Threading PRACTICAL STITCHES As sewing is based on needlework, the first lesson should be in threading and handling the needle. Thread dark thread into the needle against a light background and light thread against a dark background. If there is difficulty in seeing the eye of the needle, use crewel needles with long eyes. Baste with fine, soft thread. There is now a small cone of thread offered which is much better to use for basting than the stiff basting thread. Do not use a long thread, no longer than can be pulled off the spool with one reach. If the dress is basted in white thread, any alterations should be basted in colored thread so as to designate the correct mark for alteration. Thread knotting Thread often knots when it is sewed by hand. This is caused by the knot being placed on the wrong end of the thread. The thread in the needle turns as each stitch is taken and if it retwists rather than twisting tighter it will cause the thread to form a tangle of tiny knots similar to the knots in a piece of twine retwisted in the fingers. If the thread knots, tack it, break it off and draw down the short end of the thread for a new knot and proceed to sew. Knot the end of the thread by circling the thread around the finger once only, and drawing down the thread into a knot. Bastings should be tacked only when there is a strain on the seam that is basted. Otherwise overlap the bastings and do not tack them. Closely tacked bastings are difficult to remove after
the machine stitching is made on top of them, and the heavy tacking increases this difficulty. Thimble The thimble is placed on the middle finger of the right hand if the seamstress is right handed. It is used as a "pusher" for the needle and protects the end of the finger. Either the side or the end of the thimble can be used. Holding the goods Many of the secrets of sewing are found in the correct method of holding the material. In all hand seaming and gathering, the goods rests between the fingers. Place the needle in the goods at the beginning of the seam, then lift the seam into the fingers and hold the thumb in front of the seam and the first finger back of the seam and proceed to make the running stitch holding the needle steady, working the goods back and forth with the
left hand in front of the needle point as the thimble pushes the needle forward. As one becomes accustomed to the position of the needle and thimble, the goods can be worked back and forth more rapidly and thus make the stitches smaller and faster. The right hand is held still and the left hand moves the goods. Necessary stitches It is necessary to learn but a few stitches to make a dress plain running stitch, gathers, back stitch, plain basting and dressmaker's basting, machine stitching, and hemming. Running stitch Small, even stitches are called running stitches. Use a mediumto-small needle to secure the best results. Number seven is a good average size. Be sure to hold the goods, needle and thimble as directed in the previous paragraph.
Gathers Gathers are made with a line of running stitches drawn up on the thread. The process is called gathering. The needle should not be removed from the goods the full length of the length to be gathered. As the needle is filled with the goods, it is pushed off the head of the needle and refilled, continuing to the end of the length to be gathered. This produces an unbroken line when finished. Shirring Shirring is made with several rows of gathers placed close together. If several rows are to be hand-shirred, make the desired number of rows of running stitches but do not draw them up or tack any of the rows until they are all made. Then draw up all the rows in one operation and tack each thread separately. The width must be measured before tacking.
Back stitch: tacking A back stitch is used to prevent a stitch from slipping or drawing. It is a plain stitch taken back over the last stitch making a thread both above and below the stitch. When several back stitches are taken in one place it is called tacking. Flat basting All long seams should be basted with the goods resting flat on the table. The goods is not picked up in the hands, but each stitch is picked through to the table or basting board. This may seem awkward at first, but it is the best way to baste straight. The more bias section of the seam should be uppermost just as gathers are placed uppermost. When extremely bias sections are to be basted, it is advisable to first machine stitch the raw edge of the bias section before it is placed on the matching section to be basted. Test it after it is stitched to see that it lies flat.
Plain basting Plain basting is made with an even stitch. It differs from the running stitch in that it is a larger stitch and the stitches are farther apart. This basting is made in the hands. Dressmaker's basting Dressmakers use a quick basting that holds the seam firmly in place with few stitches. Place the edges to be basted flat on the table with the more bias edge uppermost. Pin to position, chalk mark a straight line with the ruler if the seam is a long straight line. With a knotted double thread take two short stitches close together picking through to the table (do not pick the seam up in the hands), skip an inch-and-a-half space and take two more small stitches and continue to skip the space and make two small stitches. Do not tack the ends. The two small stitches hold the seam and prevent it from slipping and the long space speeds the work. This stitch holds much better than long loose bastings and gives a pleasing appearance.
Necessary seam finishes The day of artistic needlework on the inside of a dress is past. Dresses are not worn for years as in the days of our grandmothers when the inside finish on a dress was a work of art; finished with yards of ribbon and embroidery stitching across the feather boning. The dress might well have been worn wrong side out. The inside finishes of today are for necessity more than for beauty and to keep the material from fraying. They are finished quickly if finished at all. More time should be spent on the problems of the outside of the dress rather than the finish of the seams. After all, the dress is to be worn right side out and is not examined on the inside. The inside should look neat and of a uniform appearance; the seams should be even and smooth but not necessarily finished with fancy stitches. Pinking Pinking is the approved method of seam finish if the material is not of the fraying variety. All closely woven materials may be pinked with the handy pinking shears that are available today. The pinking can be done as the dress is cut out for the pinking shears are the cutting shears. If the goods is of firm weave and pinking shears are not available, then the seams can either remain unfinished or can be pinked by hand with the scissors,
folding the seam double for clipping the point. The seam is pinked double and pressed open later. Overcasting If the material frays, it should be trimmed off and overcast. If the seam is to be pressed open, each side of the seam is overcast separately. Be sure to trim off the loose threads, knot the thread and wind the needle around the edge of the seam as the thimble pushes the needle forward. As the thread is used up, do not tack it, but overlap a few stitches with the new thread, and continue. This prevents a drawing on the finish. As the seams will all be pressed open, even the armhole, be sure to clip all inner curves such as the waistline on the side seams and the armhole, so that the overcasting will not be cut when clipped later. After the seam is pressed, open for overcasting. It makes a neat finish and is quickly accomplished.
Dressmaker's tacks Tailor's tacks are used for tailoring, as they are more difficult to make and require more time. The dressmaker uses a shorter method that simplifies the process, called dressmaker's tacks. The sewing line should be chalk marked. The seams should be laid flat on the table or a long basting board. Pin to position every six inches. Use a double thread without knotting. Pick up one short stitch through both edges, then skip a space of an inch and a half or two inches and pick up another short stitch. The shorter the threads are clipped the closer the material holds. Notice that the stitch is not looped as in the tailor's tack. The full length of the seam can be marked very quickly. After the full length is marked, clip apart the long stitch on top of the goods, the threads that joined the two short stitches; clip all threads along the full length of the seam. The seam is now ready to be separated, open the seam lengthwise, parallel to the cut edge, never from the top downward. Fold back
the edge until three stitches are visible. Hold the under piece down with the points of the scissors and clip the double threads apart. Continue to open the seam carefully parallel with the edge until all the threads are opened. Then before the goods is raised from the table, trim off the top threads as close as possible, for the shorter the threads that protrude, the better they will remain in the goods. Slip-stitched hem As there is one hem that is used on practically all garments, this will be taught first. The tailor's slip stitch is somewhat different but will be learned in another lesson. The hem is basted. The thread is caught to the dress or under section and in the same operation, the needle is slid into the fold of the hem before it is drawn out. Draw out the thread and catch two threads of the under section; on the same needle slide the needle into the hem and repeat to the end of the thread.
Machine hems Wide hems are made by hand, but narrow hems may be made by machine with the sewing machine attachments which may be used after much practice. Straight edges are simple to run by machine, but curves are more difficult if not impractical. Curved edges should be turned and basted before stitching. Machine stitch all hems close to the edge. Occasional Stitches The stitches explained in the previous lesson are the stitches generally used and should be learned first, as the following stitches are seldom used and then on special materials or underwear. French seams French seams are not often used in making dresses. They are especially adapted for use with thin materials and on garments that have straight lines and do not fit closely, such as infants' wear, nightgowns, etc. When French seams are much curved it is very difficult to allow sufficient fullness in the first stitching to permit the seam to be turned and stitched again without drawing. However, it is not difficult for the home sewer to achieve skill in handling this seam where conditions make it desirable if the seams are carefully basted. To make it, stitch a narrow seam on the right side of the garment. Clip off all loose threads. Turn the garment and stitch another seam on the wrong side, encasing the raw edges in the seam. In many cases the French seam can be replaced by the non-rip seam, which can be made in one stitching on the wrong side.
Non-rip seam This seam can be made on all underwear or any material where a finished seam is desired. Baste one edge of the seam back on the other edge, one-half of the seam allowance. For example, if a three-eighths inch seam is allowed, baste the shorter side at three-sixteenths of an inch, with the wider edge extending twice this width beyond. Turn over the wide side until its raw edge just meets the edge of the narrow side. Then bring the fold of the wide side to the basting line and stitch flat through the three thicknesses of material, finishing the seam with one stitching. After one becomes experienced, this seam can be held in place with a few pins and the edge turned over as the seam is stitched. This finish is made quickly and is very satisfactory for non-fitting garments. Sheer fabrics This same finish can be used on sheer dresses after the dress has been stitched and finished. One side of the seam is trimmed
back and the wider side is then rolled over the narrow side and either slip stitched or held with a running stitch. Cross stitch A cross stitch is sometimes used. Start at the left with a straight stitch. Take one stitch above the seam and the next stitch below the seam, gradually working to the right. This will overlap the stitches and hold the edge in place. This stitch is sometimes used on parts of the coat lining or on velvet. There are many other stitches seldom used in making dresses and can be found in all sewing books. As lessons in this course are to explain the dress construction, these superfluous stitches will be omitted. Practice each stitch if new. Questions Practical Stitches How is light thread threaded? How is dark thread threaded? If eyesight is poor, what kind of needles are used? Is a long thread used? How long should the thread be made?
What kind of thread is used to baste alterations? What causes knotted thread? If thread knots, what should be done? How tight should bastings be tacked? For what is the thimble used? What part of the thimble is used? How is the needle and goods held for rapid sewing? What are the necessary stitches for dressmaking? What are running stitches? How are gathers made on the needle? How is shirring made? What is a back stitch? When is it used? How should long seams be basted? What part of the seam is uppermost? How should bias seams be treated? How is plain basting made? What is the dressmaker's basting, and when is it used? Are the ends of threads tacked on long seams when basting? How are the inside seams finished? Is much time spent on inside finish of a dress? What is the quickest method of inside finish and when used? What is used for fraying seams and how is it quickly made? How are the dressmaker's tacks made? When are they used?
Are the top threads clipped apart in dressmaker's tacks before the goods is separated? How is the full-length seam opened in dressmaker's tacks? What hem is generally used? When are machine hems used? Should French seams be used in dressmaking? When are French seams used? What is quick seam finish? How are sheer fabrics finished? How is a cross stitch made?