THE HOME DRESSMAKER

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 33, 2 November 1934, Page 7

THE HOME DRESSMAKER

111. —The Treatment of Edges

(By 5.0.)

I find there is a Tuesday afternoon sewing class already started iu a country district. At 2.30 o’clock sLx women will meet each week and are going to try out the suggestions given in these papers on samplers, while* they exchange advice on the application of the stitches and ideas on the materials best suited to different requirements. The rule is established that each week one of them will bring a fashion magazine, and after an hour's experiment with their samplers, and a spell for tea, they will gather round the table again, the leading article will be read aloud, and then they will study together the. various details of the fashions stressed in the designs.

They will ask another's opinion ou colour and colour-combinations, on the suitability of styles and materials to figures. In this way they look forward to helping one another considerably with the problems of the summer wardrobe, and expect to find an added interest in its achievement. If you know there are others struggling along the road beside you. the way. grows somehow lighter. Companionship in the daily round, the common task, lightens its burdens and gives them a spice of competitive adventure. In buying their fashion books, the members of our club of six-are being sensible in the matter of choice. They are investing in quality rather than quantity, and realising that expense will occur only once to each in six weeks, as does the cost of the tea: they will choose the magazines whose articles are written by known experts, and

designs tire copied from the models of the great dressmakers. Sometimes the society journals will furnish what they want. In this case a careful study of the advertisement offerings of the best English dress shops will be found very much worth while. Advertisement sketches show as a rule a special supply of the metropolitan demands of the moment. The designers are suggesting, the advertisers are selling; which makes all the difference between uncertainty and fact. We are concentrating on edges today, so will begin with oversewing, which is the joining together of finished edges of material, such as selvidges, and the edges of lace. Tack together the two lengths of material to be joined, hold the edges along the forefinger of the left hand, and with the needle straight, pointing,toward you, make over and over stitches close together, taking up as few’ threads of the material as will guarantee the necessary strength of the seam, working from right to left. The texture of the material must decide the fineness of the thread and needle used. It is quicker to sew with a fine needle, so use as fine a one as possible; but too fine a needle will not draw a coarser thread through the hole it makes, even if the eye will admit it. These small details! all’ count for something in time and convenience, and are worth consideration.

In oversewing, a great point to avoid, as always in joining two edges that must lie flatly seamed, is to keep the over-piece from puckering on the under. The sewing must be constantly watched in case this is happening. In fact, it is found that by pinning the end of your work’ to your dress at the knee, it may be held in such a position as to obviate all fear of Inequality and consequent clumsiness, and also the actual sewing may be done more quickly. This has one distinct drawback. It is very likely that in your anxiety to achieve a taut line, you will pin the work through to your stocking, with disastrous results. I do not recommend, it, except to say that experiment has taught me that it. can be done without injury to one’s garments. and with advantage to one’s sewing. Like fly-running, it calls for practice. I would suggest to you not to oversew too tightly. Flattened out, the fine stitches become almost a part of the fabric on which they are worked, holding two edges together almost invisibly, whereas, when tightly sewn, a ridge may give a clumsy finish. This will depend entirely upon the work itself and the result needed.

While we are talking of oversewing. have you some scraps of lace in your work-baskets? Cut straight down a piece of lace edging and we will join it up again as if we had sewn it round the neck or armholes of a nightie, and were joining the ends. Place the ends together so that the scalloped edges meet evenly—at the pattern if possible. From top to bottom put a run-

mug tnreau —see inai it is not drawn too tight—and take an extra stitch at the lower edge to keep it firm. "On this thread turn over the two edges and come back along it with close oversewing, carefully taking in both upper and unde r pieces of the lace with each stitch. There may be boles on the design, but you will continue the oversewing on th e foundation thread alone. When fastened off. cut the turnedover edges close to the ridge of sewing, open, and press flat. The join will hardly be noticed.

For the neatening of raw edges, and to keep them from unravelling, a looser and deeper oversewing is used, worked from left to right. The inside of wool or silk dresses may be made to look most attractive by the use of a thread of contrasting colour sewn in even stitches along the seams. In dealing with loosely woven fabric you can, with practice, teach your needle to keep the raw edge turned a little under as you work, so that your oversewing holds the untidy threads neatly down. We have worked on, and the time has flown. 'The teacups are rattling not far away, and our hostess looks at the clock. But before we stop we must at least acknowledge another edging stitch, which is whipping, an oversewing used for drawing up an edge in gathering. If the edge of the material is raw, roll it in on the wrong side toward you between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand as you work, and take the stitches from the back, bringing them out directly under, never through, the roll. Work from right to left. Whipping is also used on the edges of sheer materials for summer or eveningj/roeks, taking the place of plcot edging. This is useful ohly in cases where practice has given speed enough to warrant it. The edges of Christmas hankies, too, or of linen table mats, are charming whipped with a heavy thread in a contrasting colour. And now for tea, and the reading 1