Handicraft for Girls Part 2

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE WOVEN POT HOLDER MADE OF CANDLE WICKING.]

Teach the principles of cloth weaving and the terms warp, woof and selvedge.

The weaving frames are made from one-inch board, 8" 8". Three-fourths of an inch from and parallel to the top and bottom drive a row of nails, having very small heads, one-half inch apart, leaving an inch margin at both sides.

Tie a slip knot in the end of the wicking and slip it over one of the corner nails. Pa.s.s the wicking back and forth around the nails first on one side and then the other. This forms the warp. Draw the threads fairly tight and tie around the last nail. Thread the other color of wicking into the netting needles, weave across the warp threads alternately taking up and pa.s.sing over them. In alternate rows take up the threads pa.s.sed over in the preceding row. Do not draw the woof threads tight enough to draw the holder in at the sides. Slip from the frame and fasten the loose ends by weaving them back into the holder.

Work a bra.s.s ring with the blanket st.i.tch, using a strand of the wicking and sew it to one of the corners.

EXERCISE NO. 5--RUNNING.

_Materials:_ Running design No. 2, page 12, 6" 8"; colored thread No.

50; needle No. 7.

Follow the lines of the design with the running st.i.tch.

EXERCISE NO. 6--OVERHANDING.

_Materials:_ White thread No. 50; needle No. 7. Running designs 1 and 2 are to be overhanded together. Turn a quarter-inch fold on the long side of both pieces. Baste the folded edges together and overhand.

EXERCISE NO. 7--RUNNING.[5]

_Materials:_ Running design No. 3, page 12, 6" 8"; colored thread No.

50; needle No. 7.

Follow the lines of the design with the running st.i.tch.

EXERCISE NO. 8--HEMMING--PAPER FOLDING FOR A HEM.[7]

_Materials:_ Paper 4-1/2" 7".

Fold the long way of the paper. First fold of the hem, one-fourth of an inch. Turn half an inch hem on one side and an inch hem on the other.

Have each child cut from a card a gauge for measuring the hems and insist that the hems be turned evenly.

Teach the hemming st.i.tch on the Practice Piece with colored thread. Trim the edge neatly, fold the hem accurately and baste in place. Bad habits, that are hard to correct later, can so easily be formed in making this st.i.tch that I wish to caution teachers in regard to the position of the needle in relation to the hem, the amount of cloth taken on the needle and the tendency toward making the blind st.i.tch or the damask hem instead of the plain hemming st.i.tch.

HEMMING A TOWEL.

_Materials:_ Crash, 9" woof, 6" warp; white thread No. 50; needle No. 7; tape 4-1/2 inches.

Turn one-fourth inch fold on each side and across the bottom and baste.

Turn the second fold one-fourth of an inch on the sides and baste. Hem the sides. Turn an inch hem at the bottom, baste and hem, giving special attention to the corners where the bottom hem is turned over the side hems. Hem the top with a quarter-inch hem if there is no selvedge. Sew a loop in the middle of the top on the selvedge edge as follows: Turn in one-fourth of an inch at both ends of the tape. Place the ends of the tape side by side and down one-fourth of an inch from the edge of the towel. Hem around the ends of the tape and back-st.i.tch across the tape just at the edge of the towel.

EXERCISE NO. 9--RUNNING.[5]

_Materials:_ Running design No. 4, page 12, 6" 8"; colored thread No.

50; needle No. 7.

Follow the lines of the design with the running st.i.tch.

EXERCISE NO. 10--OVERHANDING.[5][6]

_Materials:_ White thread No. 50; needle No. 7.

Running designs 3 and 4 are to be overhanded together. Turn a quarter-inch fold on the long sides of both pieces. Baste the folded edges together and overhand. Running designs 1 and 2 are to be overhanded to 3 and 4. Turn a quarter-inch fold at the top of one piece and the bottom of the other, baste the folded edges together and overhand.

[Ill.u.s.tration: DOLL'S QUILT--ELECTIVE.]

ELECTIVES.

[5] Running designs No. 3 and 4 may be omitted, (this will also cut out Exercise No. 10) and selections from the following subst.i.tuted to fill in the time, pupils furnishing their own materials and teachers planning their own designs:

Pen wipers. Pin disks. Needle books. Small pin cushions for the sewing box. A wiper for eye-gla.s.ses.

[6] The four running designs in Exercise No. 10 may be made into a doll's quilt by basting to a lining, turning in and overhanding the edges together and tacking. Pupils will furnish their own materials for the lining.

[7] Instead of the small towel encourage children to ask their mothers for a dish towel which they can bring from home to hem. Some house-keeper of the neighborhood might be glad to have her dish-towels hemmed for her by the cla.s.s.

[8] Instead of the pot holder a child's picture-book may be subst.i.tuted.

See "Paper, Cloth and Cardboard Construction," page 101.

CHAPTER III.

COURSE OF INSTRUCTION.

SECOND YEAR--FOURTH GRADE.

EQUIPMENT.

Sewing box.

Pin cushion--20 pins.

Thimble.

Needles.

Scissors.

Thread cards.

Practice Piece--Unbleached muslin 9" 12".