1. Find the middle of the band and clip a tiny notch in edge of each side.
2. Clip off each corner of band, to avoid thickness of goods.
3. Pin the right hand end of the gathered piece one-quarter of an inch from the right hand end of band.
4. Pin the center of the gathered piece to the center of the band.
5. Pin the left hand end of the gathered piece one-quarter of an inch from the left hand end of the band.
6. Tighten or loosen the gathering thread to the exact length of the band and fasten under and over the pin.
7. With needle point, distribute, or spread, the gathers evenly.
8. With gathers toward you, baste with small even basting stitch just above the gathering thread.
9. With stitching stitch, sew the gathering to the band, taking up one gather at a time. Fasten thread and cut off.
10. Turn up the band. Fold the opposite side over toward you one-quarter of an inch from the edge. Crease. Do the same to the ends of band.
11. Fold this over the gathers, bringing the folded edge just over the stitching.
[Illustration: Setting gathers in a band]
12. Pin the middle of the band to the middle of the stitching, and the ends to the ends, exactly even.
14. Hem the gathers against the band, taking up one gather at a time. Do not let the stitches show on right side.
[Illustration: “Now it is ready for setting gathers in a band”]
“DEAR me,” sighed Mary Frances. “How will I ever get so much done? I didn’t want to interrupt you, dear Fairy Lady, but I’ve gotten, you see, no further than basting the hem of dolly’s apron!”
Big tears trembled in the little girl’s eyes.
“Dear child,” smiled Fairy Lady. “We realize how rapidly we’ll have to work in these lessons in order to get through before your mother comes, so we are ready to help.”
With this, she rapped three times on the sewing table with her bodkin wand, whereat a little fellow of queer appearance walked solemnly up to Mary Frances and made a pompous bow.
[Illustration: “There is but one needle in the world”]
“There is but one needle in the world, your Seamstress-ship,” he said, “which is called the Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try, and the King of the Thimble People has sent it to you by your humble servant,” glancing proudly about.
“Why,” said Mary Frances, scarcely daring to breathe. “Why,―you, you are certainly my own needle book!”