Mending And Darning
( Originally Published 1924 )
The Overhand Patch
Patching is sometimes necessary, and every good home-keeper should know how to do it. An over-hand patch is used where there is little strain, and it is desirable to have the patch show as little as possible, as, for example, on dresses, outside garments, etc.
Cut the patch large enough to extend one inch beyond the worn part.
If the material has a stripe, check, or figure, cut the patch so that it will exactly match.
Place the patch on the right side of the garment, being careful to match the figures exactly; pin and baste in place.
Run a tracing wheel along the line desired for the sewing line of the patch. This will be about one-fourth of an inch from the raw edges of the patch. The tracing will go through patch and garment.
Remove the patch from the garment, turn the edges to the wrong side along the tracing lines and baste.
Cut out the worn part, leaving about one-half inch outside of the tracing lines.
In each corner of the opening make a diagonal cut extending to the tracing line; turn the edges of the opening carefully to the wrong side along the tracing line, and baste.
Fit the patch to the opening. Baste and over-hand the folded edges together on the wrong side.
Remove the basting. Crease the overhanded seams so that they will lie flat.
Trim the edges of the seams to one-fourth inch, and overcast. Then press very carefully on both right and wrong sides.
The Undergarment Patch
A good type of patch for knitted underwear is one which is stitched twice around the edges, buttonholed over the stitching, and the worn part cut out.
Ability to do a good piece of darning will save many a garment for longer service. Garments are torn in a variety of ways. We have a three-cornered tear, a straight tear, and a diagonal tear, besides many that can not be classified.
Darning of Torn Clothing
The straight tear is perhaps the easiest to darn, if the edges have not been frayed. On heavy woolen material, and especially on broadcloth, the darning can be done with a hair, on the wrong side, in such a way that no stitches will show on the right side. If a long hair is not available, use fine raveling from some strong cotton or linen material, such as batiste or linen lawn. As the stitches do not show on the right side, any color of thread or hair can be used. In darning this type of tear on thinner materials, a thread of the same material should be used; this shows much less than silk. The stitches for the darning should be very fine and inconspicuous and should be made across the tear at right angles to the warp thread.
In darning the three-cornered tear, the stitches should run across both sides at right angles to the tear. A raveling of the material should be used for this, and the stitches should be taken very carefully.
Darning of Stockings
Darning stockings is the kind which is probably most frequently needed. A stocking which is well darned gives much better service than one which is carelessly done. Directions for stocking darning follow. The work may be done either on the right or wrong side. If done on the right side, it is less likely to hurt the foot.
Stocking darning is like plain weaving. We must construct a piece of material to fill the hole in the stocking. Care must be taken to extend the darning far enough beyond the hole to prevent pulling out and to make the work loose enough so that it will not draw. Leave a loop of thread when each turning is made, to prevent drawing. After the warp threads have been put in, work across these threads, being sure each time to work over alternate sets of threads in the hole.
Repairing With Mending Tissue Directions for this are always furnished with the package of mending material,