The Mary Frances sewing book

Chapter XXVIII
Mary Marie Has a Party Dress

“DEARIE me! Thimble People,” exclaimed Mary Frances. “I’m so excited! I’m so excited! Mary Marie has been invited to a party.”

“To a party!” exclaimed Scissors Shears. “To a party,—excuse me, but don’t you mean, ‛by a party?’”

“How could you buy a party?” asked Tommy Pin Cushion.

“It’s been known to be done,” answered Scissors Shears.

“Will her mother let her go?” asked Silver Thimble anxiously.

“Yes, indeed,” laughed Mary Frances. “If she has a party dress—”

sang Sewing Bird, hopping on one leg on the table, and fluttering her wings,

“Just be her own sweet self, won’t you, dear?” said Mary Frances, hugging the dolly close.

sang Tommy Pin Cushion, pointing to Scissors Shears. “By the way, how’s business?”

“Dull! Fatty,” began Scissors Shears, “You—” then, seeing Mary Frances’ look, he added lamely, “Pretty is as pretty does, and beauty is only skin-deep. If you lost your skin, Tommy, we’d knock all the stuffin’s out o’ you!”

“Hush!” whispered Sewing Bird,

“Oh, thank you,” exclaimed Mary Frances, opening Mary Marie’s trunk. “What shall we use, Magic and Mystery?”

“Let me see?” said Fairy Lady, flying down beside the trunk.

Mary Frances was too surprised to say anything when she saw the lovely gauzy wings spread out, and Fairy Lady sailing down from the table.

“Oh,” said the little fairy in her bird-like voice, “little Lady Seamstress, this is only a small surprise compared to the lovely ones in store for you.”

“More yet, dear Fairy Lady?” asked Mary Frances, her eyes opening in wonder. “Why, it seems to me—”

“I must not tell you another word,” said the little lady; “I shouldn’t have said even that!”

“Oh, I wouldn’t have dared whisper that,” said Tommy Pin Cushion to Emery Bag. “Why, the King would have shaken the stuffing out of me!”

“This,” exclaimed Fairy Lady, “is just the thing to make a party dress for Mary Marie,” and she held up a piece of most beautiful fabric.

“What is it?” asked Mary Frances. “I didn’t see that in the trunk!”

“Didn’t you?” asked Fairy Lady.

Mary Frances held up the sparkling goods. It was very, very fine, and thin, yet not veil-like. It shone like spun glass, and was made of the colors of the rainbow.

“How exquisite!” breathed the little girl. “Isn’t it beautiful! Please, dear Fairy Lady, where did it come from?”

“It came,” said Fairy Lady, “from your friend, the King of Fairy Thimble Land.”

“Oh,” said Mary Frances. “Did you, dear Fairy Lady, did you bring it?”

“In this,” nodded Fairy Lady, and she held up a little satchel that looked like Mary Frances’ mother’s pearl earring.

“Will it go in such a tiny satchel?” asked the little girl, in an awed voice.

“Yes,” smiled Fairy Lady, “but the pattern takes up more room.”

“Did you carry that, too?” asked Mary Frances.

“Yes, in a little suit case,” said Fairy Lady.

“May I see the pattern?” asked Mary Frances.

She wondered how Fairy Lady would get back on the table, but the little lady spread her wings again—this time showing the lovely coloring and golden tips.

Flying high above the table, she came down and settled herself in the doll’s rocking chair.

Then she spread open

2. Cut guimpe sleeve-band, with arrow lengthwise of material.

To make—

1. Gather end of each sleeve.

2. Fold sleeve-band through center, lengthwise. (See dotted line on pattern.)

3. Sew sleeve-bands in place at ends of sleeves, in same way as band of little “tie around apron.”

4. Join guimpe under arms with French seams.

5. Make a half-inch hem down each side of back.

6. Make a half-inch hem in bottom of guimpe. Through this hem run a narrow tape, threaded into a bodkin.

7. Turn the narrowest hem possible in the neck. Do not attempt to hem this with hemming stitches, but overhand it closely.

8. Overhand narrow lace edging in the neck and sleeves.

9. Make three button-holes, and sew on buttons.

3. To Cut Neck.—Cut pattern along the row of pinholes, marked FRONT.

Fold back along other row of pinholes.

Spread waist open on table.

Pin pattern in place on one end of waist. Cut neck by the turned-in V-shaped outline.

To make—

1. Join skirt and make placket as in white lawn petticoat.

2. Make a three-quarter inch hem at the bottom.

Gather top, using two gathering threads. Begin each thread in center top of skirt.

3. Fold waist lengthwise. Cut open the back from center of square of neck. Make half-inch hems down the backs.

4. Make a narrow hem around the neck-opening.

5. Spread waist open on table. Cut a piece of baby ribbon two and one-quarter inches long. Cut another piece one and one-half inches long.

6. Fasten, by sewing through a bead, one end of each piece of ribbon to one side of the V-shaped neck opening, in the place shown by the pinholes in the pattern.

7. Fasten other end in same way, making the front neck opening one and one-quarter inches wide at the top, and three-quarters of an inch wide at the pointed end.

8. Join with French seam from notches to bottom of waist.

9. Hem armholes above the seams.

Gather across the shoulder fold, making the gathered goods measure one inch across. Fasten thread.

10. Cut a belt of half-inch-wide white tape, making it eleven inches long.

Gather bottom of waist. Turn in ends of tape belt one-quarter inch.

11. Baste gathers of waist flat to tape belt, having tape on wrong side. Baste gathers of skirt flat to other edge of tape belt.

Stitch in place. Sew lace insertion, or ribbon beading over the gathers on the right side.

12. Make button-holes, and sew on buttons.

13. Trim the hems around the neck-opening and armholes with

“But how can you keep it a secret, if she goes to a party?” asked Scissors Shears anxiously. “I don’t want to be a Never-Never.”

“Oh,” said Mary Frances, “the party isn’t to be given until next summer. She’s only invited—that’s all.”

“Strike me pink!” exclaimed Tommy Pin Cushion. “I was feeling scared white.”

“Shows how silly it is to worry,” said Emery Bag.

“I beg all your pardons,” said Mary Frances. “I didn’t mean to be—to take advantage. I almost forgot how long it is till next summer. I am very sorry if I did wrong.”

“Gives you longer to finish the dress,” said Fairy Lady. “There’s a good deal of work on it.”

“I’ll work very hard,” said Mary Frances, “and I’ll be more careful what I say in the future.”