The Mary Frances sewing book

Chapter XXV
Can the Dolly Talk

“SAY, are you a really-person? Say, I say, are you real? You look so swell and so beautiful,—can you talk?—say, can you? I wonder if I can touch you, you pretty Mary Marie.”

Scissors Shears took a step nearer the doll.

“My, I wish you could talk! I’d like you to hold this muslin for me while I cut out your rompers. What! You won’t talk? You just sit looking at me—Stupid! You must think I want something to do! Humph! I wouldn’t be a doll, no!

“‛Pretty Poll!’ she can say—‛Pretty Doll!’—try it! Say, please try it, Mary Marie! Try it! I say! Doll, try it! If you don’t, you’ll be sorry! Say ‛Pretty Doll!’ say it! I say; or,—I’ll-cut-your-acquaintance;—then what’ll you do?

“You won’t get your rompers—maybe;

“You won’t get your bloomers—maybe;

“You won’t get your pajompers—maybe.

“Oh, you make me tired, you pretty, proud, sweet, lovely-looking thing! Speak, I say, speak! Say ‛Bow-wow-wow!’ if you can’t talk, or even say ‛Meow!’

“I’ll give it up, I guess. My, I should think she’d be ashamed not to thank us at all for her fine clothes.”

“Oh, she’s only a baby!” said Tommy Pin Cushion. “Babies can’t talk!”

“Humph, I s’pose you know, ’cause you’re a cry-baby!” exclaimed Scissors Shears.

“I’m not a cry-baby!” exclaimed Tommy Pin Cushion.

“Yo’ are! Yo’ are!” cried Scissors Shears. “I can prove it!”

“I’m not! Am I, Sewing Bird,—am I?” asked Tommy Pin Cushion, the tears rolling down his fat red cheeks.

“If you could see yourself, you’d know you are!” snapped Scissors Shears.

“Look out there, don’t fall!” cried Yard Stick, seeing Scissors Shears toppling dangerously on the table edge.

“Oh, look out yourself,” snapped Scissors Shears, “you’re just as likely to—”

“I always stand firmly on my three feet,” retorted Yard Stick.

“It takes a whole yard to hold them—ha-ha!” laughed Scissors Shears.

Then interrupted Sewing Bird, singing:

Just at that moment in stepped Mary Frances, who had heard every word. The Thimble People looked silly; but she pretended not to notice.

“Oh, my dear Magic and Mystery,” she said, “to-day I had another letter from my mother, and she says:

“‘Perhaps you can try to learn a few stitches from the patterns I send you by mail, and you can send me the samplers you make. They will be Sewing Lessons by Mail, and we’ll pretend you are taking a Correspondence Course.’

“Oh, Sewing Bird Fairy Lady,—if it doesn’t seem a trifle dis-re-spect-a-ble,—I mean dis-re-spect-ful, —my mother’s stitches aren’t as nice as mine! Look!”

Mary Frances held up the sampler.

“I want to know what is the right thing to do, Fairy Lady, I would love to surprise my dear mother when I get home; and yet I don’t want to deceive her by not telling her that I know something about sewing. What shall I do?”

Fairy Lady smiled thoughtfully. “You might tell her you have a little friend who—”

“Excuse me—friends!” corrected Silver Thimble.

“‛Friends,’” repeated Fairy Lady, “who taught you a little about sewing. It would make your mother happy, I should think.”

“Yes!” nodded Mary Frances. “Of course, that’s right! And I will feel much nearer to my mother then, and can tell her some day. Do you know, Sewing Bird Fairy Lady—I would,—even as much as I love my dear Grandma,—I would be ex-ceed-ing-ly lonely without my Thimble People.”

“Lottie, who lives across the street,” she went on, “is lots of fun. I want to teach her to sew some day—may I, Fairy Lady?”

“Oh, to be sure,” said Fairy Lady, “after you have finished with us.”

“But I don’t want you to be Never-Nevers!” said Mary Frances.

“Perhaps there’ll be a way,” suggested Fairy Lady.

“How delightful!” exclaimed Mary Frances. “Oh, I want to show you the pillow cover I bought to-day for Billy.”

“How lovely!” exclaimed Scissors Shears, Silver Thimble, Needle Book, Tommy Pin Cushion, and Emery Bag, all at once.

“Yes, isn’t it? Let me read you his letter:”

Woodcraft Camp.

Dear Mary Frances:

Glad to hear Grandmother is well. Say, I wish you knew how to sew! Some of the fellows have the swellest sofa pillows on their cots. Maybe you’ll learn some day. Mother wrote me about the lessons she wants to give you by mail. It’s a rattling good idea. (I crossed out “rattling” because we’re not encouraged to use slang.)

See you in September.   So long!

Good-bye,   Billy.

“So you see, Fairy Lady, it is almost absolutely necessary for me to learn to sew.”

“On buttons,” said Needle Book.

Mary Frances laughed. “Yes, that was a necessity, and I suppose the pillow is a luxury, but I am so pleased that I can make it. See, it has a flag to be worked in red, white, and blue.”

“How—?” began Needle Book.

“Why, same as I did the kittens on the doll’s apron,” said Mary Frances.

“Of course!” smiled the Fairy Lady.

“And you don’t need help with it! Isn’t that fine! The sooner we finish the lesson,—” began Scissors Shears.

“Hush!” said Fairy Lady, holding up her bodkin wand.

Scissors Shears fell down. “Excuse me!” he exclaimed.

“Oh, yes,” said Mary Frances. “What is to-day’s lesson, please? I’m wasting time!”

“Well,” smiled Fairy Lady, “it doesn’t matter so much now,—for the King of Thimble Land sent you this package, saying to read the instructions and to ask me any questions you wish at next lesson, if you do not understand—and he will give you the greatest honor ever bestowed upon a little girl—he will—”

“Lend you—even when not in lessons—the Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try,” finished Needle Book, bowing before Mary Frances.

“Oh, please bear to His Majesty my gratefulest gratitude!” said Mary Frances, wondering if that were the right way to send a message to a King.

“Oh, my goodness!” screamed Fairy Lady, turning almost white. “There’s a cat!” And she immediately changed into the metal sewing bird on the edge of the table.

“It’s only Jubey!” laughed Mary Frances, “Aunt Maria sent her to me for fear I’d be lonely. I’ll never let you come here again, Jubey,” she said, picking up the kitten.

Then she opened the package from the King of Thimble Land, and this is what she found:

2. Pin in place. Cut out.

3. With a large pin, prick through the rows of pinholes marked FRONT. Or use a tracing wheel.

4. Remove pattern.—Spread the rompers open on a table. Cut one end of rompers off, along the rows of pinholes.

To cut Neck Band—

Cut a piece of white lawn ten inches long and five inches wide.

5. Fold lawn crosswise.

6. Fold lawn lengthwise. Pin.

7. Place pattern with both the edges having double rings (oo) on folded edges of lawn.

Pin in place. Cut out.

To cut Belt—

Cut a piece of lawn fourteen inches long, and four inches wide. Fold lengthwise, and crosswise.

8. Pin pattern with both edges having double rings (oo) on a fold of lawn. Cut out.

9. Cut sleeve-band with double rings on crosswise fold of lawn.

To make—

1. Turn in both edges of the neck-band one-eighth inch. Baste.

2. Lay rompers flat upon table, and pin and sew neck-band in place in the same way as in Morning Dress.

3. Fold rompers lengthwise. From the neck, cut a placket down the fold five inches. Be certain to cut placket in the back of the rompers. The back is longer from the neck line than the front.

4. Make placket as in Morning Dress. Fasten with buttons and button-holes.

5. Join rompers under arms with French seam.

6. Join curved edges with French seam.

7. Make a half-inch hem at end of each leg. Leave the hem open one-half inch at the top. Through this opening run a narrow elastic. After joining ends of elastic, finish the hemming.

8. If desired, cut a pocket by the pattern of the pinafore-pocket. (See Insert II.)

Sew in place on left side of rompers in position shown by dotted lines on pattern.

9. To Make Belt.—Clip a tiny gash between the two points at each end of belt. Turn in outer edges of belt one-quarter inch.

Fold belt in half lengthwise. Stitch or overhand the edges. Make button-hole in one end. Sew button on the other end.

Sew belt in place in middle of back of rompers—as shown on pattern. Sew to the button-hole side of rompers.