under-arm sleeve is about three-quarters of the full length, and the wrist is the same fraction of the width at the top of the arm. The girls discovered these details on their own and marked a slightly curved line from the wrist to the under-arm area with the rounded end of the scissors. This double piece was then cut away.

The shaping of the top of the sleeve takes a bit more judgment and care. The pattern was laid out flat, and a curved line was drawn from one side to the top, connecting to a slightly inward curve starting from the opposite side. This created the basic structure of any sleeve pattern. It can easily be adjusted to be wider or narrower, longer or shorter, depending on fashion trends.

As the dress the girls made for this occasion had sleeves with cuffs that were two or three inches deep, the pattern was shortened accordingly before the fabric was cut.

The girls were just starting out, so they cut collar and cuff patterns from paper and fitted all the pieces onto the fabric before cutting them out.

The cuff and waistband were straight strips of fabric cut to the needed sizes.

For the collar pattern, the neck length was measured, just like for the yoke pattern, and a rectangular piece of paper was cut out, this length one way and half of it the other. (See Fig. 1). This was folded in half to create a square and creased across the middle, as shown in the diagram. One of the two open corners was folded over to the crease, and the triangular pieces that formed were trimmed off, as in Fig. 3. A curved line was then drawn, connecting one end of the slanting edge, A, with the bottom end, C, of the fold. By measuring the length of the slanting edge A, B, along the fold, a new point D was identified, and[57] a curve was created parallel to the first curve, connecting B and D (See Fig. 4). The double paper was cut along the curves, and thus the pattern for half the collar was produced.

It was discovered that the collar for the dress fit better when made in two parts and with double fabric. Therefore, in cutting out the cloth, four pieces, matching the size and shape of the pattern, were needed.

The length needed for the skirt was determined by fitting it on the yoke pattern, then measuring straight down from the middle of the front, adding two or three inches for the hem.

The dress in the picture was made from double-width serge, and it turned out to be feasible to make the skirt from one-and-a-half widths, with the other half used for the yoke. The sleeves were cut from a full width. This planning and organizing involved a lot of straightforward yet intriguing calculations, and the practicality of it all really appealed to the girls.

One critical point was emphasized—“the way of the cloth.” If this goes wrong, the garment is ruined, and it's definitely something that can't be mastered “theoretically”—it must be learned by actually cutting out of material.

The removal of the sleeves from one pattern is another example of "practical politics" that comes into play when making a garment like this. There's no reason why the two pieces shouldn't be cut at the same time, as long as the two right sides or two wrong sides are facing each other. The use of French chalk for marking the pattern on the fabric was recommended.

The making of the dress offered plenty of chances to practice neat, strong stitching along with making it look good. Suitable cotton and needles were chosen, with nothing finer than No. 40 cotton able to handle the wear and tear of daily life. When possible, the sewing machine was used, but the pieces[58] sewn with it were first carefully tacked.

The topic of decoration sparked endless conversation and interest while the dresses were being made, motivating many slow workers to put in extra effort. The yokes, cuffs, and collars were stitched with contrasting colored thread, and the range of decorations was delightful. Simple hand-stitched designs are usually more effective and economical than purchased trims.

Of course, any challenging stitch or repair—like placing the box pleats—was always practiced on some “scrap” material or paper before starting on the dress; but when the young seamstresses realized they were “trying out” a stitch or a repair because they needed it for the dress, they put a lot more energy into the work than if it was just a simple “sewing exercise.” No new material was ever wasted for these practices—random bits of any shape or size were used, and a bag of such pieces was always available during sewing lessons for this purpose.

Regarding both cost and efficiency, it’s advisable that using good flannel and calico for the “sewing lesson” should be strictly prohibited. Likely, no other subject provides such unique opportunities in our schools to instill habits of saving and frugality while also enhancing teaching effectiveness.

The struggles of nations, with their terrible promise of suffering and poverty ahead, make this part of a girl’s education even more crucial. We must certainly not miss any chance to enhance it!

[59]

With a modern pattern and good fabric, making your own blouses is not only a fun hobby but also quite rewarding. The fabric for the blouse pictured here was inexpensive; just a few shillings would actually cover the cost of the paper pattern, two yards of fabric, a dozen small bone rings, and two yards of narrow velvet ribbon for the laces. In contrast, buying a similar ready-made blouse would cost at least four times more.

The different pieces were all cut out using a paper pattern that was pinned to the fabric, which included a quarter-inch margin. The collar, cuffs, and yoke were cut double. The edges of those last three items were all turned inward to the depth of the margin, and then both pieces of each were tacked together with their edges perfectly aligned.

The small turned-back cuff had two pieces sewn together on the wrong side along the outer edge and sides, then flipped inside out and the edges tacked flat. The inside edge was tacked between the two pieces of the large cuff and secured with a row of stitches.

The sleeves were connected with a French seam, then both ends were folded into a narrow hem, which was tacked down carefully. The edge at the bottom was gathered to fit the cuff with evenly spaced top stitching, and for this, the same type of thread used in the faggoting was used.

The fronts had the edges covered with a piece of the material for a depth of two inches. The back was attached to the fronts in the underarm seam with a French seam like in the sleeve, then the entire top section of the back and front and the armholes were folded into a narrow hem and secured in place, with the front edges gathered like in the sleeve to fit the yoke.

Narrow strips of stiff paper were attached underneath the lines where the different parts were supposed to connect, and then the faggoting started by beginning at the right[60] front edge, as shown on this page.

Bring the thread through the edge of the yoke, run it straight down to the top front edge, and push the needle down through the fabric, bringing it out just above the stitch you just made, which you should pull tight. Now repeat this stitch through the edge of the yoke, one-eighth of an inch from the first stitch, and continue this from one side to the other. Make sure all thread joins are on the back of the hem.

When the faggoting is done, the hems are stitched with a row of stem stitch, which holds them in place and gives a tidy finish.

The eyelet holes were then created, and the method is illustrated in the diagram. Use quarter-inch bone rings. Position each one on the fabric and tack it down, then cover it with a tight buttonhole stitch, ensuring the tops of the stitches sit on the fabric. Cut away the center of the eyelet hole from the back. The front and cuffs are laced through these holes, which are placed opposite each other, using narrow velvet.

At the waist, there's a narrow muslin casing on the inside for the tape, tie-string, or elastic, and the lower end is neatly hemmed. The edges of the collar, cuffs, etc., might have a row of machine or hand stitching on the right side, or they could be attached with stitching on the wrong side and then turned out.

[61]

How to decorate the simple clothes made at home is a question people often encounter.

Children's overalls and dresses, little boys' tunics, and blouses for older girls usually need some trimming or decoration, and it can often be hard to find just the right kind. This is especially true for colored clothing and those where lace isn't suitable. Many people prefer a bit of embroidery, but it's not always easy to find a pattern that works perfectly. Some patterns take more time than a home crafter can commit to, and others can be too elaborate for the garment.

A basic type of sewing is often used, and it usually fits the situation well. You can see small dresses and tops made from affordable materials, enhanced by the lovely stitching on the hems and bands that adds a touch of style.

The most popular and commonly used stitches are the French knot, stem stitch, and feather stitch. These diagrams and illustrations are meant to suggest additional stitches and patterns, and with just a few simple instructions, even the most inexperienced crafter can achieve a great outcome.

One aspect of this type of decorative stitching is that it can also serve a functional purpose. This means that when you're adding a decorative hem, you don't need to sew it with the machine first; the decorative stitching can do that job for you. Many home sewers might not realize this, as they typically sew the garment with a machine and then go back to add decorations like French knots or stem stitches to cover up the machine stitching.

Some machining is often needed, but a lot can be skipped without harming the garment. This makes it possible to do, at least part of the home dressmaking, away from the noise and hectic environment that usually comes with a room dominated by a sewing machine.

In making a simple Hungarian overall, like the one shown, you can sew the side seams and openings with a machine, prepare the hems and neck as if for machine sewing, and then add the decorations. The home worker, whose husband strongly objects to her using a sewing machine when he gets home in the evening, cuts out and machines part of her work during the day. In the evening, she only has the enjoyable part to finish by hand while she chats or listens to the day’s news.

[63]

The value of the simple tacking stitch as a trim isn't fully appreciated. On another page, some very unique effects of this stitch are shown, and in the illustrated dress, the stitch is used along with the Y stitch that is explained and demonstrated.

The worker who hasn't used the tacking stitch as a decorative stitch yet needs to pay attention to a few things, though. The stitch shouldn't be too long, and the length and spacing should be as even as possible.

A beginner might try an experiment on a small piece of brown calico, cotton fabric, or light beige curtain material.

Turn up the hems on the right side of the garment, and with medium-thickness turkey-red embroidery cotton, make the first row of tacking about where the hem would be sewn. The first row is the most important and requires the most attention.

As a general rule, no decorative tacking stitch should be longer than half an inch, and the spaces in between should be proportionately shorter. The space between stitches can be the same as the stitch length, or can be half or a quarter of the stitch's length, but neither the stitch nor the space should exceed half an inch. Otherwise, the result might be a series of long threads that could easily get caught and become loops.

For the experiment, make the stitches about one-third of an inch apart, and keep the space in between either the same or very small—around one-tenth of an inch. Having an inch ruler nearby to check the first few stitches will quickly help you estimate the correct length for the rest without much effort. Once you finish the first row, the hardest part is done since the second and subsequent rows will be exactly the same length.

Three rows of stitching close together will create a pattern of red rectangles, with even gaps between them. These might turn into squares if more rows are added.

All the illustrations on pages 61 and 62 are based on the tacking stitch and can be used to decorate a hem or the edge of a belt or neckline.

An illustration on page 63 shows how to treat the two-inch hem on the child's dress. The vertical bar repeated at regular intervals around the hem is[65] filled with a variation of the Y stitch, which is demonstrated in diagrams A, B, and C on page 64.

The pattern should be placed on the sleeves, neck, and belt, as shown in the sketch.

The position of each vertical bar should be measured precisely and marked with a pencil. Drawing a line down the center of each bar will help keep the stitching even on both sides.

[66]

[67]

A very cute little window curtain is shown on page 95. This would be perfect for the Animal and Bird Nursery and would definitely appeal to a child. These little muslin curtains with crochet top designs are really effective both from the inside and outside the window.

As you'll see, the crochet is easy, but it needs to be done evenly to look good. A diagram is provided for working the strip, which shows how to count the open and solid stitches.

The heading on the curtain shown is made with Ardern’s No. 36 cotton. It measures 15½ inches wide by 3 inches deep. To make this a bit longer or deeper, a thicker cotton could be used, although the final size really depends on the individual worker. However, filet crochet is best done as closely as possible.

Two of these little curtains would be wide enough for some windows, but it's pretty easy to repeat the design, or part of it, if needed. Double crochet is done along the top and bottom of the curtain strip to create a nice, firm edge.

If a narrow strip of curtain fabric is preferred, the design featuring the two ducks and the rabbit would work well when repeated. Alternatively, this design could be used at the bottom of a small curtain, as long as there is little to no fullness in the fabric. If it’s placed at the bottom of a full curtain, the design would, of course, be completely lost.

This narrower trim would also look really nice to decorate a white cloth for the tray or table, and it could either be added around the edges of the cloth, or a strip would look good added diagonally across each corner.

The cock and duck insertion is one that would be very useful when you need a strip to hang lengthwise down the sides of a curtain or for any other purpose that requires a vertical strip. A separate diagram isn’t included for this since it's just a different arrangement of the birds, and the illustration is large enough to count the number of meshes between each pattern.

[68]

Many people don't like all-white quilts and bedspreads, seeing them as cold-looking, even though they definitely give a fresh look to a bed when they're first put on.

And there’s no doubt that we need color in our furnishings just as much as in our clothing, especially in our dreary climate. White bedspreads look beautifully cool and refreshing on a hot, sunny July day—but unfortunately, so few of our days, even in July, are actually hot and sunny; and we need to think about all the other months of the year, too.

Hence the trend of the colorful bedspread, with its bursts of pink, or blue, or purple flowers and green leaves on a white background.

Now that knitting is back in style and is definitely here to stay, we’re seeing a resurgence of the knitted quilt reminiscent of our grandmother's time. However, the same criticism comes up again: the all-white quilt, although undeniably beautiful, feels cold and reveals even the tiniest stain.

Few people know what beautiful effects can be achieved from white knitting combined with color. Strutt’s “Milford” Knitting Cotton comes in several dozen lovely shades, all guaranteed to hold up well in the wash.

[69]

The bedspread shown here is in light blue and white, and it really stands out in a light blue bedroom.

Other colors you can get are various shades of pink, green, pale cream, with in-between tones all the way to bright orange, heliotrope, salmon, and half a dozen different blues, from light forget-me-not to navy blue, crimson, fawn, and various shades of brown.

But, without a doubt, for bedding, there’s nothing quite like the pinks or the blues.

It's better to use patterns that are created in separate diamonds or squares and joined later. This avoids the mess of multiple yarn balls, which is bound to happen if using several colors all at once on a large project. When working with squares, each alternate square can be in color; when using diamonds, start with one stitch and increase each row until you reach the widest point, then decrease to the opposite point. Half of the diamond is worked in white, and when the widest point is reached, cut the white yarn and join the colored yarn to work the remaining half in color.

The pattern shown here is the traditional leaf-cluster often found in vintage knitted bedcovers.

The bedspread is made up of small diamonds that are stitched together.

Use Strutt’s “Milford” Knitting Cotton No. 8, in white and pale blue (or any other color you need), and a pair of No. 14 steel needles.

Abbreviations Used.

K = knit a plain stitch; P = purl; O = over, which means bringing the thread forward and passing it over the right-hand needle to create an

extra stitch; N = narrow, which means knit two stitches together.

With the white cotton, cast on one stitch.

1st Row.—K 3 stitches into the one stitch cast on.

2nd Row.—O, K, O, K, O, K.

3rd Row.—O, K, P 3, K 2.

4th Row.—Oh, K 3, Oh, K, Oh, K 3.

5th Row.—O, K 2, P 5, K 3.

6th Row.—Oh, K 5, Oh, K, Oh, K 5.

7th Row.—O, K 3, P 7, K 4.

8th Row.—Oh, okay 7, oh, okay, oh, okay 7.

9th Row.—O, K 4, P 9, K 5.

10th Row.—Oh, K 9, Oh, K, Oh, K 9.

11th Row.—O, K 5, P 11, K 6.

12th Row.—Oh, K 11, Oh, K, Oh, K 11.

13th Row.—O, K 6, P 13, K 7.

14th Row.—Oh, K 7, cast off one (i.e., slip a stitch onto the right-hand needle without knitting it, knit the next stitch, pull the slipped stitch over the knit one), K 9, N, K 7.

15th Row.—O, K 7, P 11, K 8.

16th Row.—Oh, K 8, cast off 1, K 7, N, K 8.

17th Row.—O, K 8, P 9, K 9.

18th Row.—O, K 9, remove 1, K 5, N, K 9.

19th Row.—O, K 9, P 7, K 10.

20th Row.—O, K 10, take off 1, K 3, N, K 10.

21st Row.—O, K 10, P 5, K 11.

22nd Row.—Oh, K 11, let go 1, K, N, K 11.

23rd Row.—O, K 11, P 3, K 12.

24th Row.—Oh, K 12, knit 3 stitches together, K 12.

25th Row.—O, K to the end of the row.

26th, 27th, 28th and 29th Rows.—Same as 25th Row. Cut the white cotton at the end of the 29th Row and attach the blue cotton.

30th Row.—Knit the entire row; finish by knitting the last 2 stitches together.

[70]

31st Row.—Purl, finishing with the last 2 stitches purled together.

32nd Row.—Like 30th.

33rd and 34th Rows.—Like 31st.

35th Row.—Same as 30th.

36th Row.—Similar to 31st.

37th Row.—Same as 30th.

Repeat from 30th Row twice, making it three times in total. Then keep alternating between purl and plain knitting until you have just one stitch left. Cut the blue cotton and cast off.

In connecting the diamonds, use white cotton for the white parts and blue cotton for the blue parts.

[71]

Abbreviations Used.

K = knit a plain stitch; P = purl; O = over, meaning bring the yarn forward to the front of the work and wrap it around the right-hand needle to create an extra stitch; N = narrow, which means knit two stitches together; S = slip a stitch.

Use Strutt’s Knitting Cotton, No. 8, 3 threads, and a pair of No. 12 steel needles.

Cast on 91 stitches for a runner about 12 inches wide, or 118 for a runner 16 inches wide. If you need something wider than this, cast on multiples of 27, plus an extra 10 stitches.

Notice that after the first piece of plain knitting, each alternate row is like the 19th.

Knit 18 rows plain.

19th Row, and each alternate row.—* S 1, K 9, P 17. Repeat from * until only 10 stitches remain on the needle. Knit these 10 plain.

20th Row.—* S 1, K 10, O, N, O, N, K 4, O, N, O, N, K 4. Repeat from *, K 10.

21st Row.—Like 19th.

22nd Row.—* S 1, K 11, O, N, O, N, K 4, O, N, O, N, K 3. Repeat from *, K 10.

24th Row.—S 1, K 12, O, N, O, N, K 4, O, N, O, N, K 2. Repeat from *, K 10.

26th Row.—* S 1, K 13, O, N, O, N, K 4, O, N, O, N, K 1. Repeat from *, K 10.

28th Row.—* S 1, K 14, O, N, O, N, K 4, O, N, O, N. Repeat from *, K 10.

30th Row.—* S 1, K 15, O, N, O, N, K 4, O, N, K 1. Repeat from *, K 10.

32nd Row.—* S 1, K 10, O, N, K 4,[72] O, N, O, N, K 4, O, N. Repeat from *, K 10.

34th Row.—* S 1, K 11, O, N, K 4, O, N, O, N, K 5. Repeat from *, K 10.

36th Row.—Like 20th.

38th Row.—Similar to 22nd.

40th Row.—Similar to 24th.

42nd Row.—Like 26th Row.

44th Row.—Similar to 28th.

45th Row.—Similar to 19th.

Then knit 19 rows in plain knitting. Go back and repeat from the 19th row.

Bedclothes become a pricey item when there are multiple beds for young people to set up, as well as those for their elders. Yet warmth is crucial if their health is to be kept up.

In the winter, there often arrives a night of sudden cold, so biting and intense that it feels nearly impossible to have too many blankets on the beds. Every spare blanket is pulled out, and every comforter, and still, it’s not enough! The next morning, someone is bound to say they never got warm all night!

Of course, eider-downs are perfect. They’re warm without being heavy. But genuine eider-downs are pricey. Here’s a substitute that was popular in our grandmothers’ time. It’s simply a quilt made of small bags, stitched together like patchwork, with each bag filled with bits and pieces. It’s really straightforward, isn’t it? And yet these quilts, which cost almost nothing, are priceless in cold weather. Just throw one of these over the bed, and the person sleeping stays as cozy and warm as if they were under a couple of down quilts.

One big advantage of this quilt is how easy it is to make. A child can easily whip up a little bag, and if they're old enough to use scissors, they can also cut up scraps. Mom can quickly sew together a few bags on her sewing machine right before she puts it away after finishing her other needlework. This way, the bags pile up unexpectedly, and joining them together—whether by hand or with the machine—doesn’t take much effort or mental strain.

My Go-To Method.

For some years now, I've made it a habit to always have one of these quilts ready. If I don’t need it myself once it's done, I always know someone who can really use it. Any woman with a big family and a tight budget appreciates one as a gift.

I save every bit of material that would otherwise go to waste. If it’s not new, I get it washed and thoroughly dried. All this waste goes into a bag that I keep hanging in a cupboard in my bedroom. I never let a large amount build up, so moths don’t get to it. I usually have just a couple of handfuls at a time waiting to be sorted.

On my dresser, I have a box. Inside it, there's always a pair of sharp scissors. When I have a few free moments—between lights when it’s too dark to see much else, or when my eyes are too tired for detailed work—I cut up some scraps from the bag into pieces about an inch square[73] sometimes smaller, never larger. I store these in the box.

Then again, whenever I have any scraps from sewing, repairing, or mending, it’s become second nature for me to cut them up right away into little pieces and toss them in the box. In fact, I always keep the scrap box on the table next to my sewing box when I’m working, and the pieces go in automatically as I go along. It really helps me stay organized. Everything is useful, even bits of darning wool, loose threads, and basting threads!

I keep any leftover material that's big enough to make bags; a good size is about five or six inches by three inches. I sew up three sides of these whenever I have a little free time, add a small handful of bits and pieces, and then seal up the end. I store these in a drawer until I have time to put them all together.

I always put mine together using a machine, since it’s the fastest method.

Do not fill the bags too full, or the quilt will end up being too heavy. If you fill the bag about a third full, or at most a loosely half-full, that will be plenty. Each small bag just needs a little thickness inside to provide extra warmth, similar to how we sometimes line quilts with a layer of cotton wool between two cotton covers.

The reason we put the clippings in small bags instead of one big bag is to keep the material evenly spread out across the surface of the bed. Otherwise, every time the sleeper turned over or messed up the covers, there would be a chance of all the clippings sliding over and gathering on one side or the other of the bed, or maybe even all falling to the foot of the bed.

A quilt made from the bags, not too full, can be shaken out and kept well-aired.

Almost any kind of material can be used for the bags, as long as it’s not too delicate in color, since you don’t want to be taking a quilt like this to the cleaners all the time. Durable fabrics are ideal, like cretonne, serge, heavy print, sateen—basically anything that can handle some wear.

Mix cotton clippings with wool clippings in each bag. Obviously, the quilt won’t need any lining since the back will look pretty neat. If you want, you can finish the edge with a cord; but I personally aim to keep the outer bags all in one color scheme; this alone adds a nice finish—a sort of border—and I just leave it at that. After all, these quilts are more about function than decoration; still, they can look really nice with a little effort and thought put into the arrangement of the different colors and patterns.

Turn down the hem a little more than ½ an inch, having a ball of wool ready (Andalusian or 3-ply white will work), and secure the end with a darning needle. With the working end of the wool at the top of the hem, ready for the crochet hook (a coarse steel hook is best), pick up a chain stitch with the hook and bring the wool across the hook as if making a stitch. Insert the hook at the bottom of the hem, catch the wool on the opposite side, going the opposite direction from lifting the thread as in crocheting; that is, hook the wool in a downward motion from right to left, draw the loop through and up to the level of the top of the line. Remove the hook and make one loop, just drawn up to create two straight lines, and slip it through the loop on the needle, then do a chain stitch and repeat from *. A little practice will quickly show that when done this way, the stitches are not twisted but lie flat, much like a machine finish.

[75]

In our grandmothers' time, eiderdowns were seen as a luxury, items to be cherished and kept well protected. Nowadays, though, you can find them on almost every bed, ranging from ones made of sateen and chintz to those made of satin and silk.

I guess it's because "familiarity breeds contempt" that we don't take care of our things like our grandmothers took care of theirs, which is why they got so much dirtier and wore out faster. If your comforter is looking shabby, why not clean it and recover it yourself?

If anyone isn't willing to invest a little time and effort into the success of this project, they shouldn't even think about cleaning and recovering a comforter at home. While it's not too difficult, it can be a bit tedious. The only things really needed, aside from a few yards of fabric, are patience and common sense. To clarify: patience is important because a comforter takes a while to dry once it’s wet, and common sense is needed to pick the right day to do it.

The first thing to do is to choose a hot day, as the eiderdown needs to be dried outside, and the sunnier the day, the faster it will dry. Plus, the sunshine makes the down fluff up better than any fire can.

After thoroughly brushing and shaking the quilt, give it a good whip with a little cane to loosen the feathers and remove any dust. Prepare a bath filled halfway with warm—not hot—water, and dissolve a small packet of Lux in it. Make sure the soap is completely melted before adding the quilt, as otherwise, it may clump and stick to the covering, no matter what it is.

Dip half of the quilt in first and soak it up and down before dipping in the rest. You'll be surprised at how much dirt “pours” out. It’s hard to believe that a comforter could be so dirty without looking obviously so.

When the entire quilt is wet, keep dipping it up and down in the water for a while, gently squeezing it between your hands. It's okay if the color runs, as the dye won't affect the down, and since you're re-covering it, the streaky case won't be visible.

Let it soak in the water for about an hour, occasionally stirring it in the bath, kneading and squeezing it to loosen the dirt. When you think it’s clean, drain the bath and refill it with hotter water, but don’t add any soap. Rinse thoroughly and keep going in fresh water until all the soap is completely rinsed out.[76]

Wring it out completely and hang it over the edge of the tub to drain. After twenty minutes, wring it out again, and it’s much easier if you can get someone else to help since it’s too big to handle alone. Then, take it out into the garden and hang it on a line, as high as you can, but anywhere the wind can get to it.

And here patience is necessary; it will take two days—maybe three days, and possibly a week—to dry outside, since an eiderdown is very thick, and the close-packed down makes it hard for the air to get through. Make sure not to leave it out after the sun goes down, as it quickly absorbs moisture and just delays the drying process. Often turn it while it’s hanging on the line, and shake it well to loosen the feathers.

I usually find that three days is enough to dry my quilts completely, but I always leave them spread out on the grass on a clean sheet for a full day in the sun afterward to fluff up the feathers. It’s amazing how the heat makes them expand and become light and fluffy.

When all this is done, take your little cane and whip it really hard, like you're beating a carpet. Turn it frequently since this helps to loosen the down inside.

This wraps up the cleaning process, which is straightforward yet thorough, and then you're set for the re-covering.

The new cover, of course, completely depends on personal choice whether it’s satin, silk, sateen, or chintz.

I always use a nice chintz that matches the curtains and decorations of the bedroom that the quilt belongs to. I cover one side with this, and on the other side, I use a solid-colored sateen or lightweight fabric to coordinate.

It’s impossible for me to provide the exact amount of material needed, since eiderdowns come in a wide range of sizes. There are many different widths in what’s referred to as a double bed quilt, as well as in the single bed ones. For larger sizes, you’ll need to have a seam down the center, as no material is wide enough to cover it completely; however, for a single-width quilt, forty-inch fabric will be wide enough.

The last quilt I made was for a brown room with a light blue carpet patterned in white, so I picked a willow-pattern chintz with a brown sateen backing, and it turned out to be one of the best I've done.

First, machine-stitch the two widths of material together, making sure to align the design on the right side, and then press the seam flat. Next, lay the seamed sateen out on the floor and place the eiderdown on top of it. Use a tacking thread to stitch all around the edge, ensuring you stretch the quilt as much as possible to avoid making the cover too tight. After that, sew a line of stitching around each little eyelet, of which there are many; these will keep the cover in place for the next step.

Taking a long piece of brightly colored cotton thread, carefully trace the quilting design, which, in my case, was a very intricate scroll, tacking the stitches all the way through the quilt to the new piece of fabric. If the design is really complicated, it requires patience; but these days, comforters are more often quilted in straight lines, maybe with a diamond in the center.

Always pin your pattern on the plain side of the fabric, as it's much easier to sew on the machine later if there isn't a pattern to distract your eyes.

I want to emphasize to anyone attempting this re-covering to be very careful about sticking closely to the quilting pattern, as the success of the entire project depends on it. It would be really disappointing if, after finishing, you discovered that due to careless tacking, the covering turned out crooked, cramped, or pulled. It requires patience and attention, but it's quite easy and very rewarding.

When you've finished the outlining, spread the quilt on the floor again and pin down the chintz, just like you did with the sateen, but skip the outlining on the quilting since it's not needed on both sides.

Next, where the threads outline the eyelets, take a stiletto and punch holes through both sides and buttonhole them all around through the double materials. When doing this, use silk that matches the color of the plain side, as it looks much nicer than the opposite approach.

And now everything is ready for the machine. If your quilt has two colors, thread the machine with silk that matches the sateen and use a bobbin with thread that matches the back. Carefully follow the design you’ve outlined, spreading the quilt out as wide as you can to avoid puckering.

When all the stitching is done, you'll be pleased to see that both sides of the quilt are stitched in their own unique colors.

Remove the tacking threads from the edge, and while turning down the edge of the “right side” of the quilt, insert a narrow piping cord and sew it with a machine. Next, fold in the edges of the other side, and hem it by hand all the way to the edge of the cord. This creates a nice and tidy finish.

To anyone who wants a frill, even though they aren’t always in style—just like other trends—first, remove the tacking thread around the edge of the quilt, then replace the cord with the frill and sew it securely by machine. Make sure the frill is made from the same two materials as the cover, matching the plain with the plain and the fancy with the fancy. After that, hem it down just like you would with the cord.

A really attractive edge can be created using a thick cord like those used in upholstery, but it should be wrapped tightly in fabric before stitching it to the cover. Pulling the fabric tightly around the cord creates a "cable" effect, which looks really nice.

When it's done, I’m sure you’ll be happy with how your new comforter looks. It’s so affordable—no more than a few shillings at most.

[79]

That useful type of traditional needlework, the patchwork quilt, has made a comeback, and this revival is largely because of the need to save money during wartime. With the prices of all kinds of materials being so high and the need for frugality so pressing, people have come up with many practical solutions to keep a reasonable level of comfort during these challenging times, and one of the best of these is the patchwork quilt.

The tiniest pieces of cotton, silk, or other fabrics can be used to create coverings that can be quite artistic and long-lasting. To match the color scheme of the bedroom for which they are intended, it’s important to combine only those colors that are present in the other furnishings.

The standard size of a quilt for a double bed is 6 ft. by 5 ft., or if the bed is extra large, 6 ft. by 6 ft. The size for a single bed is 5 ft. by 4 ft. For a child's cot, the average size is 4 ft. by 3 ft.

Many of the more artistic ones are made in bedspread size, which is longer than a quilt and allows it to drape over each side. A bedspread typically measures between 72 to 90 inches wide and from 90 to 100 inches long.

The pieces of fabric, which are all the same type in each quilt, are cut into triangles, squares, shapes, circles, etc., and it's important to make sure the sizes of the different shapes are exactly the same. The edges are folded in, and then the various pieces[80] are sewn together on the back side according to the pattern. It's a good idea to make the quilt in sections and then join them all together.

A quilt like this needs a lining, and if you want to add extra warmth, you should include some kind of interlining. You can use cotton batting, strips of old white flannel, or any color that won't bleed in the wash, sewn together. Old wool underwear that has been thoroughly washed with worn pieces cut away can also be used, along with light-colored tweeds, etc. However, all pieces must be lightly sewn together using flat seams, and then tacked onto the lining. Make sure this lining fits the quilt perfectly, turn in the edges of both, tack them together, and then either machine stitch or sew the edges together. You can also use a blanket stitch over the edge with thick colored silk, embroidery thread, or No. 5 “Peri-Lusta.”

The quilt is now ready for the “quilting,” which is essential for its completion. This can be done on a sewing machine if one is available; otherwise, hand-sewing[81] with colored thread, either matching or contrasting with the design, is done using a running stitch, with a backstitch here and there for security. Use a long sewing needle with “Peri-Lusta” thread in any needed color, No. 8. The sewing lines can be arranged in diamond shapes, squares, herringbone patterns, zig-zag, or any other preferred design.

The following designs are easy to make and will only need scraps of material that are usually found lying around most homes. Old sheets can be used for the lining, or maybe faded window curtains, which can be washed and bleached or dyed to match.

Triangles in Three Colors.

This is for scraps of silk that are too small for a variety of shapes. They are all cut into triangles, and the colors are arranged to create hexagonal shapes. There are only three colors, and for each color, you'll need two triangles to form the hexagon. Arrange the six triangles with a point in the center, making sure no two triangles of the same color are next to each other. Fold in and topstitch the edges of two sides together. Make several of this shape before connecting them, then topstitch all the hexagons, which will fit into each other. Finish as previously directed.

A Range of the “Star” Shape Design.

The design shown on page 82 is a variation of the “star” shape design, using three colors. Each star features a simple six-sided figure in the center, which is green. Each of these six sides has a white triangle. The space between the points is filled with pink, and the outer edge is, of course, twice as long as one side of the center.

Perfect for Silk Patchwork.

The design at the bottom of page 79 is the latest style and is perfect for scraps of silk, featuring a trendy combination of black and white in the sample. You can also use blue and white, pink and white, green and white, or any other colors instead. The border includes an appliqué of roses cut from cretonne.[82] Each motif has its edges folded under and is then tacked onto the quilt or bedspread after the quilting is done. The edge is finished with green “Peri-Lusta” in the same shade as the thread used for the quilting, using an outline stitch.

To Make a Padded Quilt.

The design at the bottom of page 80 is meant for creating a padded quilt using small pieces of silk, sateen, or other fabrics. The hexagonal shape is used here, and the lining in a contrasting color is cut to the same size. Then, five sides of the shape are sewn together, and the little bag formed is stuffed with vegetable down, after which the other side is sewn up. One side can be silk, and the other can be cotton.

The long, narrow strips for the sides are made from the main material, cut into strips of the needed length, and twice the width of the band. Sew the edges together, then fill them with down through one end, sew the corners together, and make sure the corners are cut at right angles for a neat finish. Once all the padded pieces are sewn together, a nice look is achieved by outlining all the seams with black cotton in a feather-stitch pattern. Vegetable down is affordable, and about three pounds will be enough for a large quilt.

Patchwork Appliqué Bedspreads.

Another affordable bed-covering is the patchwork appliqué. This bedspread doesn't need a lining, and inexpensive cotton fabric can be used as the base, or you can repurpose old sheets, curtain panels, or other fabric that has already been used. These materials can be dyed any shade you like and should contrast with the colors chosen for the appliqué. A deep hem at the edge of the base is appealing, as seen in the “Fleur-de-lis” design on page 81. In this example, the base is cream sateen, while the appliqué and hem are cut from the same material in a deep shade of pink. The design is simply outlined with black “Peri-Lusta” in a stem stitch when attached to the bedspread.

[83]

Now more than ever, it’s really important to take care of our linen household napkins, because the cost of new linen is incredibly high due to its scarcity, and it’s said that in the near future, it will be almost impossible to find it at any price.

It might not be widely known that linen can be attacked by tiny insects that bore into it, just like moths do with wood, which can weaken the fabric and eventually create holes if precautions aren’t taken to prevent this. When storing linen, using camphor, lavender, cedar wood, and similar items is just as crucial for its preservation as it is for woolen goods. It’s said that hanging a completely dried apple covered in cloves, with the cloves pushed in all the way, is very effective when attached to the top of the drawer of a chest or hung inside the door if the chest is designed this way. All linen should be well-aired before being stored away. Any repairs should be done before sending the linen to the laundry, and if it has been stiffened and glazed, the part that needs mending should be soaked in warm water to remove the starch and then dried.

When a part wears out, the best way to fix it is to darn it carefully with fine linen thread, which you can get by unraveling a piece of the fabric. For a tablecloth, you can get this thread by ripping the hem at one end and undoing the edge for a few rows. Wind the thread onto a reel and save it for repairing this cloth, then redo the hem.

Fig. 1 shows how to do plain darning, and Fig. 2 shows twill darning or plain damask stitch.

Insert the section to be repaired into the embroidery hoop with the wrong side facing you, since all darning needs to be done on this side of the fabric. The darning should extend well into the good part of the surrounding fabric, and the stitches should be small and uniform.

[84]

Run the lengthwise stitches first, making sure to keep them a bit loose, as they will shrink when washed. Leave a small loop of thread at each turn to allow for adjusting these threads when working across them. Sew the stitches following the thread of the fabric in perfectly straight lines, picking up only two or three threads and skipping the same number. In alternating rows, pick up the threads you skipped in the previous rows.

When the weak area is covered with lengthwise stitches and about half an inch beyond it at each end, work across in the same way, picking up and skipping alternate stitches, and keeping the same space between the rows as before.

When there's a hole in the fabric, you need to cut away the frayed edges and make the sides even. Then[85] start darning like before, but with the threads much closer together. Continue each lengthwise thread across the hole and darn down below it, leaving a loop at the end when you turn. (See Fig. 1). The finished darn should have the threads close enough together to replace the original piece.

For twilled linen fabric, Fig. 2 shows how to proceed. Start by working the darning stitch lengthwise across the hole just like before. Then, examine the fabric to see how many threads are crossed to create the twill, and begin making the crossing stitches by passing over two or three threads and picking up one or two, depending on the pattern. In each subsequent row, move one or two threads in the same direction.

Even colored borders can be successfully repaired, and an accurate copy of the original design can be achieved this way, using thread that matches the color of the border.

Fig. 3 shows how to fix a tear in the fabric or a cut made by a knife when the edges fit closely together. Place a strip of stiff paper underneath the opening and secure it all around. Stitch across the tear, pulling the edges together and catching the threads in each row that were skipped in the previous one. Leave a small loop at each corner as before.

Mending the sheets.

When the item that needs fixing is too big for darning, it should be cut out and replaced with a patch made from the same material. If possible, the patch should come from linen that has been used for about the same amount of time as the item needing repair. If new material has to be used, it should be slightly thinner than the original fabric, because using the same material for the patch would make it stand out too much.

Use fine linen thread and a small sewing needle for patching. Trim the edges of the hole down to a thread of the fabric, removing all the worn parts completely. Cut the patch[86] to fit over the hole and extend about an inch beyond it on all sides. Fold in the edges of the hole, making a diagonal cut at each corner to achieve a perfect angle and flat seam. Fold in the edges of the patch and baste it evenly on the wrong side over the hole, then flip it to the right side and hem the patch to the edge of the hole with neat, small stitches. Next, backstitch along this right side to the outer edge of the patch, ensuring the lines are straight and the corners are sharp. See Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 shows the inset patch, which is less visible than the previous one and is suitable for items that don’t need to handle frequent use and washing. The edges of the hole are arranged like in the previous one, and the patch is cut to fit it perfectly, with its edges tucked in a seam of the same width as the hole. Both edges are sewn together on the wrong side, then the seam is opened up and pressed flat. If done neatly and the pattern is matched evenly, a patch like this is hardly noticeable. The raw edges of the material should be neatly overcast to prevent fraying.

Darning Damask Table Linen.

When repairing damask linen, you can imitate the design so well that the mend becomes invisible. You need to closely examine the design to understand how many threads to pick up and skip over. In every case, the best thread to use is the one you get by pulling out threads from the edges of the fabric.

The illustration page displays the most popular damask patterns and how to darn them. In every case, the lengthwise stitches are done as shown in Fig. 2. The pattern is created by crossing stitches, picking up and passing over a specific number of threads in each row.

The samples are made with two colored threads, so the stitches that create the design can be easily replicated.

When doing drawn thread work, wind all the pulled threads onto a reel and save them for mending all types of linen; they are the best threads for the job.

When clothes are worn out at the laundry.

Tablecloths and napkins are usually sent to the dry cleaners, even if most of the laundry is done at home, because it's hard for the average person to achieve the smooth finish that a professional can give them. As a result, tablecloths quickly start to show signs of wear, typically starting at the edges.

As soon as you see holes or fraying at the sides or ends, cut the strip right off, unless it’s a tiny tear that can be easily fixed. Generally, when the edges start to go, they usually fall apart quickly. The best approach is to cut off the weak section before it tears deeper into the material and create a new hem.

If the fabric is too narrow to use on the dining table, you can make it wider or longer by adding a deep hem, which can be attached to the fabric with fagotting. You’ll need to pin both the cut and re-hemmed fabric and the new hem onto stiff paper to keep everything even while you work on the fagotting.

[87]

These days, when being economical is important for many of us, we can save a lot in our households by focusing on what's needed in our linen chest and keeping in mind the old saying, “a stitch in time saves nine.”

When a piece of bedding or table linen starts to wear out and become thin in any area, you can avoid patching by carefully darning the spot with soft cotton or linen thread, making sure the stitches run well into the surrounding intact fabric. However, when a large area, like in the case of sheets, becomes thin all over, you'll need to resort to patching.

The best way to fix a sheet that’s become worn in the middle is to cut it straight down the center and bring the selvedged edges to the middle. Tack these in a flat seam, overlapping the edges by just under a quarter of an inch (don't turn in the selvedge edge, as it shouldn't create a thick seam). Use fine, soft sewing cotton and stitch along the very edge of the seam on both sides, or use a sewing machine if you have one; in the latter case, keep the tension loose. If the parts now turned to the sides have any holes or if any section is really thin, it’s better to cut that part out and replace it with a patch.

The piece for this patch should be lighter than the sheet material, but made of the same type. It's always a good idea to keep scraps of the old sheets that can no longer be used for this purpose.

Cut the patch to the needed size along the thread line of the material, leaving two or three inches beyond the weak edges of the sheet. Neatly fold in the edges along the three sides[88] of the piece that overlap the sheet, tack the two edges together, and place the patch on the sheet, ensuring it's flat. Now, tack around the three edges. Hem down this side of the patch.

Turn the sheet over and cut away the section over the patch, leaving a half-inch margin. Fold in the edges of the margin, trimming the corners to create an angle, then tack the seam, and either hem or machine-stitch along the edge. The sheet is now ready for hemming the sides; fold in a half-inch hem on each side and sew it in place. If the sheet has been hem-stitched at both ends, you’ll need to undo a few stitches of this hemming on each side of the center seam and then rework it to maintain the pattern and ensure a neat finish.

[89]

The illustration on this page shows a really effective way to use pieces of cretonne to create a toilet runner. Runners can be pricey to buy, but if you have some nice pieces of fabric on hand, you can make one with very little effort and cost.

The one shown is made up of 18 pieces of colorful cretonne, each measuring about 2¼ × 8¼ inches. These are stitched together to create a long strip, and the entire piece is finished with a 1¾ inch hem of blue print, which is sewn on.

The border can be any nice color that matches the pieces. Or, if they are in a light shade, a hem of unbleached calico would create a lovely finish. This fabric washes really well, and the soft, creamy color looks great with the light-colored pieces.

In choosing the pieces of cretonne to use, it's crucial to pick only those that will wash well. Otherwise, after the first wash, everything will be ruined because the colors will bleed.

This runner, when completed, measures 44 inches long by 12 inches deep, but you can create a cloth of any size or shape using this method. With a bit of thought and effort, you can achieve truly delightful results at little or no cost.

If you don't have any fancy cretonne on hand, there's no reason you can't use plain colored pieces instead. As long as they are carefully and tastefully blended, you can create a lovely cloth or runner. You can save scraps of casement cloth, linen, cotton poplin, and print, and this method of using them can lead to real savings.

[90]

Beaded designs as fashion accessories are more popular now than ever. Beaded bags, hatbands, belts, and ornaments may be pricey to buy, but they're pretty simple to make, and the materials are inexpensive.

There are two ways to create hand-made trimmings and bags, and of course, this type is worth much more than that made by machines, as it is also more durable and artistic.

In beaded crochet, a colored mercerized cotton that is fine enough to easily pass through the chosen beads is used along with a crochet hook that matches the thread's thickness. First, the beads are added to the thread using a fine sewing needle or by waxing the end of the thread; then, the beads are incorporated into the design using the standard double crochet (d c).

In the needle-made version we're showcasing in this issue, each bead is connected to the bead right below it and the one above it. You will need a very fine sewing needle along with fine linen or glossy cotton thread.

The Rose Design.

This lovely design works great as a standalone motif for dress embellishments or as a pattern for the top of bags and other items.

Delft-blue china beads make up the background for the rose, which is a deep pink color with a small green stem.

Use fine linen thread and a very fine sewing needle. Thread 29 of the blue beads (or any other color you choose for the groundwork), run the needle back through the 28th bead (that is, insert the needle through the 28th bead, right between the 28th and 29th, and pull it out through the 28th between that and the 27th), thread a bead, bring this bead over the 28th, and run the needle back through the 28th like you did before, but also run it through the 27th; thread another bead, place it over the 27th, and run the needle back through the 27th and 26th beads; repeat this with every 2 beads until the end. Turn.

3rd Row.—String a bead, pass the needle back through the last bead in the 2nd row, string a bead, pass the needle back through the last bead again, just like before, and through the next bead; string a bead, and keep going as in the 2nd row, adding the rose beads. After adding 7 blue (b), there are 5 pink (p), 3 b, 3 p, 10 b.

4th Row.—9 b, 5 p, 1 b, 6 p, 7 b.

5th Row.—7 black, 6 purple, 1 black, 5 purple, 9 black.

6th Row.—8 b, 2 p, 8 b, 4 p, 6 b.

7th Row.—6 b, 1 p, 2 b, 1 p, 1 b, 6 p, 2 b, 2 p, 7 b.

[91]

8th Row.—7 balls, 1 pin, 1 ball, 2 pins, 2 balls, 5 pins, 2 balls, 2 pins, 6 balls.

9th Row.—7 b, 2 p, 1 b, 2 p, 7 b, 1 p, 1 b, 2 p, 5 b.

10th Row.—5 black, 1 pink, 1 black, 1 pink, 5 black, 1 pink, 1 black, 4 pink, 2 black, 3 pink, 4 black.

11th Row.—3 blue, 5 pink, 1 blue, 4 pink, 1 blue, 2 pink, 4 blue, 1 pink, 1 blue, 2 pink, 4 blue.

12th Row.—4 b, 1 p, 1 b, 1 p, 4 b, 2 p, 1 b, 5 p, 1 b, 6 p, 2 b.

13th Row.—2 b, 1 p, 1 b, 1 p, 4 b, 5 p, 1 b, 2 p, 4 b, 1 p, 1 b, 1 p, 4 b.

14th Row.—4 b, 1 p, 1 b, 4 p, 1 b, 2 p, 1 b, 4 p, 2 b, 6 p, 2 b.

15th Row.—3 b, 6 p, 1 b, 4 p, 3 b, 4 p, 1 b, 1 p, 5 b.

16th Row.—3 b, 2 p, 1 b, 1 p, 4 b, 3 p, 1 b, 3 p, 1 b, 6 p, 3 b.

17th Row.—4 b, 5 p, 1 b, 1 p, 3 b, 8 p, 1 b, 2 p, 3 b.

18th Row.—3 b, 3 p, 1 b, 9 p, 2 b, 5 p, 5 b.

19th Row.—7 b, 2 p, 2 b, 1 p, 1 b, 7 p, 2 b, 2 p, 4 b.

20th Row.—6 b, 2 p, 1 b, 6 p, 1 b, 3 p, 9 b.

21st Row.—8 blue, 3 purple, 3 blue, 1 purple, 4 blue, 4 purple, 5 blue.

22nd Row.—4 blue, 4 purple, 1 blue, 4 purple, 1 blue, 1 purple, 1 blue, 5 purple, 1 blue, 1 green (g), 5 blue.

[92]

23rd Row.—4 blue, 1 green, 2 blue, 5 purple, 1 blue, 2 purple, 1 blue, 7 purple, 5 blue.

24th Row.—5 b, 6 p, 2 b, 3 p, 1 b, 3 p, 3 b, 2 g, 3 b.

25th Row.—3 b, 1 g, 5 b, 5 p, 4 b, 3 p, 7 b.

26th Row.—24 b, 1 g, 3 b.

27th and 28th Rows.—All blue.

The bead at each turn is not counted in the total given at the start of each row; this is the "turning" bead and must be used in every row just like in the 1st and 2nd rows.

A stitched star design.

This beautiful design can be extended in any direction. It uses 2 shades of blue, but any other combination will look just as appealing if the colors are well chosen.

Light and dark blue were used in the sample, and, of course, the beads are all the same size and shape.

Thread 4 dark blue (d b), 7 light blue (l b), 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 7 l b, 4 d b. Turn. In this[93] design, the “turning” bead is omitted.

2nd Row.—String 1 d b bead, push the needle through the last bead in the 1st row next to the 2nd last one, pull the thread through, then thread it through the 1st bead in this row towards the 2nd bead in the 1st row, and pass it through that bead; add another d b and keep going with 2 more d b, then 8 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 3 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 8 l b, 4 d b.

3rd Row.—2 d b, 11 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 1 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 11 l b, 2 d b.

4th Row.—2 d b, 12 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 12 l b, 2 d b.

5th Row.—10 lbs, 1 db, 4 lbs, 1 db, 3 lbs, 1 db, 4 lbs, 1 db, 10 lbs.

6th Row.—10 lbs, 2 dbs, 4 lbs, 1 db, 1 lb, 1 db, 4 lbs, 2 dbs, 10 lbs.

7th Row.—10 lbs, 3 db, 4 lbs, 1 db, 4 lbs, 3 db, 10 lbs.

8th Row.—10 lb, 4 db, 7 lb, 4 db, 10 lb.

9th Row.—10 lb, 5 db, 5 lb, 5 db, 10 lb.

10th Row.—10 lb, 6 db, 3 lb, 6 db, 10 lb.

11th Row.—4 lbs, 6 lbs d, 1 lb, 5 d lbs, 3 lbs, 5 d lbs, 1 lb, 6 lbs d, 4 lbs.

12th Row.—1 domed brick, 4 large bricks, 6 domed bricks, 1 large brick, 4 domed bricks, 3 large bricks, 4 domed bricks, 1 large brick, 6 domed bricks, 4 large bricks, 1 domed brick.

13th Row.—1 lb, 1 db, 4 lb, 6 db, 1 lb, 3 db, 3 lb, 3 db, 1 lb, 6 db, 4 lb, 1 db, 1 lb.

14th Row.—2 lb, 1 db, 4 lb, 6 db, 1 lb, 2 db, 3 lb, 2 db, 1 lb, 6 db, 4 lb, 1 db, 2 lb.

15th Row.—1 down, 2 left back, 1 down, 4 left back, 6 down, 1 left back, 1 down, 3 left back, 1 down, 1 left back, 6 down, 4 left back, 1 down, 2 left back, 1 down.

16th Row.—1 lb, 1 db, 2 lb, 1 db, 4 lb, 6 db, 5 lb, 6 db, 4 lb, 1 db, 2 lb, 1 db, 1 lb.

17th Row.—2 lbs, 1 d b, 2 lbs, 1 d b.[94] 10 lbs, 3 d b, 10 lbs, 1 d b, 2 lbs, 1 d b, 2 lbs.

18th Row.—1 dark brown, 2 light brown, 1 dark brown, 2 light brown, 1 dark brown, 9 light brown, 3 dark brown, 9 light brown, 1 dark brown, 2 light brown, 1 dark brown, 2 light brown, 1 dark brown.

19th Row.—2 lb, 1 db, 2 lb, 1 db, 10 lb, 3 db, 10 lb, 1 db, 2 lb, 1 db, 2 lb.

20th Row.—1 lb, 1 db, 2 lb, 1 db, 4 lb, 6 db, 5 lb, 6 db, 4 lb, 1 db, 2 lb, 1 db, 1 lb.

21st Row.—2 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 4 l b, 6 d b, 1 l b, 1 d b, 3 l b, 1 d b, 1 l b, 6 d b, 4 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b.

22nd Row.—2 lb, 1 db, 4 lb, 6 db, 1 lb, 2 db, 3 lb, 2 db, 1 lb, 6 db, 4 lb, 1 db, 2 lb.

23rd Row.—1 lb, 1 db, 4 lb, 6 db, 1 lb, 3 db, 3 lb, 3 db, 1 lb, 6 db, 4 lb, 1 db, 1 lb.

24th Row.—1 db, 4 lb, 6 db, 1 lb, 4 db, 3 lb, 4 db, 1 lb, 6 db, 4 lb, 1 db.

25th Row.—4 lb, 6 db, 1 lb, 5 db, 3 lb, 5 db, 1 lb, 6 db, 4 lb.

26th Row.—10 lb, 6 db, 3 lb, 6 db, 10 lb.

27th Row.—10 lb, 5 db, 5 lb, 5 db, 10 lb.

28th Row.—10 lb, 4 db, 7 lb, 4 db, 10 lb.

29th Row.—10 lb, 3 db, 4 lb, 1 db, 4 lb, 3 db, 10 lb.

30th Row.—10 lb, 2 db, 4 lb, 1 db, 1 lb, 1 db, 4 lb, 2 db, 10 lb.

31st Row.—10 lb, 1 db, 4 lb, 1 db, 3 lb, 1 db, 4 lb, 1 db, 10 lb.

32nd Row.—2 double bass, 12 little bass, 1 double bass, 2 little bass, 1 double bass, 2 little bass, 1 double bass, 12 little bass, 2 double bass.

33rd Row.—2 d b, 11 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 1 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 11 l b, 2 d b.

34th Row.—4 d b, 8 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 3 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 8 l b, 4 d b.

35th Row.—4 d b, 7 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 7 l b, 4 d b.

Repeat from the 2nd row.

The Bird Theme.

This is done with two shades of blue beads—light and dark—bright yellow, and any color selected for the background.

It’s a beautiful design for a beaded bag meant to be a gift. If you’re using it for this purpose, there needs to be a larger number of beads in the first row for a solid foundation, since the number shown in the diagram (52) only gives a width of 4 inches. Add 14 beads for each extra inch you need. Make sure to keep the bird design exactly in the center of the background; the depth of the design as it is currently made is 3¼ inches, so you’ll need more rows before and after the bird design to increase the depth.

Using fine linen or glazed sewing cotton, thread 53 beads for the base layer, then pass the thread back through the 52nd bead. Following the instructions for the rose design, create the 2nd row of the base layer, which is shown in the illustration as white. The "turning" bead isn’t included in the count for the design, but it must be used at the start of every row.

3rd Row.—30 white (w), 2 dark blue (d b), 20 w.

4th Row.—21 white, 2 dark blue, 2 yellow, 27 white.

5th Row.—26 white, 2 yellow, 1 dark blue, 1 light blue, 1 dark blue, 21 white.

6th Row.—21 white, 3 light blue, 3 yellow, 25 white.

7th Row.—25 white, 2 yellow, 4 light blue, 21 white.

8th Row.—15 white, 6 dark blue, 5 light blue, 2 yellow, 24 white.

9th Row.—22 white, 2 light blue, 1 yellow, 12 light blue, 3 dark blue, 12 white.

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10th Row.—11 w, 2 d b, 14 l b, 1 y, 4 l b, 20 w.

11th Row.—17 w, 3 d b, 21 l b, 2 d b, 9 w.

12th Row.—8 women, 1 disabled boy, 25 little boys, 2 disabled boys, 16 women.

13th Row.—14 west, 2 down back, 6 left back, 1 down back, 20 left back, 2 down back, 7 west.

14th Row.—6 women, 2 days back, 22 long backs, 1 day back, 7 long backs, 2 day backs, 12 women.

15th Row.—11 w, 1 d b, 8 l b, 1 y, 6 l b, 2 w, 10 l b, 1 w, 1 l b, 1 w, 3 l b, 2 d b, 5 w.

16th Row.—5 white, 1 dark brown, 2 light brown, 6 white, 1 light brown, 2 white, 1 light brown, 2 white, 1 light brown, 5 white, 5 light brown, 1 yellow, 9 light brown, 1 dark brown, 10 white.

17th Row.—9 w, 1 d b, 9 l b, 1 y, 6 l b, 19 w, 2 l b, 1 d b, 4 w.

18th Row.—3 white, 1 dark blue, 2 light blue, 21 white, 5 light blue, 2 yellow, 9 light blue, 1 dark blue, 8 white.

19th Row.—7 w, 1 d b, 8 l b, 3 w, 1 y, 5 l b, 23 w, 1 d b, 3 w.

20th Row.—2 w, 1 d b, 25 w, 5 l b, 1 y, 2 w, 1 l b, 1 w, 7 l b, 1 d b, 6 w.

21st Row.—5 white, 1 dark blue, 6 light blue, 1 white, 1 light blue, 4 white, 5 light blue, 27 white, 1 dark blue, 1 white.

22nd Row.—29 w, 6 l b, 7 w, 5 l b, 1 d b, 4 w.

23rd Row.—3 women, 1 disabled person, 4 lads, 8 women, 7 lads, 29 women.

24th Row.—29 white, 3 little black, 1 dark blue, 4 little black, 9 white, 2 little black, 1 dark blue, 3 white.

25th Row.—2 w, 1 d b, 1 l b, 11 w, 1 l b, 1 d b, 1 l b, 1 d b, 4 l b, 29 w.

26th Row.—29 w, 4 l b, 1 d b, 2 l b, 1 d b, 1 l b, 11 w, 1 l b, 2 w.

27th Row.—1 white, 1 light blue, 12 white, 3 light blue, 1 dark blue, 2 light blue, 1 dark blue, 2 light blue, 29 white.

28th Row.—29 w, 2 l b, 1 d b, 3 l b, 1 d b, 3 l b, 13 w.

29th Row.—14 w, 2 l b, 1 w, 2 l b, 1 d b, 3 l b, 29 w.

30th Row.—29 wins, 1 loss by, 1 win, 1 loss by, 1 win, 1 loss by, 18 wins.

31st and 32nd Rows.—All white.

[96]

A very attractive and affordable alternative to silk lingerie ribbon is found in the new crochet ribbons made for this purpose. They're created using fine mercerized cotton or crochet silk thread with a small hook.

No. 1.

12 ch, turn, skip the next ch, 5 d c into the next 5 ch, 3 d c into the next ch, 5 d c into the last 5 ch, * turn with 1 ch, skip the 1st d c, 5 d c into the next 5 d c, 3 d c into the next d c (which is the center d c of the 3 d c into 1 ch), 5 d c into the next 5 d c, skip the last d c, and repeat from *.

No. 2.

This is a corded design, worked over a single strong cotton thread, like No. 10. Make a knot at the end of the No. 10 cotton. Over the cord, do 8 double crochets, keeping the cord gently pulled to keep the stitches close together and the line perfectly straight. Turn, skip the first 3 double crochets, and do 15 double crochets over the cord into the 15 double crochets *, do 3 double crochets over the cord alone, then do 15 double crochets into the 15 double crochets; * repeat.

No. 3.

11 ch, turn, skip 1st ch, 1 double crochet into next ch, 3 ch, 2 triple crochet into the same ch as the last double crochet, 1 double crochet into the next 3rd ch, 3 ch, 2 triple crochet into the same ch, 1 double crochet into the next 3rd ch, 3 ch, 2 triple crochet into the same ch, 1 double crochet into the last ch, * turn, 1 ch, 1 double crochet into last double crochet, 3 ch, 2 triple crochet into the same double crochet, 1 double crochet, 3 ch, 2 triple crochet over each 3 ch except for the last, where you place only 1 double crochet; repeat from *.

No. 4.

13 ch, 1 dc into the 10th ch, then over the tr work 1 dc, 4 tr, 1 tr into the 7th ch, over the tr work 1 dc, 4 tr, 1 tr into the 4th ch, over the tr 1 dc, 4 tr, 1 tr into the 1st ch, * turn, 4 ch, 1 tr into the space between the groups of tr with 1 dc, 4 tr over each, 1 tr over the 4 ch, at the turn work 1 dc, 4 tr over this tr; * repeat.

No. 5.

14 ch, 1 d c into the 11th ch, 3 ch, 1 d c into every 2nd ch, * turn, 4 ch,[97] 1 d c, 3 ch into each loop; * repeat.

No. 6.

10 chain, turn, 3 long triple crochet into the 5th chain, keeping the last loop of each on the hook until you work off the 3rd, then work off all the loops together, and put 1 double crochet around the top, 3 chain, 3 long triple crochet into the same chain as the last triple crochets, 3 long triple crochet into the 1st chain, 3 chain, 3 long triple crochet into the same chain, 1 long triple crochet beside the last group, turn, * 5 chain, two groups of long triple crochets with 3 chain between into each 3 chain space, 1 long triple crochet between the last triple crochets and the following chains; * repeat.

No. 7.

13 ch; into the 10th and 7th, 4th and 1st ch put 2 tr with 2 ch between, 1 tr beside last tr, * turn, 3 ch, into each 2 ch space put 2 tr with 2 ch between, 1 tr between last tr and next chs; * repeat.

No. 8.

15 ch, turn, into the 10th ch put 1 double crochet, 5 ch, 1 double crochet, 3 ch, into the 7th ch, 1 double crochet, 5 ch, 1 double crochet, 3 ch, into the 4th ch, 1 double crochet, 5 ch, 1 double crochet, 3 ch, 1 double crochet into the 1st ch, * turn, 5 ch, into each picot 1 double crochet, 5 ch, 1 double crochet, 3 ch between the picots, 3 ch, 1 double crochet into the 3rd ch at the turning; * repeat.

The illustrations display the actual size of the crochet ribbons, allowing the worker to easily determine what width pattern she wants to create. The designs are so diverse that there's plenty to choose from. If a firm, close pattern is preferred, either No. 1 or No. 2 would work well, with the latter being especially durable due to the padding cord that adds extra strength.

For a pattern that's easy and quick to work with, it's hard to find anything better than design No. 5. It has a very smooth flat look, making it especially great for ribbon projects. Similar in look, but a bit different in the technique, is No. 7.

No. 8 is a very delicate pattern, especially suitable for more delicate types of underwear.

These crochet ribbons will wash very well.

[98]

The trend today leans towards beads in every color and design, and while making beads isn't precisely a needlework trade, it is related to the fashion industry, which is very much connected to needlework.

I have been really successful in making all kinds of decorative items—from beads, sealing wax, broken china, a bit of gold paint, and some glue, not to mention a little grease and a knitting needle.

I started making my own beads out of necessity because I couldn't find any that matched a specific dress I really wanted a necklace for. Plus, while searching everywhere for them, I discovered that the truly artistic and exotic ones were quite pricey, especially if they were large.

Now I wanted a strange shade of blue, which was really no shade at all, because the material was old and had faded to the beautiful tint it has now. I couldn’t find anything that even remotely resembled it, so I decided to make some for myself.

To start with, I bought a big box of assorted beads for sixpence, like the ones that kids use to string together in kindergarten.

Sealing wax is essential.

At a stationery store, I bought a bunch of broken sealing wax for very little money, and at the same time, I got two good sticks, one gold and one silver. I took them home and sorted them as best as I could by their different colors.

You’ll be surprised at how many different shades of sealing wax there are, but when you buy it, make sure not to be fooled by the appearance of the stick! I bought what I thought was a lovely shade of lavender, but luckily the assistant told me it was actually a dark blue that had been in the window and faded! Blues often turn mauve, and reds become pink. But you can easily avoid errors by checking the box, which describes what’s inside.

Broken China the next Must-Have.

Having gotten what I wanted from the stationer's, I then checked the china pantry and kitchen cupboards to see what broken china and glass I could find.

I ended up with a pretty nice little pile from here, and then I went to the shed, where I had a small stash that I had dug up from the garden.

I can never figure out where all the broken china in every garden comes from when the soil is turned over. I have a small basket filled with all kinds of odd pieces in bright blues, reds, and yellows that seem to be chips from plates or saucers. I bet it would take a generation of families and their tea, dinner, and breakfast sets to explain the amount and colors I have collected.

I washed all this china carefully in soapy water, rinsed it in very hot clear water, and dried it while it was still hot. This way, the china and glass stay shiny, and if you set it in the sun for a little while, it will really enhance the shine.

[99]

Next, I sorted the colors, and then, using a wooden hammer and a piece of felt, I smashed the china into tiny pieces. Be careful when doing this by placing the colored side of the china face down on a piece of felt, with another piece on top. Hit gently but firmly, and where the piece is cracked, insert a nail or strong pin into the crack and hit it with the hammer. The cracks will split and leave a nice edge, which is really helpful for sticking in the sealing wax. Break the pieces as small as possible while still keeping the color visible on one side. If you hit the pieces too hard, they'll turn to dust and won't be useful at all.

No matter what odd beads you have, or old bits of colored plastic and fake stones—which you can often find in old buckles—sequins and bugle beads, all of it is useful. I've also used broken bits of pebbles and stones I found in the gravel, which were broken by the roller, and when chipped very fine, showed really bright colors. Pieces of flint with a hint of mica look beautiful.

Making Beads.

Having finished this collection, I focused on bead-making, and I started like this:—

I began with a set of six large blue beads for my chain. I picked the biggest beads from my mixed box, regardless of color and shape. Taking one of these, I slid it over the end of a steel knitting needle, choosing one that was large enough to hold the bead securely. I first greased this needle with a cloth that had a bit of lard on it. This keeps the sealing wax from sticking to anything but the bead.

Next, I lit a candle, and using blue wax, I roughly covered the bead with it, turning the knitting needle in my hand so that the hot liquid flowed around it. Then I plunged it into cold water.

Before moving on, I want to emphasize that you need to be very careful not to smoke the wax when using a taper or candle. If you heat the wax in the middle of the flame, you’ll notice that the color doesn’t get blackened.

As soon as the blue wax cooled down without hardening, I splashed on some gold, and while quickly rotating the bead in the flame, the gold mixed with the blue, creating a marbled effect. I then plunged this into cold water.

Then I picked a bright yellow wax, and, heating it in the candle flame, I squeezed the tip into a sharp point.

I heated this up and applied it in regular intervals around the bead to create spots. While the spots were still soft, I pressed a small piece of broken china in a bright turquoise color into the center of each one, pinching the wax to cover the rough edge.

Do not touch the sealing-wax with your fingers any more than absolutely necessary, as it will remove the glaze.

I made three beads like this design, and three in a lighter shade of blue, with the same yellow spots, but using pieces of dark red china instead of the turquoise. I strung these with a three-inch length of small yellow beads (which I bought from the same shop as the box of beads, and which were also sold for children's kindergarten projects) between each large bead, and the finished chain looked really beautiful. It definitely enhanced the beauty and value of the dress it was made for.

Creating Stylish Buttons.

To match the chain, I made four buttons that fasten the shoulder pieces of the bodice, using the same colors and design.

To make these, any old buttons with shanks will work, but they have to have shanks because there’s no other way to attach them. I had four old brass buttons with flat, shiny tops. With an old knife, I scraped the surface of each one to make it rougher since the wax sticks better to a rough surface.

I used a piece of cardboard from an old box and cut four small slits in it just wide enough to[101] slip the button shanks through. On the other side, I stuck a burnt match into the shank of each button, and this kept the buttons secure and prevented them from wobbling.

Then I coated two with dark wax and two with light wax similar to the beads, scraping away any excess wax that overflowed onto the cardboard. Before it cooled, I pressed a small ring of the little yellow beads around the edge, finishing off with a dab of yellow wax in the center of each and a piece of broken china in the middle of that.

I found the buttons a bit rough around the edges, but with the help of a nail file, I smoothed them out pretty well, and they didn't notice when I sewed them onto the dress.

I’ve made tons of buttons and buckles from old scraps, using a mix of colorful beads in a decorative way.

A really effective method is to coat the surface of a button with a thin layer of glue and then arrange the beads in a mosaic-like design. This is a beautiful way to decorate buttons, and you can achieve a lovely opaque look by sprinkling the beads with a bit of the glitter used in pen painting while the glue is still wet.

Ways to Use Beads.

A really nice way to use beads is by adding them to the hem of a skirt. Just pin the hem to the desired length, and then, with a long thread and needle, make a stitch through to the right side, slide on a bead, pull the needle through to the wrong side, take a long stitch underneath, and come back up on the right side for another bead. This is a super effective way to finish a hem and is a lot quicker than regular hemming. I'm sure that once you try this method, you'll agree it looks much nicer than a typical hem.

Tassel tops can be created to match buttons and bead chains in the same way that sealing-wax beads are made.

If a complete set, including a chain, buttons, tassel-tops, belt, and shoe buckles, are all designed to match, you can’t imagine how beautiful they look; it also lends a very “Parisian” vibe to an otherwise plain and somewhat ordinary dress.

Of course, if you're very diligent and want to finish your outfit, I suggest knitting one of the always-popular bead bags.

For this, all you need is a ball or two (depending on the size of the bag) of colored knitting silk and a handful of small beads, either in the same color or a contrasting shade. For example, golden brown silk with tiny yellow beads would look beautiful, especially if it’s lined with daffodil fabric and finished off with a bead tassel that matches.

To create these bags you want, as I mentioned, you'll need one ball of brown silk, one bunch of tiny yellow beads, and a pair of fine knitting needles specifically designed for this task, which are about as thick as a hat pin.

To start, thread a needle (a bead needle or darner works best) with the end of your silk thread, then pull out one small strand of beads and run the needle through the thread that the beads[102] are strung on, like you would when darning. Pull the silk out of the needle, leaving a little bit where the silk and cotton are twisted together. Slide the beads along, and you'll see they slide easily over the joined silk, moving all at once onto the knitting silk.

According to the size of the purse or bag you want to make, cast on enough stitches for just one side, as the bag is knitted flat and the sides will be sewn together when it's done.

Having cast on your stitches, knit one row plain and then one row like this—

Slip your needle into a stitch; add a bead; knit the stitch, and keep going until you reach the end of the line.

Next row, knit plain silk without beads, since the beads are only needed on one side.

If you do this for about eight inches for a small bag, then cut it in half and stitch it up, you can attach it to a piece of brown silk to make it deeper.

Personally, I think they look a lot prettier when knitted with four needles; and I made a really pretty purse that I first knitted to a depth of three inches in plain silk, and then four inches with the beads.

As I reached the bottom, I tapered off like the toe of a sock, ending in a point. I finished this point with a tassel made of brown and yellow beads that matched the bag. Using a crochet hook, I created a small edge at the top of the bag, through which I threaded a silk drawstring in a standard chain stitch, finishing each end with a small tassel.

[103]

No. 1.

This square design is perfect for working in either white or color. There are many practical uses for turning this design into trimmings for dresses, hats, and so on, as well as for the alternating squares in a checkered cushion cover. “Tenax” is a beautiful silk thread that would be great for these stitches.

No. 2.

Here, each little diamond is stitched in a simple outline stitch, and each square is outlined with backstitch.

No. 3.

This design is perfect for hat bands and is made with two colors. The stitch used is stem stitch, worked from left to right, bringing the thread over two of the double threads that form a square, then bringing it out in the center of the two squares, which is halfway back on the previous stitch, and carrying it down over the next two squares, and so on. Start with the crossing lines first, then fill in the spaces, all using the same stitch.

[105]

No. 4.

A mosaic pattern that's perfect for trimming sports coats, hats, belts, and more, as well as for cushion borders and other home uses.

No. 5.

This is the knitting stitch, and it's also great for trimming, coats, and[106] making bands for new knitted hats. It’s created with a stem stitch worked diagonally.

No. 6.

Lattice work made from stem stitch. A really beautiful design for today's dress trimming, and it's easy and quick to do.

No. 7.

Another design for dress trimming, using cotton, silk, or fine wool thread. It's just a satin stitch combined with a simple running stitch.

No. 8.

Like No. 7, this design is used for trimming dresses, as well as tweed or serge outfits, and it can also be made with fine wool on crêpe-de-chine for blouses, evening gowns, etc.

No. 9.

Another “alternate design” for a checked cushion cover that works just as well for dresses, hats, and other embellishments. It also makes a lovely border for a table centerpiece, cushion cover, tunic, or curtain.

[107]

A Crochet Bag Embroidered in Cross-Stitch.

Ecru “Star Sylko,” No. 8, along with No. 5 in green and purple for the cross-stitch embroidery, were used to create this lovely bag. A pair of dark green ring handles adds a nice finish.

Commence with 5 chains formed into a ring, and then chain 6 double crochets into it.

2nd Row.—2 double crochets into each double crochet.

3rd Row.—* 1 double crochet into the next double crochet, 2 double crochets into the next double crochet, * repeat.

4th and every alternate Row.—1 dc into each.

5th Row.—* 1 double crochet into each of the next 2 double crochets, 2 double crochets into the next double crochet, * repeat.

7th Row.—* 1 double crochet into each of the next 3 double crochets, 2 double crochets into the next double crochet, * repeat.

9th Row.—* 1 double crochet into each of the next 4 double crochets, 2 double crochets into the next double crochet, * repeat.

11th Row.—* 1 double crochet into each of the next 5 double crochets, 2 double crochets into the next double crochet, * repeat.

Continue like this, increasing the number of stitches before the 2 dc into 1 dc by one until you have 182 stitches around, then work 72 more rounds.

In the next 12 rows, there are chapters on each side.

1st of the 12 Rows.—91 double crochets into the first 91, 3 chains, 91 double crochets into the next half, 3 chains.

2nd Row.—* 91 dc, 5 ch, * repeat.

3rd Row.—* 91 dc, 7 ch, * repeat.

4th Row.—* 91 dc, 9 ch, * repeat.

5th Row.—* 91 dc, 11 ch, * repeat.

6th Row.—* 91 dc, 6 ch, 1 dc into the 6th ch below, 6 ch, * repeat.

7th Row.—* 91 dc, 7 ch, 1 dc into the dc below between the chs, 7 ch, * repeat.

8th Row.—* 91 dc, 8 ch, 1 dc into the dc, 8 ch, * repeat.

9th Row.—* 91 dc, 9 ch, 1 dc into the dc, 9 ch, * repeat.

10th Row.—* 91 dc, 10 ch, 1 dc into the dc, 10 ch, * repeat.

11th Row.—* 91 dc, 11 ch, 1 dc into the dc, 11 ch, * repeat.

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12th Row.—* 91 dc, 12 ch, 1 dc into the dc, 12 ch, * repeat.

Take one of the ring handles and make 24 chain stitches, then bring these across the side of the ring and attach them to the 3rd double crochet with a double crochet stitch. Repeat this into every 3rd double crochet up to the chain stitches at the side. Fasten off the thread and cut it. Reattach to the first double crochet after the next chain stitches and work the 24 chain loops over the other handle in the same way.

The design is created using cross-stitch—green on one side and purple on the other. A diagram is provided for this part of the project.

Finish the end of the bag with a tassel made of the blended threads. Line the bag as usual with light-colored silk.

A Black Silk Bag Embellished with White Beads.

This bag is really easy to make and only needs one ounce of white porcelain beads and a ball of No. 12 black “Star Sylko.” Cut out the bag to the size you want and use the leftover silk corners to create the four vandyke points. Fold a narrow hem at each side and the top of each point, and tack it in place. Sew the beads on each side of the point with a very fine needle and the “Star Sylko,” attaching each bead with a “top-stitch” that goes through the center of the hem. Once the four points are done, sew up the sides and bottom of the bag with a French seam. Turn it right side out, crease the edges all around, and tack it down. Then sew the beads onto the seams like you did for the points. Create a crease around the top of the bag, one and a half inches from the top edge. Tack the points to this crease, placing one at the center front, another at the center back, and one on each side, all with overlapping edges. Now sew the points to the bag with the top-stitch and beads as before.

Make the lining to fit the bag, fold in both top edges and secure them in place so that the lining edge is even with the edge of the bag, then top-stitch with the beads to attach them.

Make a line of running stitches about a quarter inch above the top of the points to create the slot for the tie strings. Turn the bag inside out and sew the lining to the silk front along the line of beads at the top of the points.

Now create a buttonhole on each side of the slot where the narrow black ribbon goes through, one from each side. Make a small loop with the ribbon and sew it under each buttonhole so you can pull the bag open when it's closed.

The Beaded Tassels.

With the No. 12 “Star Sylko” thread, make a ring with 5 chains, then work 6 double crochets into the ring. For the next two rounds, add 2 double crochets into each double crochet. Pull the thread through the last loop, leaving about a yard attached, and cut it. Thread the end of the yarn through the eye of a fine needle and string on 24 beads. Sew this into a loop to the next double crochet, and repeat this every 2nd double crochet. Secure a thread on the back of the disc and pull it up through the center ring. Thread five beads, sew to a point, and then bring the thread back through the beads, securing it underneath the disc.

[109]

There are often small scraps of canvas left over after a project is finished that are too good to throw away (especially given the current price of canvas) but don't seem big enough to make even a tray cloth.