CREASING AND PINCHING

A crease for sewing is made by folding the cloth, and pressing the edge until a line is made, which serves to sew on.

Materials—A ten-inch strip of bleached or half-bleached cotton cloth. (A more distinct line can be made on the bleached than on the half-bleached cotton cloth.)

Creasing—

1. Hold the cloth firmly with the hands as in Fig. 11.

2. Beginning at the upper right-hand end of the cloth, turn down towards you the edge one-fourth of an inch in depth, for three or four inches.

3. Holding the cloth tightly between the hands, crease the edge with the end of the thumb-nail and the cushion of the left forefinger, until it will remain flat and has a sharp edge.

4. Fold and crease the next three inches in the same manner, and so continue to the end.

5. Holding the right-hand corner of the fold firmly, crease the entire length.

Pinching—

1. At the right end of the crease, lay a half-inch fold between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand.

2. Lay another over this, and so on, until all the cloth is folded.

3. Pinch the folds, and turn up the edge.

4. Turn the other side of the cloth towards you, and the sharp edge will serve as a line to sew on.

If the cloth has been well creased, pinching is seldom necessary.

· What is a crease?

· What purpose does it serve in sewing?

· How should you hold the cloth in creasing?

· At which end should you begin?

· How is the edge turned?

· How is it creased?

· How should the edge of the fold look?

· After the cloth has been once creased, what should be done to the entire length?

· After turning up the edge, what should be done? Why?

BASTING

Basting is done by taking long stitches to keep the cloth in place for sewing.

Materials—No. 8 needle, No. 50 colored thread, pins, and a half-yard strip of cotton cloth, with one of the long sides creased.

In even basting, make the stitches short and alike on both sides. This method of basting is used for the seams of a dress-waist, or for several thicknesses of cloth. (Fig. 12.—Showing even basting stitches, needle inserted)

In uneven basting, take stitches half-an-inch long on the upper side, and as small as possible on the under side. This is the proper basting for ordinary work, as the stitches serve for a guide in sewing.

The basting, in Fig. 14, is done by taking one long and two short stitches alternately.

Basting—Practice Drill No. 3 (page 15).

1. Make a knot in the thread to hold it securely.

2. Begin at the right-hand side of the cloth.

3. Place the right-hand corners exactly together, having the sharp edge of the crease towards you.

4. Insert the needle on the crease one-eighth of an inch from the end of the cloth, and take up a few threads (Fig. 15). (Fig. 15—Showing the needle in position for beginning.)

5. Let the needle remain in the cloth, and pin the opposite ends together, by placing a pin vertically through the cloth.

6. Put a pin in the middle vertically.

7. Draw the needle through, and proceed with the basting required, holding the work as in Fig. 7 (page 15), taking each stitch on the crease, and keeping the edges even.

8. Fasten the thread securely by taking three or four stitches in the same place.

Suggestions— Never sew without basting, or when the threads are loose. If a child tries to sew without having the work basted, it will pucker, and must be ripped out. The short stitches on the under side keep the cloth in place, and prevent it from slipping. Take short basting stitches for hand work, but longer stitches may be taken for machine sewing. When learning to baste, only one stitch at a time should be taken, but later several stitches can be taken before drawing the needle through. Basting threads should be taken out when the work is finished.

· How is basting done?

· How are the stitches made in even basting?

· For what purpose is even basting used?

· How should uneven basting stitches be taken?

· What is the first step in basting? Where begin?

· What should be done to the corners?

· How must the edges be held?

· Where do you insert the needle?

· Before drawing it through, what should be done?

· Where should each stitch be taken?

· How should the thread be fastened?

· What purpose do the short stitches on the under side serve?

· When the work is finished, what should be done?

STITCHING

Stitching is done by taking a stitch backward on the upper side of the cloth,

and a longer stitch forward on the under side, making the stitches meet.

Materials— No. 8 needle, No. 50 thread, and a half yard strip of cotton cloth, doubled and basted.

Stitching—Practice Drill No. 2 (page 14).

1. Make a small knot in the thread.

2. Hold the work over the cushion of the left forefinger, as in Fig. 6 (page 14).

3. Insert the needle at the right-hand corner of the cloth, between the edges of the seam, one-eighth of an inch from the end, and one thread of the cloth below the basting.

4. Draw the needle and thread through.

5. Put the point of the needle back a few threads from where the needle comes through the cloth, and bring it out the same distance beyond.

6. Continue, putting the needle back each time into the last stitch.

7. Make the stitches even and keep the seam straight (Fig. 16), leaving one thread of the cloth between the stitches and the basting.

8. Fasten the thread, by inverting the cloth, and taking a few stitches directly over the last ones made.

9. Join the thread, by making a small knot, and concealing it in the seam; or by taking one stitch with the new thread, leaving half-an-inch of the thread to be brought to the left, and to be sewed over with the next few stitches, allowing it to wind in and out.

Suggestions— In the same manner sew all seams having raw edges, if a strain is coming on them, as in shoulder seams, the seams of drawers, etc. A bias seam should be sewed from the broad part to the narrow.

· How is stitching done?

· How is the work held?

· Where is the needle first inserted? Where next?

· Where is it brought out?

· As you continue, where should the needle always be inserted?

· How should the stitches be made?

· How many threads of the cloth should be left between the basting and the stitches?

· How should the thread be fastened?

· How should the thread be joined?

HALF-BACKSTITCHING

Half-backstitching is the same as stitching, except that the needle is put only half-way back, thus leaving a space between the stitches (Fig. 17).

· How does half-backstitching differ from stitching?

HEMMING

A hem is a fold, made by twice turning over the edge of a piece of cloth, and then sewing it down.

Materials— No. 9 needle, No. 70 thread, and a strip of cotton cloth.

To prepare the hem, make a fold one-fourth of an inch wide, and crease then fold again one-fourth of an inch deep and crease. Baste near the edge of the first fold with uneven basting stitches. For wider hems, have the first fold one-fourth of an inch wide, being careful to crease it thoroughly, as much depends upon this; crease the second fold the required width, which can be done evenly, by measuring every two inches with a paper or other measure. If a very wide hem is required, baste as you measure, first along the upper edge of the hem, and then along the lower edge. On woolen cloth, baste down the first narrow fold, then baste as for a hem on cotton cloth.

Hemming—Practice Drill No. 2 (page 14).

1. Have no knot in the thread.

2. Hold the hem across the cushion of the left forefinger, as in Fig. 6 (page 14).

3. Pointing the needle from you, insert it at the edge of the fold, one-third of an inch from the right-hand end, and bring it out close to the end, as in Fig. 18.

4. Carefully draw the needle through, leaving a little of the thread at the end, to be tucked under the hem with the point of the needle, and to be sewed down with the first stitches.

5. Take up one or two threads of the cloth, and one or two threads of the fold, keeping the needle on a line with the hem, and pointing towards the left shoulder.

6. Draw the needle out and continue, making the stitches close and slanting (Figs. 19 and 20).

7. When the thread becomes too short for use, either cut or break it.

8. To join the thread (Fig. 20). If there is no end left of the thread, pick out few stitches, always leaving the end between the hem. With the needle, draw the end under the fold, and towards the thumb. Begin with a new needleful, as when commencing the work, putting the needle into the last hole the short end came out of, and sewing both ends down with the next stitches.

9. At the end of the work, fasten the thread by taking two or three stitches over each other in the fold.

Suggestions— Hems should be begun and finished by neatly overhanding the ends of the fold. A narrow hem on stiff cloth, as on table linen, need not be basted. The seams of a garment should be sewed before hemming, to conceal the edges. Before turning the first fold, the end of the seam should be cut to avoid extra thicknesses and wear; when basting the hem, seams or stripes should exactly match. In sewing, to hold a wide hem easily, fold it over and over until it is a convenient width.

· What is a hem?

· How should the hem be folded?

· Where and how should it be basted?

· How many times should a wide hem be basted?

· How many times should a wide hem on woolen cloth be basted?

· Should there be a knot in the thread?

· How is the hem held?

· How should the needle point?

· Where is the needle inserted?

· How should the thread be drawn through?

· What is done with the end?

· How is the stitch made?

· How should the needle be held?

· How should the stitches be taken?

· In joining the thread, where should the end of the old thread be left?

· Where should the end be drawn?

· In starting with a new needleful of thread, where should the needle be put?

· What should be done with the two ends?

· In fastening, where and how should the stitches be taken?

· What should be done to the ends of a hem?

RUNNING

Running is done by passing the needle in and out of the material at regular intervals.

The rule for running is to take up two threads of the cloth and pass over two threads, but the light in the average school-room does not permit this, nor is it wise to strain the eyes trying to do so. The general principle is to pass over as much of the cloth as you take up.

Materials—No. 8 needle, No. 50 thread, and a half-yard strip of cotton cloth, doubled and basted.

Running—Practice Drill No. 3 (page 15).

1. Make a small knot in the thread.

2. Hold the work in the left hand, between the thumb and cushion of the forefinger, as in Fig. 7 (page 15).

3. Sew directly below the basting.

4. Insert the needle between the edges of the seam, at the right-hand corner, and take the stitches (Fig. 21) over the cushion of the left forefinger, as in Drill No. 3 (page 15).

5. Fasten, by putting the needle through to the under side, and taking two or three stitches in the same place.

6. Join the thread, by sewing over the last stitches, or by making a knot and concealing it between the edges of the seam.

Suggestions— To avoid puckering in running, begin at the right hand and smooth the seam between the left thumb and forefinger. Running is used for seams, which do not require great strength, also for tucking.

· How is running done?

· What is the principle to be followed in running?

· How is the work held?

· Where are the stitches taken?

· Where is the needle inserted?

· How should the stitches be taken?

· How should the thread be fastened?

· How should the thread be joined?

· When is running used?

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 553