Mending a Sheet.
Showing the centre of the sheet with selvedge edges in overlapping seam, and hem-stitching reworked over the seam.
Nowadays, when economy must be the watchword with most of us, a great saving can be effected in our household by paying attention to the requirements of the contents of the linen chest and remembering the old proverb, “a stitch in time saves nine.”
When a piece of bedroom or table-napery shows signs of wear in any part by becoming thin, patching can be avoided by carefully darning the spot with soft cotton or linen thread, running the stitches well up into the sound portion surrounding the weak. But when, as in the case of sheets, a large portion gets thin all over, patching must be resorted to.
The best way to repair a sheet that has become well worn in the centre is to cut it right up the middle and turn the selvedged edges to the centre. Tack these in a flat seam, overlapping the edges for somewhat less than the quarter of an inch (do not turn in the selvedge edge for there must not be a thick seam), using fine sewing cotton of a soft make, stitch along the extreme edge of the seam at both sides, or use the machine if one be handy; in the latter case do not have the tension tight. If the part now turned to the sides shows any holes or any portion of it be very thin, it is better to cut this portion out and replace by a patch.
The piece for this patch should be lighter than the material of the sheet, but of the same kind, and it is always well to keep pieces of the old sheets which can no longer be used for this purpose.
Cut the patch to the required size by a line in the threads of the material, allowing two or three inches beyond the weak edges in the sheet. Turn in the edges neatly along the three sides of the piece which come in on the sheet, tack the two edges together and spread the patch in place on the sheet, making it perfectly smooth, now tack round the three edges. Hem down this side of the patch.
Showing the patch set into the side of the sheet before hemming, with method of cutting away the worn part under the patch.
Turn the other side of the sheet and cut away the portion over the patch, leaving half an inch margin, turn in the edges of the margin, snipping the corners to make an angle, tack the seam, then hem or machine-stitch along the edge. The sheet is now ready for hemming the sides, turn in a half inch hem at each side and sew in place. If the sheet has been hem-stitched at both ends a few stitches of this hemming must be undone at each side of the centre seam and then reworked so as to preserve the pattern and give a neat finish to the work.
Books for Little Girls
Edited by FLORA KLICKMANN
“The Little Girl’s Sewing Book” is unlike any other needlework book that has ever been published, and is overflowing with pictures and little poems, just the sort that a child enjoys. “The Little Girl’s Knitting and Crochet Book” contains instructions for making many articles—easy, attractive, and useful—that a small girl will love to knit or crochet.