Handicraft for Girls Part 14

g. Turn an eighth of an inch fold the length of the facing down the other side.

h. Fold this over the seam to the st.i.tching, baste, and hem.

i. At the top of the opening fold the right-hand facing back and st.i.tch along the edge to hold in place.

B. A PLACKET WITH AN EXTENSION HEM ON ONE SIDE AND A FLAT FACING ON THE OTHER.

This is the placket used on dress skirts, petticoats and carefully tailored garments.

Follow the directions for the successive steps for making Placket A through "g," as the two plackets are the same to this point.

The left side of the facing will consist of an extension hem the same as in Placket A, the only difference in the plackets being the manner of finishing the right side or top facing.

h. After turning the fold the length of the facing, place the edge of this fold to the st.i.tching on the other side of the seam, and crease the facing through the center the long way, as in Placket A.

i. As the right side is to be hemmed down as a facing, it is desirable to cut out one thickness of the cloth, leaving, of course, the quarter-inch inside the long crease, and also at the cross fold, at the end of the opening as the first fold on the facing.

j. Baste this facing flat to the cloth, and hem.

k. St.i.tch once across the _top facing only_, just at the bottom end of the opening.

C. A FINISH FOR A SHIRT SLEEVE OR NIGHTGOWN OPENING.

As this consists of an extra piece which extends over the opening, it is necessary to allow for this in cutting, so that the middle of this piece will come in the center when finished. When cutting this opening in a nightgown, cut to the right of the center one-half the width the facing is to be when finished. The following are the successive steps for making the nightgown opening:

a. Cut the opening the desired length. Cut the facing in two pieces, one a little more than twice the length of the opening, and the other the length of the opening plus the width of the facing, both pieces to be the desired width plus the allowance for seams. (These two pieces will be designated the long and the short facings.)

b. Place the short facing to the right-hand side of the opening, right sides of cloth together and even at the top. Pin in place.

c. Place the long facing to the back of this same side with the right side of facing to the wrong side of the cloth, thus having the three thicknesses of cloth together. Pin in place and baste a quarter of an inch from the edge. St.i.tch an eighth of an inch seam.

d. The long facing is a continuous facing, the same as in Plackets A and B. Baste up the other side and st.i.tch, the seam being on the right side of the cloth.

e. Crease both facings open in the seams. Turn in a fold on the other side of the short facing and turn the end to a square point.

f. Turn a fold the length of the long facing so that it matches the width of the short piece.

g. Baste the two facings together and the flat facing to the cloth.

h. St.i.tch around the short facing and twice across it at the end of the opening. St.i.tch or hem the under side of the flat facing.

D. THE GUSSET.

This method of finishing an opening is sometimes used on drawers and night-shirts instead of Placket A. The following are the successive steps for making the gusset:

a. Cut the opening the desired length.

b. Hem both sides with a very narrow hem running to a point at the end of the opening.

c. Cut a piece of cloth one and one-half inches square. On this square fold down one corner three-fourths of an inch on the sides and cut it off. Turn a fold one-eighth of an inch all around this piece. Place the corner which is opposite the diagonal cut to the middle of this cut and crease.

d. To sew the gusset in, place the apex of the triangle to the end of the opening and overhand on the wrong side to the crease before made.

e. Fold over the remaining part to the wrong side, baste and hem. St.i.tch along the fold of the gusset to strengthen it.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FORMATION OF GUSSET.]

=Putting in Sleeves.=--After tr.i.m.m.i.n.g the arm hole, measure one inch back from the shoulder seam and mark with a pin. Fold the garment at the arm hole with this pin at the top of the fold and place another directly opposite it. Call this point A. Remove the first pin to avoid confusion.

For a sleeve for an adult, measure from the shoulder seam five inches on the front and mark with a pin. Call this point B. Measure from the shoulder seam three inches on the back and mark with a pin. Call this point C. With the sleeve right side out place the under seam of the sleeve at A and pin together at this point. The gathers are to come at the top of the sleeve between B and C. For misses and children the measurements should be decreased proportionately. Measure the sleeve on the arm-hole and cut small notches at B and C. Gather the sleeve between these notches one-fourth of an inch from the edge, with a strong thread a little longer than the distance to be gathered. Put in a second gathering one-eighth of an inch from the first. Put in place at points A B and C; draw up the gathering threads to the proper length and fasten by winding around a pin. Arrange the gathers between B and C, pushing them a little closer together in front of the shoulder seam. Hold the inside of the sleeve next to you and, beginning at B, baste first around the plain part, then the gathered part. St.i.tch inside the basting and bind the seam.

=Seams.=--A seam is formed by sewing together two pieces of cloth. There are several different methods of joining them. Those known as the raw seams may be joined by st.i.tching, half-back st.i.tching, overhanding or the combination st.i.tch. The closed or finished seams are known as the French Fell, French Seam, Hemmed Seam, Flannel Seam and the Bound Seam.

No garment should be finished with a raw seam, which is only properly used when covered with a lining, or as the first step in one of the finished seams.

A. FRENCH FELL.

Place the two pieces to be joined, right sides together, edges even and baste one-fourth of an inch from the edge. Sew with the combination st.i.tch (or machine st.i.tching) three-eighths of an inch from the edge.

Trim three-sixteenths of an inch from the _under_ side of the seam and crease the _upper_ side of the seam over this. (In hand sewing there is a long st.i.tch on the under side. Be sure to trim from this side so that the short st.i.tch comes on the top.) On the right side of the garment crease carefully and baste along the edge of the seam to prevent the fullness which beginners are so liable to have over the French Fell on the right side. Turn to the wrong side, baste the seam flat to the cloth, and hem.

B. FRENCH SEAM.

Place together the wrong sides of the pieces to be joined, and baste one-fourth of an inch from the edge. With the running st.i.tch sew one-eighth of an inch from the edge. Carefully trim off the ravelings, fold the right sides together and crease exactly in the seam, baste and st.i.tch the seam, taking care that no ravelings can be seen and that the seam is perfectly smooth on the right side.

C. HEMMED SEAM:

This is used for joining thin material, lace, etc. On one piece fold an eighth of an inch seam (or more, if necessary) to the right side of the cloth, and on the other piece fold an eighth of an inch seam to the wrong side. Place the right sides of the two pieces together with the raw edge of one piece under and to the folded edge of the other. Baste this fold down over the raw edge sewing through the three thicknesses of cloth. Fold over in the crease and baste through the four thicknesses.

St.i.tch, or hem by hand, along the edge of the seam on both sides of the cloth.

D. FLANNEL SEAM:

The flannel seam is used on material so thick that it is necessary to finish over a raw edge, instead of with a seam involving several thicknesses of cloth. Place together the right sides of the two pieces to be joined and baste one-eighth of an inch from the edge. St.i.tch one-fourth of an inch from the edge and remove the bastings. Trim the seams smooth, open and baste flat to the cloth. Herringbone st.i.tch over the raw edge of both sides of the seam. One side of the herringbone st.i.tch should come just over the raw edge of the flannel. The edges must be kept smooth, and unless the flannel ravels easily, the herringbone st.i.tch should be not over one-eighth of an inch deep and close together.

This st.i.tch is used also on the flannel patch.

E. BOUND SEAM:

Seams may be bound with the two parts of the seam together, or they may be pressed open and bound separately. This may be done with a bias strip, binding ribbon or tape.

a. _Binding the entire seam_--Place together the two right sides of the pieces to be joined and baste one-eighth of an inch from the edge. Place the bias binding (three-fourths of an inch wide) with the wrong side of the cloth up and the edge of the binding one-eighth of an inch from the edge of the seam, and baste in place. St.i.tch through the three thicknesses of cloth a quarter of an inch from the edge. Turn in one-eighth of an inch on the other side of the binding and hem it down just above the st.i.tching on the other side of the seam. This method of binding is used on the arm-holes of garments or wherever it is not feasible to open the seam and bind separately.

b. _The Open Bound Seam_--Prepare the seam as above without the bias binding. Trim and press the seam open. Double the binding ribbon through the center and crease. Place the raw edge of the seam to the fold of the ribbon and run along the edge, catching through to the under fold. Tape may be used for binding, but must be basted on first and hemmed down.

=Sewing on b.u.t.tons.=--There are two important requirements for sewing on b.u.t.tons--to put in sufficient thread, and to fasten this thread securely that it may not loosen from the end. In sewing flat b.u.t.tons on coats, jackets, etc., place a small b.u.t.ton on the under side and sew through it to avoid having the st.i.tches show on the under side.