Our Little Table, and How It Solves Some Home Problems by MRS. VINA SHERWOOD-ADAMS

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 8, 1915

Our Little Table, and How It Solves Some Home Problems

By MRS. VINA SHERWOOD-ADAMS

— No. 7

MRS. VINA SHERWOOD-ADAMS

WHAT do we find on our little table of sewing materials this time? Yes, sewing materials. Two round peach baskets have been converted into sewing receptacles, one with a pink cambric lining to harmonize with Ruth’s brown eyes, and the other with blue lining, for blue-eyed Irene. Inside is the usual sewing equipment — thimble, blunt scissors, strawberry emery, etc.

Now, to tell the truth, I do not enjoy sewing. When I was a small girl, I enjoyed making crude garments for my dolls, but as no one thought to show me just how to make them neatly, I soon lost my interest. My kind mother, a very busy woman, made the mistake of many another mother, and did not teach her girls to sew. Strange, is it not, when she herself was a beautiful seamstress from early girlhood? Sewing machines were unknown in her younger days; and I still have among my treasures some of her neat handwork. I have often thought of how many stitches we might have saved her, but she always told us that she preferred to sew, and had us do some other kind of work. For this reason my knowledge of sewing was acquired after I left the home nest, and some very discouraging times I have had. I wonder if some aunt or cousin, or mother if she could have taken time, had taught me to sew about the time I was interested in making doll clothes whether sewing would not have been more interesting to me in later years.

But, of course, for the sake of our children we have to put our ideas of disagreeableness aside; and so I have whipped up my dormant interest in the needle and thread, and have tried to encourage the interest of our girls in sewing, in as attractive a manner as possible.

I have investigated many different methods of teaching children sewing. For first principles the ready-prepared practice cloth and folders from the Louise Kirkwood System, Yonkers, N. Y., are very convenient. We used these as guides only, making our own sewing models. Any one well versed in sewing could prepare the models without a guide. Each child requires about one-half yard of medium-weight muslin. This, cut into strips ten by four and one-half inches, will provide material for twelve practice lessons in first principles. Each strip should be numbered. The length and distance apart of all the kinds of stitches, also the width of the hem, length of the buttonhole to be cut, etc., are marked with ruler and pencil on the strips for each child to follow.

For instance, in Lesson One, across strip No. 1, mark three rows of stitches one-half inch long with one-half inch space between the stitches, thus ——, etc. This strip will no doubt occupy the time of three lessons, as threading the needle and tying the knot has to be learned also at this time. When the three rows of stitches are completed, label the strip with the child’s name, even though you have only one child in your class. In preparing the guide strip for the hem, each of the two crease lines, where the hem is turned, should be indicated by a long straight mark across the length of the strip. The hem stitches are marked just below the second pencil hem line with short slant lines of the right depth and equal distance apart. After the lesson on hemming has been given, all strips used in future lessons should be hemmed. When the child has had sufficient practice, omit all pencil marks for stitches and hem lines.

Other sewing principles are:— 2. Turning cloth for hem and basting. 3. Turning cloth for hem basting and hemming. 4. Running stitch. 5. Stitching and overcasting. 5a. Finer stitching and more overcasting. 5b. Backstitching. 6. Fell seams. 7. Gathers, also basting and sewing on the band. 8. Buttonhole stitch practiced. 8a. The buttonhole cut and worked. 8b. Sewing on the button for coat; for dress. 9. How to work eyelets and thread loops; also how to sew on tapes and hooks and eyes. 10. Fancy stitches — herringbone and featherstitch. 11. Patching. 12. Darning.

These practice lessons used alone become rather uninteresting, but as a stimulus our two girls have been promised new dolls—just the kind they want — when they have mastered the stitches. Then we are to buy real doll clothes patterns, and learn to cut and fit from patterns. These patterns may be purchased for fifteen cents a set from the Ladies’ Home Journal, Independence Square, Philadelphia, Pa. Order according to the size in length of the doll. Set No. 7359 (sizes 14-26) contains a coat, cap, an overblouse dress with guimpe, a peasant dress, a kimono, a play suit, a nightgown, a petticoat, a combination suit, sandals, and stockings; also a guide chart. You see a little girl will be quite an accomplished seamstress by the time she has made all these garments.

Battle Creek, Mich.