1868. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



105 



wrong side, like the usual seams, and then do the 

 pass-stitches on the right side, as described above. 



All buttons, button-holes, and pocket corners 

 must be stayed, with strips of stout linen, or sile- 

 sia, laid between the lining and the outside, 

 through which the stitches are taken. Beside this, 

 the corners of pockets should be stitched across 

 twice, strongly, and barred in button-hole stitch. 



You will need drilling, silesia, or linen for pock- 

 ets and linings ; also padding and canvass, to shape 

 the coat and the vest, — as you will see by ripping 

 an old one. Facings are strongest of alpaca; 

 likewise bindings. Don't omit to sew leather 

 shields — narrow strips of thin leather or thick kid 

 — inside the hems of pantaloons ; and along the 

 lower edge, inside, of vest-fronts. These give a 

 stiffness to those parts, and also protect the cloth 

 from too great wear. 



All seams are rubbed as flat as possible, damp- 

 ened, and then pressed with a hot iron on the 

 wrong side. If you do not wish a seam to show, 

 scratch the nap in its channel, on the right side of 

 the cloth, (using the point of your needle) till the 

 seam is hidden. This before pressing. It will 

 look well for some time, but is not So good a way 

 as ranting. 



When a garment is torn, mend it as soon as pos- 

 sible. Don't say it looks like an accident just met 

 with, — as I have heard some say, for weeks. A 

 tidy patch is better than a hole any time. I don't 

 know a more pitiable object than a man with rents 

 pinned up ; or, elbows out, buttons off and edges 

 frayed. 



In mending, always match the exact shade of 

 the cloth with the silk or thread you use. If the 

 cloth be thin, and worn, around the hole, cut it out 

 to form a square, and in each corner of this aper- 

 ture make a short, oblique gash ; this is to prevent 

 puckers in the seam of the piece to be inserted. If 

 the cloth is ribbed, striped, checked, or plaided, it 

 must be correctly joined in these respects by the 

 piece ; also, whether plain or variegated, the shade 

 of the color must be the same, if to procure it you 

 are obliged to wash, or to fade, some of the mate- 

 rial. Very often, exposure to sun and air so alters 

 the color of some parts of a garment that it is to- 

 tally unlike the original tint of the cloth. 



If the cloth is good, and you have only a new 

 rent to mend, line it with some thin material, sim- 

 ilar in color; and, if possible, dam it with threads 

 ravelled from cloth from which the garment was 

 made. In threading your needle with a woolen 

 ravelling use very fine cotton, or a hair, to draw 

 it into the eye. Take very small, even stitches 

 over and through the torn and frayed edges ; — 

 it must be done slowly and carefully ;— the darn 

 ought not to look unlike a rough place in weaving. 

 After you have sewed it to look as neat as possible 

 (the' extreme edges in overstitch) dampen and 

 press on the wrong side. 



Never sew up any hole carelessly, — "just for the 

 present," — mend it well, at once. The longer it is 



left, the more diflScult it is to make it look nice ; 

 because the loose threads get broken, and the rent 

 stretched out of shape. 



When bindmgs are worn through sew them in 

 overstitch, or darn them, if you can make them 

 look well by so doing ; if not, replace them by 

 new. If the hems of pantaloons, or the turned back 

 cuffs of coatsleeves, are in the same condition, cut 

 them smooth and then turn the edge of the out- 

 side as narrow as possible for a seam. To. this 

 fell the hem or facing;— if the clolh be thick, this 

 need not be turned in, the raw edge will make a 

 neater seam ; — if it be thin, turn in as narrow a 

 portion as of the outside. Some persona bind 

 such edges with wide worsted braid ; but, unless 

 the garments are short, don't adopt that method, 

 it is apt to look clumsy. 



A man's clothes may be made to last double 

 their time by careful repairing. When coat, vest, 

 or trousers looks wrinkled, and out of proper 

 shape ; elbows and shoulders and knees, of black 

 or blue cloth, threadbare and whitish ; buttons oflf, 

 loose, or bursting their coverings ; button-holes 

 stretched, or broken; sleeve linings out at the 

 cuff, or worn away from the arm-size, and seams 

 and edges frayed— a bad case, with such a com- 

 plication of disorders— but, nevertheless, such as 

 is frequently met with in the best of families — you 

 must give it a good day's work. Brush it thor- 

 oughly, in the first place. Put on buttons where 

 needed, and strengthen those that remain, in the 

 next. Pare delicately the edge of worn button- 

 holes, pick out all the stitches, and make them as 

 if new. Put in new sleeve linings, or mend with 

 new around the arm-size. Make everything firm, 

 and strong, and neat about the pockets. Line all 

 thin places : knees and elbows with pieces wide 

 enough to be attached to each side seam ; and 

 cross-stitch the other two ends to the main cloth 

 by needle and silk so fine that no print of the 

 stitches shall be seen on the outside. If elbows 

 and knees are stretched into a swelling shape, af- 

 ter all sewing is done lay a damp cloth upon 

 them, fold them up, and let them remain thus an 

 hour. Then lay them on a table ; smooth them 

 with the palm of the hand ; pull them gently, all 

 ways. Continue this till the swelling is reduced — 

 elbows and knees straight and flat. Then press 

 the whole garment on the wrong side, finishing 

 those places first. 



If a black article of clothing gets rusty, dilute a 

 little ink with warm water, and sponge it well 

 with this, — for seams and edges use a pen : button- 

 holes often need this treatment. If the shoulders 

 look quite grey take the ink undiluted, and be 

 sure to rub it in well. Then press it. For blue 

 proceed in the same way, using blue ink. Cash- 

 merette and alpaca, when faded, are much im- 

 proved by this process. 



Never throw any article of dress aside, that is 

 considered worn out, without examining it to see 

 if some portion of it may not be used again. 



