A manual of home-making

There are two t>T)es of sewing maehine in use — the matic, or single-threatl, and the lock stitch, or two-thread • Ext Circ. 14, ColL of Agr., Univ, of IJL i I I aut^)- I bread I 1 THE MAKING OF CLOTHING 335 machine. The single-thread machine makes a chain stitch, which reciuires about a half more threat! than the double- thread machine. The stitch on the former is a very fine, pretty one, and for tiiin cotton and linen materials it cannot be ex- celled. The ends of the tliread must }>e fa,*<t(*ned to prevent the stitching from ripping out. The two-thicad machine, which makes a lock stitch, has a greater variety of uses, as the tension is adjustable to the material which in being used. The thread- ing, operating, and oiling of the machine, and the use of the at- tachments are all described in the instruction l>ook which ac- fl companies the machine. The following suggestions will be of " assistance to those who arc unfamiliar with the operation of the lock stitch machine: (1) Practice treading until it can be done easily and evenly; (2) practice stitching, first on paper before the machine is threaded^ then on material, either plain or striped; (3) be able to remove the bobbin, thread it, and rephice it, — and always draw up the boljbin thread l>efore beginning to ■ stitch; (4) practice threading the machine, and then stitch until good straight lines can be made; (5) to turn a corner, have the needle at its lowest point and use it as a pivot; (6) in removing the work from the machine, have the needle at its highest point, raise the presser foot, and draw the material back and to the left, cut the threads with the tliread -cutter or with scissors; (7) where there is no cmss stitching, always draw the ends of the threads to the wrong side and tie them; (8) ■ good stitching depends on several factors: (a) Correct length " of stitch: Tlu* longtli should i-onfonn to the material. Heavy cloth rt^^yircs a longer stitch than does a thin material, Tho length is regulated by a screw, (b) Tlie tension: The tension is also governed by the material In a perfect tension the bobbin and the spool threads lock in the center of the thickness of the cloth. If the bobbin thread is drawn to the upper side of the cloth as it lies in the machine, the tension is too tight; and if the M spool thread is drawn to the lower side, the tension is too loose. ■ The tension is regulated by a screw which turns either from right to left, or fi-om front to back, (c) The ticedle: The needle should l>e the correct size to carry the thread wliich is being used* L d Be sure that the point is goutl, and that the nee<.ile is set cor*i rectly. PREPARATION OF MATERIALS Shrinking Nearly all cottons and linens should be shrunken before being made ui>. Probably the most satisfactory way is to place the