  Margaret came into her room a few days after the doll’s Christmas present was finished. “More presents to be made?” asked Sir Bodkin jumping off the pincushion. “Yes,” answered Margaret, “and these will be the last.” “What are they to be?” asked the King again. “Mother bought me a third of a yard of handkerchief linen to make some handkerchiefs. “I suppose the linen is thirty-six inches, or a yard, wide?” he said. Margaret took her tape measure from the work-basket and measured the goods. “That’s the width,” Margaret told Sir Bodkin. “Then you can cut it into three twelve-inch squares. First cut off the selvedge on each end. That’s the woven edge on the sides of the cloth; and fold the linen in three across the long way of the piece,” directed Sir Bodkin. “Take a One-Eyed Fairy in your hand and with his toe pick up a thread running the same way you wish to cut the squares apart. Pull the thread out and cut where it leaves a little track. This is called cutting by a thread,” said he to Margaret. “Fold each square over diagonally” “Each one is perfectly square now,” said Margaret; “how shall we sew the first one?” “The first one we’ll hemstitch,” said the King. “Measure one-half inch in from the edge and pick up and pull out a thread very carefully across the square. Use the Fairy’s toe as before. Do another thread towards First stitch Second stitch Hemstitching Margaret soon had the sides drawn and ready. Then she turned a tiny hem and basted it down to the place where the threads were drawn. Fine Stitcher was harnessed with number 80 white cotton thread. She held the hem at the top over her left forefinger. Stitcher came up through it and “I start at right corner where threads are drawn And with my little toe, Pick up a tiny bunch of them, Slip underneath towards you. Back over I go and step towards you Beneath the bunch again, But this time stick my little toe Up through the edge of hem.” “There!” cried Sir Bodkin, “you’ve made your first hemstitch. Keep the bunches of threads the same size as you go from right to left and they’ll look even when finished.” Margaret and Stitcher went very carefully along one side to the other corner. “You have to be careful when you pick up the threads in the tiny spaces at the corners where the cloth is double. Whip the outside edges of the hems together at the corners “Oh,” said Margaret, “that takes care to make it look nice. And you have to keep your hands very clean or your work gets dirty.” “Well, My Lady, we can’t have any gains without pains, you know. Take your time and be sure to get the bunches of threads even and all sewing threads fastened well. Then this fine white linen handkerchief hemstitched by hand will be a present fit for a queen,” Sir Bodkin replied. “And that will be my Mother!” said Margaret proudly. Sir Bodkin nodded approval of this. “Suppose you lay this one away for to-day and Hem rolling “I’ll run and wash my hands again to be sure they’re clean,” said Margaret. “Wait a minute. Wet a clean little sponge or cloth to moisten your fingers when you roll the hem in this handkerchief,” cried the King to her before she got out of sight. When she came back Margaret picked up the square of linen. Sir Bodkin told her to trim the corners off round with her scissors. “Roll the edge of the linen between your left thumb and forefinger towards you until the raw edge is out of sight. Moisten your fingers a tiny bit and don’t get the hem too big and clumsy,” cautioned Sir Bodkin. “It’s kind of fun, isn’t it?” she said. “Yes, and that one looks good for a first attempt,” said the King. Margaret looked pleased. Then she folded her work away in the basket. “Good-bye, dear,” she said to her friend, “I must run and do my errands now. You’ll see me to-morrow.” All was quiet in the room, after she had gone, with the mystery of Christmas presents loaded with pleasant thoughts, waiting to be finished by their happy maker. |
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