Sewing - Methods Of Fastening Garments

( Originally Published 1918 )

Sewing buttons on the the aprons, coerset-cover, or other garment.

SUBJECT MATTER

This lesson should teach neatness in dress, through a consideration of the best methods of fastening garments. The position of the button is measured by drawing the right end of the band one inch over the left end. The place for the button should be marked with a pin on the left end of the band. A double thread is fastened on the right side of the band, drawn through one hole of the button and back through the other, and then taken through the band close to the first stitch. A pin should be inserted on top of the button under the first stitch, left there until the button is firmly fastened in place, and then removed. Before the thread is fastened, it should be wrapped two or three times around the threads holding the button, between the button and the cloth, then fastened neatly on the wrong side with a few small stitches one on top of another.

PRELIMINARY PLAN

Each pupil should come to the class with her apron as nearly completed as possible. and with three buttons to sew on it, for fastening the belt and straps.

METHOD OF WORK

The teacher should discuss the best methods of fastening garments and should demonstrate the method of sewing on buttons. The pupils should sew one button on the left end of the apron band in the middle of the width about 1inch from the end, and another button 4 inches from each end of the band, to hold the shoulder straps.

Dutton-holes on practice piece and on apron.

SUBJECT MATTER

Directions for making the button-hole.—Measure carefully the position for the button-hole, lengthwise of the hand, so that the end will cone one quarter of an inch from the edge of the garment. Mark the length of the button-hole on the material by putting in two lines of running-stitches at the end. To cut the button-hole, insert the point of the scissors at the point marked by the running-stitches nearest the edge of the garment, and cut carefully- along the thread of the material to the row of stitches marking the length at the other end.

To make the button-hole, use a thread of sufficient length to do both the overcasting and the button-point beginning at the lower right corner. overcast the raw edges with stitches one sixteenth of an inch deep. Do not overcast around the ends of the hole. A soon as the over-casting is done, proceed with the button-holing without breaking the thread. Hold the button-hole horizontally over the first finger of the left hand and work from right to left. Insert the point of the needle through the button-hole (at the back end ), bringing the poiut through, toward you, four or five threads below the edge of the button-hole. Bring the doubled thread from the eve of the needle from right to left under and around the point of the needle, draw the needle through, and pull the thread firmly, so that the purl is on the edge. At. the end of the button-hole, near the end of the band, make a fan, by placing from five to seven stitches. The other end of the button-hole should be finished with a bar ruade by taking three stitches across the end of the button-hole, then button-hole over the bar, taking in the cloth underneath and pulling the purl toward the slit. The thread should he fastened carefully on the under side of the button-hole.

PRELIMINARY PLAN

For this lesson it is desirable to have small pieces of cotton on hand, to use a practice pieces for the buttonholes.

METHOD OF WORK

The teacher should demonstrate the making of a button-hole, illustrating each step of the process on a large piece of canvas. The pupil, should sew two small. strips of cotton together and cut a button-hole one quarter of an inch from the edge, and lengthwise of the material, to work for practice. When the button-hole has been sufficiently perfected on the practice piece, the pupils should make three in the apron one in the right end of the hand and one in the end of each shoulder strap.