This book has been written to tell little girls how much fun it is to learn to sew and make pretty things for their dolls, themselves, and other people. Of course, as Sir Bodkin says, “We can’t have gains without pains,” but it is much pleasanter to learn in play how to do things the right way. This makes it easier for us when we are grown up, because we have the knowledge “at our finger-tips.”

I hope that mothers, teachers, and those interested in girls will find this book helpful, as my experience has been that children eagerly grasp and absorb facts presented in story and rhyme.

A number of these sewing-lesson stories have appeared in the Modern Priscilla Magazine. Acknowledgment is here gratefully made for permission to use them.

Georgia Eldredge Hanley.

CONTENTS

PAGE
I.The King of the One-Eyed Fairies[13]
II.Sir Bodkin Steps In and Out[20]
Using Bodkin.
III.The Stitchers, Baster and Runner[28]
Basting and Running.
IV.Dainty Hemmer[37]
Hemming.
V.The Crewel One[46]
Blanket-Stitch.
VI.Old Doctor Darner[54]
Darning Stockings.
VII.The Doll’s Blanket[62]
Catch-stitch.
VIII.Brother Jim’s Marble-Bag[69]
Back-stitch.
IX.Margaret’s New Middy Blouse[79]
Making Eyelets.
X.Auntie’s Birthday Present[89]
Cross-stitch.
XI.A Three-Cornered Tear[96]
Mending.
XII.Lacy Frills[103]
Making Ruffles.
XIII.Jim’s Overalls[112]
Patching.
XIV.Sewing On Buttons[121]
Shank, Pearl, Bone, Cloth.
XV.A Crewel Frolic[131]
Chain-stitch.
XVI.Margaret Makes Buttonholes[138]
Making Buttonholes.
XVII.Tucking Grandma’s Apron[147]
Marking and Basting Tucks.
XVIII.Finishing the Gift[157]
Gathering and Putting on Band.
XIX.Rickrack Trimming[166]
Sewing Rickrack Braid.
XX.The Doll’s Christmas Present[176]
Outline-stitch.
XXI.Some More Christmas Presents[184]
Hemstitching, Rolled Hems.
XXII.Finishing the Handkerchiefs[192]
Double Overcasting in Color.
XXIII.Lazy-Daisies and French Knots[200]
Lazy-Daisy Stitch, French Knots.
XXIV.A Surprise[209]

ILLUSTRATIONS

He fell headlong to the floor[Frontispiece]
PAGE
“You can do it! You can do it!”[17]
She ran to get a pretty dress[22]
Running ribbon in beading[24]
From the tip of her nose[30]
Threading needle[31]
Basting[32]
Running[33]
“Mark with pins”[41]
Hemming[42]
Blanket-stitch[49]
“Blanket-stitching is quite easy”[51]
Running around the hole[56]
Darning up and down[57]
Darning across[58]
“Hold the stocking stretched on your hand”[59]
Catch-stitch[65]
“I’ll put you to sleep in your little bed”[67]
“Hold the goods lengthwise and cut”[71]
Basting and running on outside of bag[73]
Basting and back-stitching on inside of bag[73]
Back-stitching[75]
Basting and hemming casing on inside of bag[76]
Finished bag[76]
Eyelet for casing[77]
She went through some simple exercises[80]
Making eyelets[86]
Cross-stitch[92]
“Press the letters on the wrong side”[94]
The birds were singing[98]
Mending tear[99]
Gathering lace[107]
Sewing on lace[107]
“’Tis done at last”[109]
“Ouch! I’m caught”[113]
First bastings[116]
Third basting[116]
Sewing edge of hole[119]
Sewing around patch[119]
There they all were[122]
Four kinds of buttons[125]
Ornamental shank pearl buttons[127]
Two kinds of buttons[127]
Coming up the stairs singing to herself[132]
Chain-stitch[134]
“Follow a thread of the goods”[140]
Bar half-way around[142]
Bar[142]
Overcasting half around[143]
Buttonhole-stitch[144]
Finished buttonhole[144]
“Measure one inch up from the hem top”[150]
Basting first tuck[152]
Tucks basted ready for stitching[154]
“I stitched ’em myself”[159]
Basting gathers to band[161]
Basting down band[162]
Sewing on rickrack[170]
“I’ll need to wear my apron gay”[174]
Outline-stitch[180]
“My doll will be glad on Christmas”[181]
“Fold each square over diagonally”[186]
Hemstitching[187]
Hem rolling[190]
First overcasting[194]
Second overcasting[196]
Blanket-stitch[196]
Wrapping up her Christmas gifts[198]
“For Mother as a surprise”[202]
Lazy-daisy stitch[203]
French knots[205]
“A silver wrist-watch for my birthday!”[213]

The One-Eyed Fairies