Textiles and Clothing Part 18

DARNING

[Sidenote: Thread for Darning]

Darning is usually done with a running st.i.tch, with or without a piece of net or cloth underset. Thread for darning should be as near as possible the size of the threads in the garment. Whenever it can be done, a warp thread of the garment should be used. No sewing silk is fine enough to use without separating the thread and using one of the strands. Never use the thread as it is, as it is too hard twisted.

Cotton and linen thread of the finest quality, untwisted, should be used for darning stockings and underwear. Linen may be darned with linen or mercerized cotton. Cotton is preferable.

A long slender needle with a large eye should be used. Darning should never be commenced with a knot, nor finished with a back st.i.tch.

[Sidenote: Bias Darn]

A bias or diagonal cut and a three-cornered tear are the most difficult to repair. If the place is badly pulled and frayed, a piece of the same material should be basted on the wrong side of the material and darned in even st.i.tches. Always darning _parallel_ with the warp threads and the woof threads. In the diagonal tear, as the threads are cut diagonally, to prevent drawing apart, the darning threads must cross each other.

The st.i.tches around any darn should not end in a stiff even line; this makes a hard edge which does not wear and is unsightly, and uncomfortable if on underwear.

[Sidenote: Darning a Three Cornered Tear]

The three-cornered tear may be darned in two ways. Begin by darning diagonally through the center, darning back and forth towards the end of the tear until one-half has been finished; then begin at the center and work in the opposite direction. At the corner, the st.i.tches should form the shape of a fan. The other method, which is the stronger, is done by darning a square in the angle, first with the warp threads, then with the woof threads and finis.h.i.+ng each end across the tear.

Stocking darning may be done on the right side. Begin by picking up the st.i.tches and drawing the edges together. This should always be done in any kind of stocking darning, but not so close as to make a wrinkle.

[Ill.u.s.tration: STOCKINET DARNING OVER NET

Interlaced St.i.tches and Chain St.i.tches.]

In knees and heels of stockings, or knitted underwear, a piece of net large enough to extend beyond the thin part should be basted carefully; then darn down the outer edges of the net and finally the hole or thin place. This makes a strong, neat piece of mending. If the hole is large, the net may be covered with the chain st.i.tch, thus imitating the knitting st.i.tch. This should be done on the right side of the garment.

If the hole is to be filled in with the interlaced st.i.tches, draw the edges together, darn beyond the thin places lengthwise of the knitted garment, making each line of st.i.tches longer until the center of the hole is reached, then decrease in the same manner, making a diamond in shape. Darn across the hole in the same way, taking up every alternate st.i.tch as in weaving. Leave a tiny loop at the end of each row of darning, so that the threads will not draw.

[Sidenote: Machine Darning]

Darning, satisfactory for some purposes, may be done quickly on a double thread sewing machine. It is best done in an embroidery ring, first drawing the edges together. Loosen the tension on the presser foot, use fine thread with light tension. Sew back and forth, first along the warp threads and then at right angles along the woof threads. The machine will be sewing backwards part of the time, but if the pressure is light, there will be no difficulty. For large holes, paper may be placed underneath.

MITERING EMBROIDERY OR LACE

The mitering of lace or embroidery is often necessary in making collars and in finis.h.i.+ng corners. Before applying, plan carefully and select a scallop or portion of the embroidery which will produce the best effects when finished. This can be accomplished by folding the embroidery over at various portions of the pattern until a suitable point is found.

Fold over at right angles and mark along the line to be mitered. The triangle may now be cut, but an extra width must always be allowed for the seam, as there is frequently a slight unevenness and one side may have to be held a little full or stretched to make a perfect match. The mitered seam is over-sewed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MITERING AND JOINING EMBROIDERY

_A_--Finished with a st.i.tched seam; _B_--Edge hemmed down and cloth cut away underneath; _C_--Joined with lapped seam.]

After the corner is properly made, cut away the cloth of the embroidery, allowing only enough for an inturned seam on the edge. This seam may be st.i.tched on the machine on both edges, or oversewed to the goods, or the embroidery may be securely sewed on the plain part, after which the underlying cloth may be cut away. This will make an almost perfect corner.

Lace may be matched and mitered in a similar way.

MATCHING AND JOINING LACE

In joining lace, avoid a seam if possible. Select portions of the design that will match, placing one pattern of the same design over the other.

Cut away a portion of the thick part of the pattern underneath and hem the edges and inner part of the design down with fine thread.

Smyrna or Torchon lace is more difficult to hem or join when very open or very fine. A small, felled seam is better than lapping and trying to match the pattern.

Embroidery can be matched in the same way. Never let two heavy designs lap over each other. The one on the wrong side should be cut out and the edge sewed securely to the upper part of the design.

[Ill.u.s.tration: INSERTION WITH MITRED CORNER, TAPED AND FACED; EMBROIDERY ROLLED WHIPPED AND GATHERED]

The plain material above the embroidery can be joined by a lapped seam, turning first the right side and then the wrong side and hemming on both sides of the seam.

MACHINE SEWING

The sewing machine has taken away much of the drudgery of home sewing, but its use does not lessen the need of skill in hand work. No machine can finish ends of belts, collars, sew on tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs, fastenings, and like work and the finish has much to do with the general appearance of a garment.

[Sidenote: Types of Machines]

All the prominent makes of sewing machines were invented in the decade following Howe's patent in 1846. The two chief types of machines are the lock st.i.tch, using double thread, and the chain or loop st.i.tch, using a single thread. Whatever the make of machine it should be run in accordance with the rules accompanying it. The worker should familiarize herself with the directions for setting and threading the needle, winding the bobbin, regulating the tension and the st.i.tch and all other technicalities of the particular machine she has to operate. Agencies of the various machines usually have skilled workers to give instruction to beginners. While it is not always an economy of time to use the attachments for hemming, tucking, etc., unless much work is to be done, it is worth while to know how to use them if desired. As much or more skill is required for neat machine work as for hand sewing. Results will not be satisfactory without careful basting.

[Sidenote: Care of the Machine]

The machine should be kept well oiled, free from dust and gum and it should he run evenly. In case it becomes "gummed" a drop of kerosene on the parts that have been oiled will cut the gum. Remove the shuttle and run the machine rapidly for a moment, then wipe off all the kerosene and oil the machine carefully with good machine oil--only the best should be used. A machine should always be wiped thoroughly before any work is placed upon it.

[Sidenote: Needles and Thread]

As in hand sewing, needles and thread should be selected with care. A blunt or bent needle should never be used, it should have a fine sharp point and the eye should be sufficiently large to carry the thread easily. The needle and thread should be suitable for the material to be sewed. Glazed thread should never be used in a machine. The best quality of thread and silk should be purchased but only enough for immediate use, as it loses strength with age, chiefly because of the action of the dyes and chemicals. Even white thread may become "tender" from the chemicals used in bleaching it. Sewing silk and cotton should be kept in a closed box to exclude the light and air.

For sewing cotton or linen the best cotton thread should be used.

Woolen, silk, and velvet should be st.i.tched with the best machine silk.

The thread should match the material in color. Cotton thread fades or loses its brightness when exposed to the light, therefore for st.i.tching that will show it is always better to use silk. The thread on the bobbin should be wound evenly and carefully to insure an even st.i.tch and the tension of both threads should be equal, otherwise the st.i.tch will not be perfect. As a lock st.i.tch machine requires two threads while in hand sewing only one is used, the two need not be as coa.r.s.e as the single thread. For ordinary home sewing, underwear, thin gowns and the like, No. 70 to No. 100 will be found satisfactory. Finer thread may be used when the materials demand it, but no coa.r.s.er than No. 50 should be used in the machine and this only with the coa.r.s.est material.

[Sidenote: Fastening Threads]

Much time may be saved in fastening the threads at the ends of tucks, hems on sheets, towels, etc., by careful manipulation of the machine.

For example, on sheets begin to st.i.tch along the hem at the selvage, or if the end of the hem is over-sewed, begin an inch from the edge and st.i.tch the hem towards the selvage, then lift the presser-foot so as to turn the work, and retrace the bit of st.i.tching, continuing across the whole hem. When the end is reached, release the presser-foot, turn the work, and st.i.tch back for an inch or more in the same line, as was done at the beginning of the hem. By this method the threads are fastened much more easily and quickly than by drawing them through on to the wrong side and tying or sewing them by hand and, of course, it is more satisfactory than the "shop" way of cutting them off short. Tucks or seams may be fastened in the same way. If fine thread is used the double st.i.tching at the ends is hardly noticeable.

[Sidenote: Bias Side Next Feed]

When st.i.tching a seam having one bias and one straight side, let the bias side come next to the feed, that is, on the underside. This is especially important in thin materials. If the material is very sheer, strips of soft paper--newspaper will answer for ordinary purposes--should be sewed in the seam. This will insure a seam free from puckers and when finished the paper can be pulled away easily.

[Sidenote: St.i.tching Gathers]