“Well, upon my word, that’s a shame. However we’ll soon remedy that. Get a piece of heavy, strong cloth, like denim or gingham. Be sure it’s a dark color, blue or brown or green, so it won’t show the dirt, and we’ll start,” he said.
So Margaret hunted through her mother’s piece-box again until she found some cloth that suited her purpose.
“Here we are!” she exclaimed to Sir Bodkin, as she came back to the room. Taking her little steel scissors out of the basket she made ready to cut the cloth as she was directed.
“That’s the thing; blue denim makes excellent marble-bags. You can make sewing-bags of cretonne or silk and laundry-bags of chintz or linen, but marble-bags must be of very tough cloth. All bags are about the same when it comes to the way of making. It’s just good, strong seams with no raw edges showing, a proper casing for the drawing-strings, and the right kind of openings to pull the strings through. The bags differ only in size and shape. Now for this bag, fold the goods lengthwise, and cut it six inches wide and seven inches long,” Sir Bodkin told her.
“Now, Baster,” said he, “come out for your harness and step along the seam at the bottom and up the side, on the right side of the bag, keeping one-quarter inch from the edge.” Baster stepped quickly across the bottom, around the corner and up one side.
“The fold makes the other side,” explained Sir Bodkin. “Now we’ll need a stout Stitcher for finishing the seams of this heavy material.” So he called out all the Stitchers and selected one with a large eye. Margaret harnessed him with blue cotton thread, then they were ready to sew the seam.
“Run along the seam, across the bottom, around the corner and up one side a little less than one-quarter inch from the edge beside the basting. Take tiny steps close together,” he said, “and fasten the thread well at beginning and ending.”