Chapter XXVII
A “Dress-up” Dress
“GOOD-AFTERNOON, your Seamstress-ship,” welcomed Sewing Bird.
afternoon”
“Good-afternoon, dear Thimble People,” said Mary Frances. “I was so sorry that I had to miss last week’s lesson! Grandma didn’t take her afternoon out, and little Lottie was over here to play.”
“I know,” said Scissors Shears. “I heard you; I had on my long ears.”
“You did!” laughed Mary Frances. “Well, did you hear me promise to give her some little helps in dressing her doll? I would dearly love to make something for her doll—a dress, I think. She is just the size of Mary Marie.”
“What’s her name?” asked Scissors Shears.
“The doll’s name, do you mean? Katy-did.”
sang Sewing Bird.
what?”
“Katy did what?” asked Scissors Shears, staring at Mary Frances.
“Katy-did Nice,” answered Mary Frances.
“You mean nicely, I think,” said Scissors Shears.
“No,” said Mary Frances. “Nice is Lottie’s last name. The whole name of Lottie’s doll is—Katy-did Nice. Can’t I make her a dress?”
“Well,” answered Sewing Bird, slowly, “if you do, you may be asked about us; and if you answer the question truly, we’ll never, never be able to do anything more.”
“Never! Never!” exclaimed Mary Frances. “I’d rather never make the dress for Katy-did Nice.”
sang Sewing Bird.
“Oh, thank you, dear Magic and Mystery,” said the little girl. “I will be patient,—indeed I will!”
“Well, then,” said Fairy Lady, “here is to-day’s message, and gift from the King of Thimble Land.”
Mary Frances took the package. It was tied with golden thread and fastened with a sunbeam.
“Press the sunbeam,” smiled Fairy Lady, “and the package will open.”
Out fell
tuck
To Tuck Dress—
1. Cut the material twenty-four inches long, and eighteen inches wide.
2. Find center by folding the goods crosswise. Crease.
3. Spread material open. Measure five and one-half inches down on both sides of the crease.
Mark across the goods with pins—then with red bastings.
4. Fold material lengthwise. Crease well, between red bastings.
Spread the material open. Run a blue basting thread down this center crease.
5. Measure three-quarter inch from the blue basting to the right, along the red bastings. Mark with pins.
6. Fold and crease from pin to pin, being careful to keep a straight line.
7. Baste three-eighth of an inch from edge of fold, through the double cloth.
8. Do same to left of center crease.
9. To make another tuck—Lay tuck already made, backward toward center.
Then measure from edge of fold of tuck one and one-half inches, along each red basting line. Mark with pins.
four
collar
pieces
10. Make new tuck in same way as first tuck.
There should be two tucks each side of center crease.
11. Stitch tucks along the basting lines.
NOTE.—When tucking is finished, compare it with the pinholes on pattern.
All these tucks are laid and creased to the bottom of goods before cutting out dress.
To Cut Out Dress—
1. Fold goods crosswise. Pin pattern in place, with edge having double rings on the fold. Cut out.
2. With a pin, prick through the dotted belt lines.
3. Cut four collar pieces. Pin arrow (➸) edge of collar pattern on a lengthwise edge of goods.
4. Cut two belts, with double rings on a lengthwise fold of material.
5. Cut two sleeve-bands by sleeve-band pattern of Morning Dress (Pattern 9).
6. To Cut Skirt Trimming Band.—Remove pattern from dress. Spread open the skirt part. Lay it upon the plain trimming material. Pin in place.
7. Cut off at edge of skirt. Make this band one and one-half inches wide. Cut two such bands.
To Make Dress—
1. Join seams of skirt trimming-band.
2. Stitch sleeve-bands in place, as for Morning Dress.
3. Make placket and make button-holes, and sew on buttons.
4. Join underarm with French seams.
5. Face (right side of) bottom of dress with skirt trimming-band in the following way:
“Facing” is making a false hem.
On the wrong side of the skirt, lay the skirt trimming-band with the lower edge even with the bottom of the skirt.
Baste. Stitch one-quarter inch from edge.
fast
through
a button
6. Remove bastings. Turn band over to right side.
Crease along the seam. Baste along the seam.
Turn in edge of trimming-band (or facing) one-quarter inch.
Baste band flat against dress. Stitch (or hem) in place.
7. Make each belt in same way as belt for rompers.
8. Make two collars in same way as collar for fur-lined cape. Pattern 17.
9. Sew collars fast to dress, first pinning notch to the fold-crease of the shoulder at the neck.
Attach collars to dress in same way as underwaist to flannel petticoat.
10. Pin belts in place shown on pattern. Fasten each belt in two places only. On the point, which lies over a plait, sew belt fast, through a button.
These belts hold the fullness of the dress, under arms, in place.
Best wishes to the little girl who “tries.”
King Thimble.
get along
without
our help?”
“How beautiful!” exclaimed Mary Frances. “Please thank His Majesty, dear Thimble People.”
“Can you get along without our help, please?” asked Scissors Shears.
“Well,” said Mary Frances, “the Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try, you know,—”
“But,” said Scissors Shears, hopping up and down, “what I want to know is,—can you cut all that without help? May I ask what goods you will use for the afternoon dress?”
“This pretty red-dotted lawn,” said Mary Frances, “and this fine white lawn for the guimpe!”
“Will you, may I ask, please,—will you leave the lawn and pattern on the sewing table?”
“Oh, I know!” cried Mary Frances. “You want to help by cutting them out, Scissors Shears—but I will do my own making,—thank you.”
When the afternoon dress was finished, Mary Frances slipped it on Mary Marie, sat her in her rocking chair, then stepped outside, and peeped in to see what the Thimble People would do. In a minute, they gathered in a circle around the pretty doll, and began singing:
Mary Marie looked pleased, but couldn’t say a word.
Aren’t you a little Proudie!”