Basting and running on outside of bag
Basting and running on outside of bag
Basting and back-stitching on inside of bag
Basting and back-stitching on inside of bag
“The fold makes the other side,” explained Sir Bodkin. “Now we’ll need a stout Stitcher for finishing the seams of this heavy material.” So he called out all the Stitchers and selected one with a large eye. Margaret harnessed him with blue cotton thread, then they were ready to sew the seam.
“Run along the seam, across the bottom, around the corner and up one side a little lessthan one-quarter inch from the edge beside the basting. Take tiny steps close together,” he said, “and fasten the thread well at beginning and ending.”
When this was done and Baster and Large Runner were resting in the pincushion on the table, Margaret pulled out the bastings and turned the little bag wrong side out.
“Run your finger all along the seam inside to push it well out to the sewing. Now baste the seam a little more than a quarter inch from the edge, so there will be no raw edges showing on the finished felled seam,” the King said.
“Is this a felled seam?” Margaret asked.
“Yes, it is a French fell,” Sir Bodkin said.
When the seam was basted, Sir Bodkin asked Large Runner to come and back-stitch it.
“It must be sewed good and strong to stand the strain of holding heavy marbles,” said Sir Bodkin.
With Margaret’s right fingers holding him, Large Runner went to one end of the seam, at the corner of the bag, and began to step along, singing:
Back-stitching
Back-stitching
Back-stitching
“With three steps to startI fasten the thread.My toe goes in towards you,Comes out one stitch ahead.Now backward I step,Just one stitch long,Step in and step outLike the first of this song.I am coming towards youAll the time, you can see,And making the stitchesAs close as can be.”
“With three steps to startI fasten the thread.My toe goes in towards you,Comes out one stitch ahead.Now backward I step,Just one stitch long,Step in and step outLike the first of this song.I am coming towards youAll the time, you can see,And making the stitchesAs close as can be.”
“With three steps to startI fasten the thread.My toe goes in towards you,Comes out one stitch ahead.Now backward I step,Just one stitch long,Step in and step outLike the first of this song.I am coming towards youAll the time, you can see,And making the stitchesAs close as can be.”
“With three steps to start
I fasten the thread.
My toe goes in towards you,
Comes out one stitch ahead.
Now backward I step,
Just one stitch long,
Step in and step out
Like the first of this song.
I am coming towards you
All the time, you can see,
And making the stitches
As close as can be.”
Across the bottom, around the corner, and up the side they went, busily sewing the seam good and strong. At the end the thread was fastened with three steps on one spot, and then the basting-thread was pulled out.
“One side of back-stitching looks very pretty while the other looks something like a chain,” said Sir Bodkin, “but when done properly it’s as strong as machine-stitching, and as near to it as we can do.”