MORE USEFUL GIFTS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM
Two more useful gifts: a workbag of silk, and a sewing apron. Which will you chose to make?
The workbag. Barbara Oakes has a very complete little workbag (Fig. 74) which grandmother made for her last Christmas. The girls think they would like to copy it. It is made of a piece of yellow flowered ribbon which was 8 inches wide; ½ a yard is enough. If you have scraps of silk, use a strip 8 inches wide × 14 inches long. With the other 4 inches, if ribbon is used, the circular disks for the bottom are to be covered. To make:
Fig. 74.—A, a very useful bag. B, the sewing apron.
1. Cut two circles of cardboard 3 inches in diameter. Cut the silk for covering four inches in diameter. Cover in the same way as you covered the pin disk. This is the bottom of the bag.
2. Seam the two ends of the 14 inch strip together with two runs and backstitch (see page 35). Open seams flat. Turn along one long edge, ½ inch if selvedge of ribbon; if silk, make two turns: first 1⁄8 inch, second ½ inch. Baste and hold with featherstitch (see page 120), or cross-stitch (see page 145) At seam of bag open seam carefully ½ inch on the right side for casing hole for ribbon. At the opposite side, work a small buttonhole (see page 43) 3⁄8 inch in length. This will be the top of the bag; and the two ribbons are to be run through the casing so it will draw up.
3. At the other edge of the long strip, fold to the wrong side: first 2 inches of the strip, and then the 2 inches folded over itself. Baste carefully. This fold is to form pockets on the inside of the bag. Every two inches along length of strip, mark with a pin; and on the right side of bag, featherstitch or cross-stitch in rows two inches deep, to form pockets on the inside of the strip.
4. Gather the edge of the strip to be sewed to the covered disks. Divide gathers in half. Pin to disk. Overhand to disk with close stitches on the inside of bag.
This workbag makes a very useful gift. It can be filled with a pair of small scissors, emery, needles, and spools of silk placed in the pockets. The ribbon for drawing top is in two pieces, ½ yard in each. Start one piece from one side and run around casing until it comes out at the same place it started. Tie in bow. Start other ribbon at opposite side, and run it all around casing, until it returns to the same side it started from. Tie in bow.
The sewing apron.—Another useful gift is a small sewing apron (Fig. 74). It can be made of silk or of dimity at 12½ cents a yard, and need not then cost more than 15 cents. Dimity is one yard wide; and 7⁄8 of a yard is enough. To make:
1. From one selvedge cut a strip 2½ inches wide, lengthwise of the piece. This is for the band and is cut off before the apron is made. Remove other selvedge.
2. Turn 3⁄8 inch hem to right side of apron at the lengthwise edges of cloth; baste carefully.
3. At one cross wise end turn, hem 1¼ inches wide to right side. Baste and hem with featherstitching on reverse or wrong side.
