Textiles and Clothing Part 13

_Note._--After completing the test sign your full name.

[Ill.u.s.tration: EMBROIDERED INITIALS

_W_ and _L_--Sewed on initials; _B_--Satin st.i.tch in wreath of feather st.i.tches; _C_--Outline and seed work; _D_--Chain and French knots; _H_--Cross st.i.tch; _L_--Chain; _H_--At the right, and the cross st.i.tch _H_ are made over canvas and the canvas threads drawn.]

TEXTILES AND CLOTHING

PART II

HAND SEWING

Good sewing, good pressing, well finished ends and corners, lightness of touch which holds the work without apparently touching it, thus giving to the finished garment a fresh look--all these are important considerations.

[Sidenote: Kinds of Sewing]

The sewing done on wool, silk, and dresses of all kinds differs from that on underwear and white work. Muslin underwear requires frequent washing and ironing, hence the first essential is durability; close, small st.i.tches, all raw edges carefully turned and st.i.tched securely.

Seams that are to come close to the body should lie perfectly flat. A round seam would wear out sooner by coming into frequent contact with the washboard and iron, besides irritating the skin. In dressmaking, unless the st.i.tching is used for ornamental purposes, it should never show on the outside.

Periods of beautiful and dignified costume have been periods of fine needlework--one art leading to and helping on the production of the other.

[Sidenote: Plain St.i.tches]

St.i.tches may be divided into plain and ornamental. The plain st.i.tches are the (1) basting, (2) running, (3) the running and back st.i.tch, (4) half back st.i.tch, (5) back st.i.tch, (6) overhand or whipping st.i.tch, (7) overcast, (8) hemming, and (9) blind or slip st.i.tch.

[Sidenote: Ornamental St.i.tches]

The ornamental st.i.tches most frequently used are (1) outline, (2) chain, (3) cat or herringbone, (4) blanket or loop, (5) feather, coral or briar, (6) hemst.i.tching, (7) French knots, (8) b.u.t.ton hole, and (9) cross st.i.tch. Excepting the cross st.i.tch, these are all variations of the plain and b.u.t.ton hole st.i.tches.

The plain st.i.tches may be used for ornamental purposes. The basting st.i.tch is known as Queen Anne darned work. The back st.i.tch, known as "seed work," is used in embroidering letters and monograms. The overhand st.i.tch is used as an ornamental st.i.tch for joining selvages and in hemming. The chain st.i.tch, besides being ornamental, makes one of the best darning st.i.tches, reproducing the st.i.tch in knitting. The cat st.i.tch is also useful in binding down open seams for flannel hems, patching, etc.

[Sidenote: Basting]

(1) Basting proper is used only in the preparation of work to hold the stuff and lining, or any two or more parts of the work together while it is being st.i.tched, none being left in the finished garment. It is also used as a guide for sewing, feather st.i.tching, etc.

[Sidenote: Tacking]

The slanting basting st.i.tch or "tacking" is used in dressmaking for holding linings. The needle is pointed towards the worker. Even basting is used for holding several thicknesses of cloth and if the garment is to be fitted, the st.i.tches should be placed rather close. Uneven basting is used for hems and seams to be machine st.i.tched. Several short st.i.tches with one long one are used to baste c.r.a.pe and wiry fabrics, for this method holds them better than st.i.tches of equal length.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BASTING St.i.tCHES

_a_--Even; _b_--Uneven; _c_--For wiry fabrics; _d_--Tacking; _e_--Overcasting; _f_--Double or tailor overcasting.]

[Sidenote: Fastening the Thread]

All basting should be fastened at start with a knot or knot and back st.i.tch and finished with two or three back st.i.tches. The length of thread may be broken or cut from the spool, but should always be cut from the work. Breaking weakens the fastening and biting off soils delicate work with the moisture from the breath, to say nothing of the injury to the teeth. Basting for large work should usually be done with the goods lying flat on the sewing table.

[Sidenote: Drawing Basting Threads]

For ordinary work, basting threads should be cut every few inches and drawn out. In velvet, every alternate st.i.tch should be cut and drawn out on the right side with the pile of the goods. In the basting for velvet where the slanting st.i.tch is used, only one end of the st.i.tch touches the line of the seam--the rest is on the outside of the seam. Silk thread should be used to baste velvet and gauze; the thread should be used for basting.

[Ill.u.s.tration: POSITION OF THE HANDS IN RUNNING]

[Sidenote: Running St.i.tch]

(2) Running is closely related to basting. It is not used for any seams that have to bear great strain, but for joining seams in this material, gathering, tucking, making cords, etc. The st.i.tches are usually of equal length on both sides. Take one st.i.tch in the seam and hold the goods between the thumb and first finger of each hand, as shown in the ill.u.s.tration, with the back of the thimble on the eye of the needle.

Then, with as free wrist motion as possible, run or shake the needle through the material. The motion of the hand should come from the elbow joint.

Gathering, gauging, casing, etc., are used for drawing up the fullness of skirts, ruffles, flounces, etc., into a given s.p.a.ce. The running st.i.tch is used for these.

[Sidenote: Gathering]

For gathering, the cloth is held in the same manner as for running. The needle, ordinarily, need not be taken out of the work, the st.i.tches being pushed back over the eye as they are made; but for running long skirt seams in delicate material which would crinkle at the line of sewing and roughen the seam, the needle should be drawn through and the line of sewing smoothed on the thread at each needleful of st.i.tches.

[Sidenote: Stroking]

Never use a double thread for gathering, as it is apt to knot, but put in two lines of gathering threads--one a full one-eighth of an inch below the other--and slip the st.i.tches along the needle as described above. This method is a saving of time in the end. When the gathering threads are in, remove the needle, place a pin vertically close to the last st.i.tch, and wind the thread around it a few times in the form of a figure eight. Use a coa.r.s.e needle for stroking. Hold the work between the thumb and fingers of the left hand with the thumb on the gathering threads. To place the gathers, put the point of the needle _under_ the lower gathering thread and press the plait or gather under the thumb, drawing the needle down, or simply pressing on the needle. Care must be taken not to scratch or tear the material. Continue entirely across the gathers, putting the needle under each st.i.tch and holding the plait firmly between the thumb and finger: turn the material and stroke the _upper_ edge of the gathers.

[Sidenote: Gauging]

The gauging st.i.tch is usually longer on the face than on the back, draws the material up into distinct plaits, making it easy to dispose of the fullness neatly, regularly and securely by overhanding the top edge of each plait to the bottom edge of the band. The right side of the skirt and the right side of the belt are placed against each other and each gather oversewed to the belt. The s.p.a.ce into which the material is to be gathered determines the length of the long st.i.tch. The succeeding rows of st.i.tches should be _directly_ under those of the first.

[Sidenote: Running and Back St.i.tch]

(3) The running and back st.i.tch is made by taking a few running st.i.tches, drawing out the needle and making a back st.i.tch over the last running st.i.tch to strengthen the seam. Care must be taken not to hold the side next the worker too full and not to miss the under material, but to take the st.i.tches even on both sides.

[Sidenote: Half Back St.i.tch]

(4) The half-back st.i.tch is made by taking one st.i.tch and placing the needle half way back, then bringing it out twice the length of the st.i.tch and placing the needle half way back each time from where the last st.i.tch ended. The appearance on the right side will be of regular s.p.a.ce as in the running st.i.tch.

[Sidenote: Back St.i.tch]

(5) The back st.i.tch is made by placing the needle back to the last st.i.tch, bringing it out once the length of the last st.i.tch, then placing the needle back into the last st.i.tch, and so on, making the st.i.tches follow each other without any s.p.a.ce between. This is used in all places that are to bear great strain.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLAIN St.i.tCHES _a_--Running; _b_--Running and back; _c_--Half back; _d_--Back st.i.tch.]

[Sidenote: Whipping St.i.tch]

(6) Overhanding, oversewing, whipping, top sewing are one and the same--small st.i.tches taken over edges, to join folded edges or selvages, for sewing bands on gathers, sewing lace and insertion, and for sewing carpet strips together. The pieces for an overhand seam should be pinned carefully, placing the pins at right angles to the edge. The folded edges or selvages are placed together, the right side of the goods being in. Do not use a knot to begin sewing, but leave the knot end of the thread and sew it in with the first st.i.tches, carrying the thread on top of the seam. To finish off the seam, overhand back over the last few st.i.tches.