Sir Bodkin stood up quickly from the table-top where he had been resting since yesterday.

“Yes, My Lady, it looks very neat indeed. Of course I’m old fashioned and prefer hand-sewing to machine-sewing but I know there is so much to do these days that time can be saved by using the machine,” he answered.

“Oh, I’m glad you think these tucks look well, ’cause I stitched ’em myself. Mother let me try,” Margaret said proudly.

“I must say you kept it straight,” Sir Bodkin remarked. “Now, how about the band for that apron to-day?”

Margaret showed him a piece of lawn about twenty inches long and two inches wide. Sir Bodkin told her to fold it over lengthwise making it one inch wide. Then he said to crease the fold for the top of the band. Next he told her to find the center of the band from the ends and mark it on the two raw edges with tiny notches.

“We are to allow one inch on each end beyond the gathers for the long strings to be sewed on,” said Margaret.

“Then that will leave us eighteen inches to sew the gathers on. Oh, you Stitcher!” called Sir Bodkin to one in the pincushion. He came over and was harnessed for gathering with a double thread, longer than the gathering-space was to be.

“Don’t forget to knot the end,” said the King.

“No, indeedy,” replied Margaret.

“Find the center of the apron top and cut a tiny notch,” said Sir Bodkin.

After this was done, Margaret held the right side of the apron next to her and began to gather the top one-quarter inch from the edge, going from right to left.

“Run a few stitches on Stitcher and then pinch them flat to set them,” directed the King.

When the gathers were run in Margaret pinned the center of the apron top to the center of one long edge of the band. Nine inches each way from the center she pinned the ends of the gathers to the band and drew up the thread to fit. After which she wound the thread in a figure eight around a pin.

“You’re a Jim Dandy,” said Sir Bodkin watching his little mistress. “Now take Stitcher in your hand and stroke the gathers with his toe and lay them evenly along the band so they won’t be too bunchy here and too skimpy there. But be careful you don’t scratch the goods,” he said to his subject.

Then Baster was harnessed and basted the gathers to the band above the gathering-thread. Margaret held the gathers next to herself.

“One-quarter inch from the edge sew the gathers to the band. Runner, take back and running steps, catching up one gather at a time,” Sir Bodkin said to Margaret and the Fairy. When this was done and thread fastened, they fastened the gathering-thread, too. Then they snipped all threads off and waited.

“Turn over the other edge of the band one-quarter inch towards you, crease it and bring it down on the gathers. Now, Baster, your turn to step again to hold this fold down firm,” said Sir Bodkin.

“Then Mother will stitch it on the machine,” finished Margaret, “and I’ll make the strings and sew them on and the darling little apron will be ready to go to Grandma’s.”

“How will you make the strings, My Lady?” asked Sir Bodkin.

“Oh, I’ll turn over tiny hems on the sides and a larger one on the ends and they’ll be stitched on the machine. Then I can easily sew the strings to the ends of the band. And I’ll put a tiny pink bow on the pocket,” cried Margaret eagerly.