TT 710 .P6 Copy 1 Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics United States Department of Agriculture and State Agricultural Colleges Cooperating SEWING FOR GIRLS' CLUB WORK OlA POWELL Assistant in Home Demonstration Work U NITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR 2 Contribution from the States Relations Service (Office of Extension Work South) A. C. TRUE, Director Washington, D. C. May, 1919 WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1919 Moaog^rapl^ \LL REGULAR CANNING CLUB MEMBERS in the -^^ South are required to make a uniform cap and apron, holder, and cup towel for use in their canning work. During 1917, 44,146 caps and aprons, 8,803 towels, 7,010 holders, 5,919 dresses, 57 sewing screens, and 6,727 miscellaneous articles were reported made by club members. These figures were more than doubled during 1918, in spite of the fact that the regular program for third and fourth year club members was replaced by some form of Red Cross relief work. Since the making of these articles has a distinct bearing on other club activities, special instructions have been requested by both the club members and home-demonstra- tion agents. This circular is prepared to answer this need. In the well-organized counties, where sufficient aid is given by the teachers, many club members have extended this work until they make all their own clothes and also help to make and mend clothing for the household. An outline of a suggestive four-year program of sewing work for canning club girls is included in this circular. SEWING FOR GIRLS' CLUB WORK. UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS CLUB ACTIVITIES IN A FOUR-YEAR PROGRAM. THE making of the articles described in this circular serves to teach the girls something about sewing and to arouse their pride and inter- est in all of their club work. The gardening set may be made vety early in the spring before there is a rush of outdoor work and the uniforms before the busy canning season begins. The other pieces are suggested with reference to the progressive interest and needs from year to year. Each year's problems are a little more difficult than the year before and require greater skill. If the privilege of wearing the emblems is won by a year's satisfactory club work it enhances their value to the girls. GARDEN^G SET. This set is an attractive and useful equipment for the garden. The kneeling pad and tool apron protect the clothing and make trans- planting more easily done. Small plants are conven- iently carried in the pocket of the pad and the tools in the pockets of the apron. These outfits should be at- tractively made, and, if pos- sible, be uniform throughout the county. GARDEN KNEELING PAD. This pad (fig. 1) may be made of matting, burlap, denim, oilcloth, heavy can- vas, or even an old rug or piece of carpet. Matting lined with brown denim is very suitable material, be- cause this color does not show soil easily. The matting lined with brown denim and bound with red tape makes an attractive color combination. If cloth without the matting is used, it will be necessary to cut the pattern double and place a heavy cardboard between the outside and the lining, in order to hold the shape when finished. Cotton tape is used for binding the edges together and for the handles. An oblong piece 3 Fig. 1. — Garden kneeling pad. DEPAETMENT CIKCULAR 2, TJ. S. DEPT. OF AGR. Fig. 2.— Pattern for making garden Imeeling pad. of black oilclotli sewed on the underside of the bottom will protect the pad and keep the cushion dry. Material. — One-half yard of matting, one yard of denim, one roll of 1-inch tape, and one •^' " ~*^ oblong of black oil- cloth will be sufficient to make this pad. Directions for cut- ting and m.ahing pad. — Cut a paper pattern by the meas- urements given in figure 2. The oblong may be made larger or smaller as desired. When such changes are made, however, the side ends which fold around should be made long or short enough to just meet the back corners of the bottom. Cut the Uning first and pin it to the matting. The two edges should be bound with the cotton tape at once to keep the matting from raveling. PocTcet. — Cut a strip 15 by 9 inches for the pocket. Place a 1-inch hem at the top, and sew the bottom of the pocket along the dotted line on the inside of the front of the frame before the sides are folded around and fastened to the sides of the bottom. Run a rubber band through the hem to hold the top edge straight across but do not stretch the rubber. Stitch the sides of the pocket to the inside of the front and the pocket will be finished. Bottom. — -Cut an oblong of black oilcloth for the bot- tom and sew it securely around the edge of the underside of the bottom, then fold each side to meet the sides of the bottom and sew them together. Handle. — Fasten the ends of one piece of tape, 40 inches long, to the back corners of the fiame; also sew ends of another piece of tape the same length to the lower front corners of the frame; fasten the latter also to the top of the front. Bring these loose loops together and fasten. This handle, when not in use, will drop inside the pad. Fig. 3.— Apron for tools. SEWIIsrG FOE GIELS CLUB WOKK. Pad. — Make a cushion of the hning to fit flat on the inside of tliis frame and stuff it with cotton, or cover a thick piece of felt with the same material. This cushion should be fastened to the bottom of the kneeling pad. APRON FOR TOOLS. (Fig. 3.) Material. — One-half yard of cloth and 3 yards of tape for binding is sufficient material for this garment. Directions for cutting and maJcing apron. — Cut a pattern by dimen- sions given in figure 4. Bind the edges with tape. Use one piece, 60 inches long, for binding sides and bottom of apron. To fit the apron cut it out a little across the top, allowing center of the top to be cm'ved downward about 2 inches lower than the top of the sides. Place a half-inch dart 2 inches from the center on each side of the top. Taper these darts to a point 4 inches above the bottom of the pocket and stitch them in place. Hem the ends of a piece of tape 36 inches long and bind the top of the apron, leaving an even length on each side for tjang strings. Fold the pattern on the dotted line and stitch to form the pockets. The center pocket stitched in V shape will leave a slanting pocket on each side. Tlie handles of the tools carried in these pockets will slope back under the arms, and will not interfere with the motion of the arms when at work. This arrangement will be found much more convenient than straight pockets. A broad-brimmed sun hat lined with the same color used for the apron and lining of the pad, with a band of the same colored tape which was used for binding, will complete a very attractive garden outfit for both the girls and women (fig. 5). AMOUNT OF MATERIAL TO BUY. The things to be taken into consideration in determining how much material to buy are: The amount needed for each article, the number of articles to be made, and the width of the material. In making flat articles, like towels and holders, the problem is quite simple; for instance, it is obvious that the amount of yard-wide material neces- FiG. 4.— Pattern for making apron for tools. DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR 2, U. S. DEPT. OF AGR. sary to make six holders, each of which requires a piece 13 by 18 inches, is three times 13 inches, or 39 inches. If the holders are cut the other way of the goods, 1 yard of 40-inch material would be sufficient. HOLDERS. The purpose of the holder is to protect the hands when lifting hot dishes. Heat passes very easily through certain materials, the metals for instance, and with difficulty through others. The former are known as good conductors of heat, and the latter as poor con- ductors of heat. Air is one of the very poor conductors and the effectiveness of m.any poorly conducting sub- stances is due to the pres- ence of much air in the meshes or between the particles of the material. The meshes must be small and the particles close to- gether, however, so that currents of air do not pass through, for air in motion would carry the heat. Tlie holder, like the packing of the tireless cooker, must be made of material through which heat passes with difficulty. Most holders are made of cloth, and since loosely woven or knitted cloth entangles more air than Fig. 5.— The garden kneeling pad in use does tight, smooth material, stockinet and similar fabrics are often employed. In addition, holders are usually made of several layers of cloth, the air spaces between adding greatly to their effective- It is best not to have the holder fastened to one's belt ness. It is suggested that holders might be very easily rendered ffieproof by simply dipping them into a solution of certain chemicals and drying them. Comimon ones which can be purchased at drug stores are ammonium phosphate and ammonium chlorid. Asbestos paper is sometimes employed in holders, but is rather stiff and clumsy. Tlie holder recommended for use in club work consists of six layers of cotton cloth, and since the cloth is not especially porous, the insu- lating power of the holder depends largely upon the five air spaces between the layers. One reason for choosing this material was that its smooth surface renders it less liable to catch fire than stockinet, SEWING FOR girls' CLUB WORK. 7 cottoii flannel, or other soft, fuzzy material. Tlie holder has the further advantages of being easy to make, easy to launder, and flexible. TO MAKE THE HOLDERS. Material. — For each holder, a piece of cotton cloth — ^unbleached muslin or a cleaned flour sack — 13 by 18 inches. 1. Fold down h inch along each long side and across one end, creas- ing firmly. 2. Fold the whole piece of cloth in halves, lengthwise, and pin the edges together. You now have a double piece of cloth 17J inches long and 6 inches wide. 3. Fold this over twice, so that you have a square about 6 inches on a side. 4. Baste it neatly around the edge, and take a few long stitches in the center to hold the layers together. 5. Sew diagonally from each corner to the opposite one, using the running stitch, or machine stitching. 6. Finish around the edge with machine stitching, or the blanket stitch. 7. Pull out the basting threads. 8. Sew a loop of tape on the corner. TO MAKE THE LOOP OF TAPE. Material. — A piece of ^-inch cotton tape 5 inches long. 1. Place the ends of the tape together and overhand the sides for f inch from the end. 2. Spread the loop so that it lies flat. 3. Baste the tape on one corner of the holder, having the raw ends underneath and the stitched edge of the tape exactly on a diagonal of the holder. About an inch and a half of the loop should project beyond the holder, 4. Sew the tape to the holder, beginning at the right-hand side of the tape, where it crosses the edge of the holder, and hemming down this side across the bottom and up the other side. Fasten the thread firmly. Separate envelope covers may be made for these holders and these can be easily removed and laundered. This cover makes it easier always to have a clean holder, TOWELS AND DISHCLOTHS. Obviously, the chief requisite of towel material is that it shall absorb water quickly and easily. Other desirable characteristics are freedom from lint, quickness in drying, and low cost. Cotton and hnen are two of the common textiles. While cotton and linen are able to absorb about the same amounts of water, cotton absorbs it more slowly than does linen; the reason for this is the 8 DEPARTMENT CIRGULAR 2, TJ. S. DEPT. OF AGR. presence of a slight coating of wax upon the cotton fibers, wliich repels water. This wax occurs naturallj'^ upon the fiber and is not completely removed in the ordinary processes of manufacture. The so-called absorbent cotton employed for medical purposes has under- gone a special treatment for the removal of the wax. Cotton fabrics, in general, gradually become more quickly absorbent as the wax wears off in use and washing. At their best, however, they are less satisfactory than linen. Cotton and linen differ also in the rapidity with which they dry. Linen dries the more quickly of the two. Owing to its longer fibers, linen is less liable than cotton to leave lint upon the dishes. The price of linen, which is usually higher than that of cotton, is sometimes mentioned as an argument against its use, but it should be remembered that coarse linens, such as are used for towels, are not expensive, and that while they may cost more than cotton towel- ing of equal weight they have advantages which often justify their price. Hand towels and dish towels are necessary in cooking. A small hand towel fastened to the belt is most convenient. A carefully bleached clean flour sack, domestic, or regular toweling may be used. TO MAKE THE TOWELS. Materials. — For each dish towel, 1 yard of toweling. For each hand towel, J yard of toweling, 4 inches of tape I inch wide. 1. Straighten the ends of the towel by cutting by a thread. 2. Make a ^-inch hem at each end and, if necessary, down the sides. 3. Sew a loop of tape (see directions under '4iolder") on the corner of the hand towel, having the part of the loop which projects beyond the towel 1 inch long. This can be slipped over the button at the belt of the apron. DISHCLOTHS. These may be made of any clean pieces of white material. The good parts of worn towels, etc., may be cut out and hemmed for the purpose. Good dishcloths are made of two or three thicknesses of coarse, sleazy cheesecloth. They may be folded like the holder and stitched with the running stitch diagonally across the center. Ten inches square is a convenient size for the finished dishcloth. UNIFORM— CANNING CLUB APRON AND CAP. The garments selected for the club uniform were chosen because they cover the dress and hair well, are easy to make and to launder, and are inexpensive and pleasing. This uniform is worn by the girls in pubhc demonstrations and meet- ings, and is therefore made as attractive as possible. White materials SEWING FOR girls' CLUB WORK. 9 are preferred in order that the uniforms of all the girls in a county may be alike. To embroider the emblems on the cap brim and apron strap will enhance their value and give opportunity for teach- ing some simple embroiderv^. The privilege of wearing these emblems is won by girls who have given their county agent a satisfactory report for complete first year's club work. APRON. (Fig. 6.) 1/aimaZ.— Light-weight white percale or any other medium-weight white material will do. About 3 yards of 86-inch material will be needed. Cutting. — Cut the apron by a gored pattern, having front panel twice as wide as each side. It should give protection to the entire dress. Cut the belt and shoulder straps double; they should be 2 inches wide when finished. Cut a bib 7^ inches long, 6 inches wide at top, and 4 inches wide at belt. Cut pockets like the pattern given. MaMng. — Face the curved opening of each pocket and stitch on the edge and | inch within. Baste the pockets on the front gore so that the short side edge will be sewed in with the side seam and the top edge will reach the top of the belt. Fold under the opposite edge of each pocket J inch and stitch it on the front gore, using two rows of stitching J inch apart. Sew the shoulder straps to the top of the pockets, leaving the outer edges of the two loose from the belt and giving the effect of the pocket and strap being cut in one piece. Let the belt pass under this strap. Fasten the belt with button and buttonhole. Let the strap cross in the back and fasten to belt in the same manner, having the buttonhole in the belt and button on strap so that the length of the strap may be changed when necessary. French seams may be used on the skirt. The hem at the bottom should be 2 inches wide. Place the emblem on the left strap (with the lower hue at the top of the bib). Note. — ^Aprons for the younger girls may have a gathered skirt, omitting the pockets. For them the cap, both crown and brim, may be cut smaller. CAP. (Fig. 7.) Material. — Let the brim l)e white, made of plain lawn of medium weight or, better still, of light-weight linen. Make the crown of thinner material, like dotted Swiss. It will take a piece 18 inches long and 16 inches wide for the crown and two pieces 10 inches long and 22 inches wide for the brim. The brim is roUed back half its width when finished and, in order to hold its shape when starched, is made double. Cutting. — Cut the brim, laying the front end of the pattern on fold of goods so that the only seam is at the back. Two such pieces are 98500°— 19 2 10 DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR 2, U. S. DEPT. OF AGR. Fig. 6.— The apron pattern. SEWING FOR GIRLS CLUB WORK. 11 needed for each brim. The mside edge of brim should be the size of the head. Cut an oval piece for the crown 16 inches in diameter from side to side and 18 inches in diameter from back to front. Making. — Place the two pieces of the brim together, wrong sides out, and baste around the outer edge; that is, the one having a point on each side. Then stitch | mch from this edge. Now. turn the brim right side out, creas- ing the edge well. Stitch again | inch from the out- side edge. Gather the crown in fourths. Place outside edge of crown against inside edge of brim. Baste these two edges together, allowing a few more gathers at front and back than at sides. Turn the folded outside edge of brim over these two raw edges and baste carefully. Stitch | inch from edge so as to hold securely. Place the emblem on the left point. EMBLEMS. (Figs. 8 and 9.) The designs for the emblems shown in figures 8 and 9 were made for the canning club girls of the South by the art department of Sophie Newcomb College, New Orleans, La. Fig. 7.— Uniform canning club cap. Fig. 8.— Emblem for the cap. Fig. 9.— Emblem for apron. Material. — The emblems should be embroidered on squares of linen. Select a coarse-thread linen, cutting the piece for the cap emblem 3| inches square and the piece for the apron emblem 3 inches square, to be appliqued to the brim and shoulder strap when finished. Use a mercerized stranded floss in two shades of blue and one shade of red. About 5 yards of darker blue, 4 yards of lighter blue, and 1 yard of red are enough to embroider one set of emblems- Caj) emblem (fig. 8). — Use outline stitch for making the square, circles, and letters in a medium shade of dull blue; make the periods 12 DEPAKTMENT . CIRCULAR 2, V. S. DEPT. OF AGR. of French knots. Then fill m the space between the circles with rows of running or seed stitches in lighter blue. To make these effective, let the needle pass over two or three threads, then under the same number and repeat. In returning let the needle pass mider the threads over which it passed before. The effect is similar to darning. These stitches should cross the design horizontally. This will make the letters stand out more plainly. Outline the tomato in red. Fill in the solid part with the same seed stitch in red, letting the stitches take the same direction as those within the circle. The design em- broidered in this way will be fiat and for this reason can be easily laimdered. It is more beautiful also than it would be if the attempt were made to pad the design and work it solid. If desired, the tomato stem and clover leaf may be worked in green. Apron design (fig. 9). — Outline the square, four H's, circle, and clover leaf in the way described in the cap design, using a darker shade of blue. FiU in the inside clover leaf with the rimning seed stitch in lighter blue or green. SEWING SCREEN. One of the most convenient devices for keeping all sewing equip- ment in place is a sewing screen (figs. 10 and 11). It consists of two panels (28 inches high and 13 J inches wide, made of 1 by 2 inch strips) hinged together and each panel is covered with bur- lap. The pockets are fast- ened to the bottom of each panel on the inside, and hooks are placed on the bottom of the crosspiece to hold the necessary equip- ment. Pegs or nails driven into the top of one of the crosspieces wiU hold the spools. The drop shelf makes a good worktable, and the groove in the top of the crosspieces will hold Fig. 10.— Sewing screen, showing frame before completion. bxittOUS. This folding SeW- ing screen is light m weight, requires little space, and can be easily carried to the porch or lawn for sewing work. The following supplies are convenient to have at hand in the screen before beginning to sew : Needles of good make and assorted sizes. Sizes 7, 8, 9, and 10 are most used. SEWING FOR GIRLS CLUB WORK. 13 Thread, also of good make and assorted sizes. A spool each of Nos. 50, 70, and 100, and basting thread should be on hand. A plain, substantial thimble. Celluloid or aluminum makes a good, inexpensive thimble; a brass one is not desirable, because it may stain the thimble finger if it gets moist with perspiration, and may poison if there is a sore place on the finger underneath it. Fig. 11. — Sewing screen, completed. A pair of sharp shears, with blades about 5 inches long, for cutting cloth. A pair of small, sharp scissors with good points, for cutting threads, removing bastings, etc. An abundance of medium-sized, sharp-pointed pins. Fine pins are easier to use than coarse ones. A small pincushion. . A tape measure. A few pieces of cardboard to use as gauges. A pencil. 14 DEPAKTMENT CIRCULAE 2, U. S. DEPT. OF AGR. An emery bag for polishing needles and smoothing them when they become sticky. MATERIALS FOR BUILDING SCREENS. 10 feet of lumber 1^ by H inches. 6 1^-inch (butt) hinges with screws to be used in joining the panels and fastening the drop shelf to the crosspieces. 1 handle with screws for the top of screen. 1 hook and eye to fasten the panels when they are folded and closed. 2 yards of burlap, denim, or canvas, 18 inches wide. 1 dozen brass cup hooks. 1 yard cretonne for pockets. 1 yard ^-inch elastic for top of pockets. 4 dozen upholstering tacks for tacking on burlap. Sandpaper and stain. Selecting colors. — Care should be taken in selecting good colors in both materials for pockets and outside covering. The colors in the cloth should harmonize with the color of the stain used for the wood. Oftentimes very good dyes and wood stains can be made from nut hulls, roots, berries, and bark of trees. The cloth, not being the same texture, will take the dye in a little different shade of the same color than the woodwork if the identical materials are used for maldng the stain for the frame. Wood stain. — To make a good brown stain for the frame cover 3 pints of bruised green walnut hulls with 3 pints of water and allow to stand for 12 hours. Strain through a double cheesecloth and add 1 ounce of permanganate of potash. This stain may be made in larger quantities and used for floor stain. It gives a rich brown floor finish. If a semiwaxy appearance is desired, 1 quart of paraffin oil can be added. This is on the market and can be purchased at a reasonable price. The darker shades of color will vary according to the amount of dyestuff used and the length of time the material is soaked or heated in it. Colors that harmonize. — Gray, with purple, red, blue, brown, or yellow. Yellow, with black, purple, blue, or green. Red, with black, blue, gray, ,or green. Lavender, with green or white. Old rose, with all blues. Brown, with blue, mauve, or gray. Heliotrope, with cream. Green, with brown. SEWING FOR girls' CLUB WORK. 15 HOW TO USE COMMERCIAL PATTERNS.* 1. In buying a pattern, be sure that its size is right. Patterns may be bought by age or by measure. If you are of normal size for youi- years, buy a pattern by age; if you think you may vary from the size, take your measure and buy a pattern that corresponds to it. Waist patterns are numbered according to bust measure; skirt pat- terns are numbered by both hip and waist measure. It is better to buy a skirt pattern of the correct hip size, as it is easier to make shght changes in it around the waist than to alter it on the hips. 2. Before opening the pattern, read the directions carefully and thoroughly. 3. Open the pattern and study the separate pieces. A guide chart is usually printed on the envelope, and will show you the purpose of the various pieces. Only half the pattern is given, in most cases, as the two sides of a garment are generally alike. Put back into the envelope any pieces which are not to be used at once. 4. If the pattern is not your exact size, alter it as follows. (a) To lengthen a waist or skirt: Cut straight across each of the pieces that are too short, having the cuts exactly perpendicular to the line of dots which marks the lengthwise line of the goods. Insert a piece of paper as wide as you wish the pattern to be made longer; or, when cutting out the garment, lay the two cut parts of the pattern of the goods so that they are separated by a distance equal to the desired increase in length. When lengthening a skirt pattern, the pieces should be slashed about two-thirds of the distance from the top. In a waist, make the cut about 3 inches above the waist line. In either case, make sure that the insert is the same width throughout. To increase the width of a piece, slash it lengthwise and separate the pieces in the same way as in lengthening. , Another way of makmg a garment longer or broader than the pattern is to pin a pleat evenly in the goods, lay the pattern over it, and cut. (h) To shorten a pattern or make it smaller, take a pleat in it in the same position as suggested for the slashes. 5. Spread the material out on a flat surface and arrange every piece of the pattern on it before beginning to cut. As many of the pieces are to be cut in dupHcate, one can often fold the material, lay the pattern on it, and cut out the two pieces at once. In cutting the back of a waist or the front gore (and sometimes the back gore) of a skirt, fold the material lengthwise, lay the straight edge of the pattern along the fold, and cut around the pattern except on this straight edge. Pieces to be cut in this way on a lengthwise fold are marked on the pattern with crosses, or in some other manner. Sometimes the guide chart indicates how to arrange the pattern on the goods so that there wiU be no unnecessary waste in cutting. 1 Instruction for use of commercial patterns was contributed by Miss iVnna II. \\TiitteIsey, Scientific Assistant, Office of Home Economics. 16 DEPARTMEISTT CIRCULAR 2, V. S. DEPT. OF AGR. In any case, lay the pattern on so that the pieces come close together and the waste is as slight as possible. Be very careful that the lengthwise perforations of the pattern are upon the warp (length- wise) thread of the goods. Stripes or figures must run exactly up and down in the finished garment. 6. Pin each piece of the pattern in several places, taking care that the curves and corners are flat on the goods. 7. Cut out the pieces, allowing for seams, if allowance has not been made for them in the pattern; otherwise cutting exactly around the edge. Use large shears, and cut with a long steady stroke, not a short, choppy one. Accurate cutting is a great help toward a good-looking garment. Cut all notches as indicated by the pattern, using small scissors and being careful not to cut them so deep that they will interfere with the seams. Mark per- forations with chalk, pencil, or thread. 8. Unpin the paper pattern, and fold all pieces carefuUy, and place at once in envelope. The calculations of the amount of material to buy in the case of garments are more elaborate. Most commercial patterns give a table statmg the amoimt of material of different widths necessary for the garment. If the amount is not stated it must be estimated, taking into consideration both the measurements of the patterns and of the person who is to wear the garment. SERVICEABLE DRESSES FOR DIFFERENT KINDS OF WORK. (Figs. 12, 13, and 14.) For use in public demonstrations second-year canning-club mem- bers make a simple dress (fig. 12). Pink or blue gingham or chambray, trimmed with white collar and cuffs, made with V-neck, short sleeves, plain gored skirt for the older girls and a gathered skirt for the younger members is an appropriate design which is easily made by club members who have had the sewing instructions in making the cap and apron. This style has been chosen and used by the girls be- cause it is a uniform dress, if well made, that will Fia. i2.-s.immer uniform dress. always be good Style, neat in appearance, and easily laimdered. Near the coast in some sec- tions, where colored materials quickly fade, white uniforms may be SEWING FOE GIRLS CLUB WORK. 17 more, satisfactory for canning work. Unbleached cotton cloth is easily obtained anywhere in the South and makes a serviceable dress which launders well. Gray or tan dresses worn with a white apron and cap make a neat uniform for canning work. The Hght- colored dress is soiled and stained easily among vines and dirt and is not suitable for garden or field work. In some sections the regular gymnasium bloomer and middy blouse combina- tion has been adopted as the gardening uniform (fig. 13). For comfort and economy European women engaged in agricul- tural work have adopted the overall for a gardening or field uniform. For advanced club members this design for a school dress was selected with the idea of secur- ing an attractive and durable garment suitable for use during the winter months (fig. 14). The style is one which will be good for a long time. It is neat and made on good lines for both large and small girls. It has a some- what tailored effect, and usually the more it is worn the better it is hked. A material darker in color and heavier m weight is better for the dress than material used for the summer dress. A good quaUty of wool serge would per- haps be the most serviceable, but some of our cotton cloth in the South is more desirable, especially in the far southern territory, because it is lighter in weight, more easily secured at a reasonable price, and it wiU launder well. Cotton rep, gaberdine and Hawaiian cloth are among the cotton materials which might be used. Dark blue is a very serviceable color and shades of bro^vn might also be used. Dresses of either color are attractive when worn with red ties or laces. The 4-H emblem may be embroidered on a separate square and appliqued on the left sleeve. There are com- mercial patterns very like the pattern suggested in the illustrations, the numbers of which your county agent will furnish to you, with the information as to where they can be purchased. Fig. 13.— a comfortable and practical gardening uniform. 18 DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR 2, U. S. DEPT. OF AGR. TABLE RUNNERS AND LUNCHEON SETS. The embroidered luncheon sets, to be made by third and fourth year club members, consist of a square centerpiece 36 by 36 inches and six napkins 18 mches square. The edge may be finished with a plain hem and outlined with the chain stitch or outlme stitch in colored floss on the outside, or it may be hemstitched or have the buttonhole stitch or a crochet and picot edge around the outside. Any of these look well and because they are fiat launder well. The designs usually suggested are in cross-stitch — patterns which do not need to be transferred or stamped on the material. A piece of coarse scrun large enough to carry the selected design is sewed in place on the piece to be embroidered and the pattern worked out on it by squares. The designs shown in figure 15 might be used by home demonstra- tion club members inter- ested in poultry work. Other designs symbolic of garden club, canning club, or poultry club may be used. The combining of colors to match the color scheme of the pattern used is very important, and here we have an opportunity to put together harmonizing shades. Select a cloth of good texture which will not easily stretch out of shape. Some of the following materials are suitable for making these sets: Linen crash, Indian head, cotton cr^pe, longcloth and basket weave or novelty cotton cloth. Two and one-half yards Indian head or similar material, two spools of No. 70 cotton, and embroidery floss if desired, will be sufficient to make a 36-inch square centerpiece and six squares for napkins, 18 inches each. These sets are especially attractive for use at club entertain- ments, when the girls serve dainties made from their products, such as fruit juices and sandwiches, to a gathering of club members, mothers, or teachers. Their use may be most attractive on the porch or lawn. Table runners with designs placed on each end are very good iac use on either a round or square dming table when serving four per- FiG. 14. ^Winter uniform dress. SEWING FOR GIRLS CLUB WORK. 19 sons. These runners are 18 inches wide and 2^ yards long; the hems should measure 2 inches. Five yards of material, two spools white cotton thread No. 70, and embroidery floss if desired, will be suffi- cient. Four napkins, 18 inches square, will require an exrta yard of material 36 inches wide. Fig. 15. — Design for embroidered luncheon set. A FOUR- YEAR PROGRAM. The following is an outline of a suggested four-year program of sewing- work for canning-club girls: First year.— Canning-club members will make: Gardening set. Cup towel and holder. Apron and cap. Second year club Tuembers. — Apron and cap. Apron and cap emblems. Summer uniform dress. 20 DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR 2, U. S. DEPT. OF AGR. Third year club members. — - Cap and apron emblems. Summer uniform dress. Book cover for history of club work. Luncheon set — centerpiece and six napkins for porch or lawn serving, with designs symbolic for club work. Stencil portfolio or make wall pocket. Fourth year cluh Tnembers. — Cap and apron with emblems. Winter uniform dress. Sewing screen. Pair of table runners with four napkins. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Hi nil! Nil 014 145 736 6 # O liinn 014 V LIBRARY OF CONGRESS