When the gathers were run in Margaret pinned the center of the apron top to the center of one long edge of the band. Nine inches each way from the center she pinned the ends of the gathers to the band and drew up the thread to fit. After which she wound the thread in a figure eight around a pin.
“You’re a Jim Dandy,” said Sir Bodkin watching his little mistress. “Now take Stitcher in your hand and stroke the gathers with his toe and lay them evenly along the band so they won’t be too bunchy here and too skimpy there. But be careful you don’t scratch the goods,” he said to his subject.
Then Baster was harnessed and basted the gathers to the band above the gathering-thread. Margaret held the gathers next to herself.
Basting gathers to band
“One-quarter inch from the edge sew the gathers to the band. Runner, take back and running steps, catching up one gather at a time,” Sir Bodkin said to Margaret and the Fairy. When this was done and thread fastened, they fastened the gathering-thread, too. Then they snipped all threads off and waited.
“Turn over the other edge of the band one-quarter inch towards you, crease it and bring it down on the gathers. Now, Baster, your turn to step again to hold this fold down firm,” said Sir Bodkin.
Basting down band
“Then Mother will stitch it on the machine,” finished Margaret, “and I’ll make the strings and sew them on and the darling little apron will be ready to go to Grandma’s.”