A STITCH IN TIME

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22352, 28 August 1934, Page 13

A STITCH IN TIME

When a hole in any kind of fabric or in a stocking has to be mended it’s a. good plan to tack the hole right side upwards over a thin card (says the Glasgow Herald), Use fine thread .appropriate to the material. The upright strands should he laid first, then these should be crossed evenly. Be sure to start darning well away from the hole for the sake of firmness. Don't cut away the frayed edges, as these workin with the darning and make it less conspicuous. If treating washing material leave long loops of thread at each turn to allow for shrinkage. If a hole has been burnt in cloth, cut away around it in a circle or a square, using a knife, not scissors. Cut a patch about a hair’s breadth larger all round than the hole and matching the sur rounding part exactly in grain, . Tack the material around the hole to a card, then tack in the patch around its edges. Darn over the edges as for the threecornered tear and press in the same way, A patch may often be cut from the material beneath a pocket, or from the collar lining or skirt hem. Drawn thread borders on a traycloth have a habit of breaking. To repair them tack bias cambric binding over them, cutting it down to the required width. Mitre the corners carefully, then stitch along both edges by machine. The corners of sheets or tablecloths avg inclined to wear first. To strengthen them take a 4in strip of linen tape and fell it around the corner, Another plan is to cut a triangular piece of fine linen and turn in the edgefs all around- Tack this ipto the corner, seam the outside edges, and fell the diagonal edge. ■ Invisible mending is an art which the average housewife considers quite beyond her. Do not be defeated, however, without a try. Worsteds may be invisibly mended with a little skill and a lot of patience. Cut out a piece of self material, place over hole, and fray out the edges for about an inch. Then with a fine needle take up each individual thread and darn in with the tiniest of tiny stitches. Lastly, to, give the professional finish, press with a damp cloth »nd hot iron.