“I must say you kept it straight,” Sir Bodkin remarked. “Now, how about the band for that apron to-day?”
Margaret showed him a piece of lawn about twenty inches long and two inches wide. Sir Bodkin told her to fold it over lengthwise making it one inch wide. Then he said to crease the fold for the top of the band. Next he told her to find the center of the band from the ends and mark it on the two raw edges with tiny notches.
“We are to allow one inch on each end beyond the gathers for the long strings to be sewed on,” said Margaret.
“Then that will leave us eighteen inches to sew the gathers on. Oh, you Stitcher!” called Sir Bodkin to one in the pincushion. He came over and was harnessed for gathering with a double thread, longer than the gathering-space was to be.
“Don’t forget to knot the end,” said the King.
“No, indeedy,” replied Margaret.
“Find the center of the apron top and cut a tiny notch,” said Sir Bodkin.
After this was done, Margaret held the right side of the apron next to her and began to gather the top one-quarter inch from the edge, going from right to left.
“Run a few stitches on Stitcher and then pinch them flat to set them,” directed the King.