THE ONE-EYED FAIRIES

FOREWORD

This book has been written to tell little girls how much fun it is to learn to sew and make pretty things for their dolls, themselves, and other people. Of course, as Sir Bodkin says, “We can’t have gains without pains,” but it is much pleasanter to learn in play how to do things the right way. This makes it easier for us when we are grown up, because we have the knowledge “at our finger-tips.”

I hope that mothers, teachers, and those interested in girls will find this book helpful, as my experience has been that children eagerly grasp and absorb facts presented in story and rhyme.

A number of these sewing-lesson stories 6have appeared in the Modern Priscilla Magazine. Acknowledgment is here gratefully made for permission to use them.

CHAPTER I THE KING OF THE ONE-EYED FAIRIES

Margaret Allen had just had a birthday. Her auntie had given her a pretty new work-basket for a present. It was lined with pink silk and in it was the dearest little needle-book of pink satin, an emery-bag shaped like a strawberry, a cunning pair of steel scissors, a silver thimble, several spools of black thread and white thread of different numbers, a tape measure, and beeswax shaped like a tiny lemon.

“Isn’t it just too sweet for anything!” cried Margaret clapping her hands with delight. “Now if there really were fairies to help us, just as in the story-books, what lots of things I could make. If I knew how I could make clothes for my doll, pretty things for Mother and Auntie, and marble-bags for Jim. Oh!” she cried out of breath, “I just wish I knew how!”

Suddenly she felt funny sharp pricks on her hands and arms. Looking down she saw a line of little shining figures, some short and some tall, come dancing and prancing out of her new work-basket. Some had big eyes and some tiny-teensy eyes but each had only one, however. They looked so comical dancing on their skinny legs and waving their skinny arms 15that Margaret wanted to laugh. Their thin bodies shone and glistened in the sunshine as they skipped across her lap and up on the table beside her. Then they sang this song:

“Oh! Oh!” cried Margaret her eyes very wide open indeed, “can you really? Who are you?”

Then out of the line stepped the largest one of all. He placed his hand on his heart and made a very low bow before her and sang:

“How wonderful! Thank you!” cried Margaret eagerly. “What is your name?”

“I am Sir Bodkin. Some call me Tape Needle. Anyway, I’m King of the One-Eyes,” he answered proudly. “I’m the largest of all and not needed so often to help. There are many fine workers among us, I can tell you. Just say the word and we’ll show you what we can do.”

“I’m so glad,” said Margaret, “for there are lots of things I want to learn how to make.”

17The Fairies danced faster and faster in their joy at finding such a dear little girl for a friend and mistress. They sang:

“Thank you, kind Fairies,” cried Margaret. “I’m so happy. Won’t Mother be surprised! I’m just crazy to begin!”

18All the Fairies waited breathlessly to know who would be the first to show Margaret what he could do.

“Your Ladyship, it is fitting that the King should be the first to show what he can do,” said Sir Bodkin standing very stiff and straight.

“Oh, of course,” replied Margaret and was about to ask him to tell her what he could do when she heard her mother’s voice outside her door, calling to her. The Fairies sang:

They slipped quickly off the table and hid in the work-basket.

The King waited until the last one was out of sight then he said with a bow, “We’re very glad to know you, My Lady. Just call 19my name when you need help.” Then he, too, slipped away from off the table and into the work-basket.

“Aren’t they just too funny and dear!” laughed Margaret to herself as she put the work-basket on her table and ran off to answer her mother. “Now I must think up something nice to make for my doll,” she said to herself.

CHAPTER II SIR BODKIN STEPS IN AND OUT

“Sir Bodkin! Sir Bodkin!” called Margaret next day to the King of the One-Eyed Fairies, who lived in her work-basket.

“I’m coming, My Lady!” she heard a tiny voice answering from the needle-book.

Margaret looked very much excited, for this was the first time she had called her wonderful new friends, the One-Eyed Fairies, to help her.

Sir Bodkin came sliding quickly out of the 21work-basket and climbed upon the table beside his little mistress. With a smile on her face she was watching him, for he was a very dignified little fellow indeed. Holding himself up straight and bending his body forward stiffly he made her a low bow.

“Good day, My Lady Dear,” he said; “what may I do to-day to help your Ladyship?”

“What can you do?” asked Margaret.

“I can run the ribbons in your doll’s dresses, put the drawing-strings in a marble-bag or a sewing-bag. I can draw the ribbons and tapes through your pretty underwear and lots of other things too numerous to mention. Just put a piece of ribbon in my one eye and watch me work!” he answered eagerly to his new friend.

“Indeed I will this minute!” cried Margaret. She jumped up and ran to her doll’s 22bureau to get a pretty dress trimmed with lace beading around the waist and sleeves. Then she took a roll of narrow pink satin ribbon from her own bureau and hurried back to the table.

“Here we are,” she said to the tiny King, holding up the dress and ribbon for him to see.

“Very pretty, very pretty. Now measure how much ribbon you’ll need to run around the waist and to tie in a bow at the back when finished,” said Sir Bodkin.

After Margaret had measured the ribbon the right length she cut it from the roll with her new scissors.

“Put it neatly in my eye and then we’ll start,” the Fairy King told her. No sooner said than done.

“Put your right fingers on my head,” ordered he. Margaret did as she was bidden. Holding the dress in her left hand, she put her pink fingers on Sir Bodkin’s head and off he stepped; slipping his foot through the slits in the lace beading at the back of the little dress where it fastened he sang:

Running ribbon in beading

Sir Bodkin hopped out at the end.

“How’s that for fast?” he said jumping back to the table-top.

“That’s splendid!” cried Margaret. Then she cut the ribbon for the sleeves after carefully measuring how much was needed to go around the beading and tie in a bow when finished. Each piece was put in the King’s eye one at a time and run through the lace beading nice and flat. Sir Bodkin’s blunt toe made it easy to go in and out the openings without catching in the lace. At last the ribbon was all in and the dress slipped on the 25doll. The tiny King stood off to see how sweet she looked in her dainty dress after her little mother had tied the bows.

“I never did that so quickly before,” said Margaret.

“It’s all in knowing how,” replied Sir Bodkin looking very wise indeed out of his long one eye.

“To be sure,” said his little mistress, “and I’m so happy because soon I’m going to know how to sew and make lots of pretty things.”

“Indeed you are, My Lady,” said Sir Bodkin; “just call on us and you’ll always find us ready. But don’t forget that:

“I’ll remember that,” Margaret promised. “Oh! Sir Bodkin, look at all your subjects!” she said laughing. The King turned around and saw all the shining, glinting little One-Eyed Fairies peeping out curiously from the work-basket.

they were singing in a happy chorus.

“To your places!” ordered their King and they all disappeared. Then he made a low bow to Margaret and slipped away into the 27work-basket. Margaret laughed happily and ran off to show her mother what Sir Bodkin had helped her to do.

CHAPTER III THE STITCHERS, BASTER AND RUNNER

Margaret held up the little doll’s dress her mother had cut out for her to make.

“I wish that the One-Eyed Fairies would come and help me sew it together,” she said to her doll. She then took her work-basket and sat down by the table.

“Sir Bodkin,” she softly called.

“Here I am, My Lady,” she heard Sir Bodkin’s tiny voice answer from the needle-book in the work-basket. In a second the 29King of the One-Eyed Fairies hopped out of the basket and right up on the table beside her.

“What can we do for you to-day, My Lady?” he asked bowing low.

“I would like to sew my doll’s dress. Will you show me how?” replied Margaret.

“That I will. Come all you Stitchers!” he cried as loud as he could.

Out of the work-basket came a line of One-Eyed Fairies; some tall and thin, some short and fat. They danced on Margaret’s table, holding hands and singing this song in their comical way:

30“Well done, my hearties!” cried Sir Bodkin proudly. “Now, Baster, you jolly rogue, show her how to baste the seams.”

From the line a large One-Eyed Fairy stepped out.

“Some thread in my eye and we’ll start,” he said.

“Remember the proper length,” said Baster, as Margaret took up the spool of basting-thread.

From the tip of her nose to the end of her arm, Sir Bodkin said was the proper length. 31When Margaret had measured the basting-thread she cut it from the spool with her scissors.

“Thread with the end that leaves the spool last,” the King told her, “then it will not snarl and knot so.”

Margaret held the cut end between her left forefinger and thumb and twisted it into a point with her right forefinger and thumb. Then she took Baster in her right fingers and put the thread through his big eye. Pulling it through about one-third she made a knot in the other end by twisting it around her left thumb and forefinger.

“Now he’s harnessed and ready to begin,” said Sir Bodkin. He told Margaret to put her silver thimble on the middle-finger of her 32right hand and push Baster, while her thumb and forefinger held him round the waist. Baster then hopped on the seam one-half inch from the edge. He took quick long steps singing:

Basting

Both seams of the simple dress were soon basted.

“Now, Runner,” said Sir Bodkin, as Baster slid back to his place on the table.

Margaret harnessed Runner, a medium-sized One-Eyed Fairy with a small eye, using number 60 thread, the proper length and the same color as the dress, but no knot this time. 33Runner took tiny running steps right in Baster’s tracks. But before she began to run she took three back steps, where the seam began, to fasten the thread. She sang:

Running

First one seam then the other was stitched, after which Margaret snipped the thread and Runner danced back to her place on the table.

All the One-Eyed Fairies stood in a stiff line.

“You must be tired standing so long,” said Margaret.

“We are,” said their King. “It would be 34pleasant if we had a pincushion to rest ourselves in.”

“The very thing!” cried Margaret. “I’ll get the pretty tomato pincushion Mother gave me the other day for my work-basket.” She ran eagerly out of the room and soon returned with a pincushion in her hand that looked just like a red ripe tomato.

“Now you can rest,” she said placing it on the table. In a jiffy all the tired little One-Eyed Fairy Stitchers had stuck their sharp little toes down deep into the tomato pincushion. Then they stood up very straight, harnessed, ready and waiting until their turns came to help.

“This is better,” said Sir Bodkin with a sigh of relief. “We can stay here until the 35work is done, for we don’t have to go back to the needle-book every time. We can wait outside until the piece of work is finished.”

“I can put the pincushion in the work-basket when we’re through at night, so you’ll be in your own house,” said Margaret.

“That will be delightful,” said Sir Bodkin; “thank you, My Lady. Shall we do the hem to-day?”

“I think not to-day for I must go and study my lessons now. To-morrow we’ll finish the dress,” said his little mistress.

“Very good,” replied Sir Bodkin. “Just 36fold your work up neatly and lay it in the work-basket on top of us.”

“Thank you all so much,” said Margaret to the One-Eyed Fairies as she placed the pincushion in the work-basket and laid the doll’s dress, neatly folded, on top.

The One-Eyed Fairies nestled down in the red tomato pincushion very comfortably and waited for to-morrow to come so they could show their little mistress how to hem the pretty dress she was making for her doll.

CHAPTER IV DAINTY HEMMER

Next day Margaret ran happily home from school. She put her books, hat and coat in the closet and then rushed up to her room to finish her doll’s dress.

“Goody me, such dirty hands! I must go to the bathroom and give them a good scrubbing with soap and water before I touch my work,” she said importantly to Sir Bodkin, who sang:

38“Sir Bodkin,” she said to him, when her hands were clean and dainty again, “I hope you and the One-Eyes enjoyed your rest in the pincushion.”

“Indeed we did, My Lady, thanks to you,” he replied as Margaret lifted the red tomato pincushion, in which they were sticking, out of the work-basket and placed it on her table. He then stepped on the table-top ready to direct the hemming of the doll’s dress.

“All ready, My Lady?” he asked eager to begin.

“Yes,” replied Margaret.

“Before we begin, have you any pins, My Lady?” said Sir Bodkin.

“Only a few in my pincushion on my bureau,” replied Margaret.

“We better have plenty, because they will be needed from time to time as we do our work,” the tiny King told her.

39“Very well, I’ll ask Mother for some more,” said Margaret and went out of the room to her mother’s sewing-room. When she came back she had a whole paper of pins in her hand.

“That’s the ticket,” said Sir Bodkin; “take some out and stick them in the red tomato with my boys and girls.” Then he directed as follows:

“Slip the dress on your doll and mark with pins how long it should be when finished. Then slip it off and baste along the hem edge to hold it firm.” Then Sir Bodkin told Margaret to get out her tape measure and measure 40the width of the hem from the edge of the dress to the top of the hem to be sure it was even all around.

“Trim off with your scissors where it is too deep,” Sir Bodkin said, and Margaret followed his directions.

“Now turn in the hem top one-quarter inch and crease it with your nail or pleat it with your fingers, then baste it to the dress,” the King said and with hop, skip, and jump that jolly fellow Baster did his work.

Sir Bodkin then called Hemmer, a dainty little One-Eyed Fairy. Margaret was about to harness her with the same thread she had 41used for Runner but it wouldn’t go into her eye.

“It’s not the proper number,” said Sir Bodkin. Margaret tried some finer thread, number 80.

“That’s better,” she said as it slipped easily through Hemmer’s little eye.

After taking two back steps on the edge of 42the hem to fasten the thread, Hemmer began to step daintily along, singing:

Hemming

“I love hemming!” cried Margaret as Hemmer slipped through the dress and then through the hem edge with Margaret’s little pink thumb and forefinger holding her, and her silver thimble on her middle-finger pushing her. Margaret’s left hand was holding the hem.

“Goody me, it’s all sewed!” cried Margaret 43when the thread was fastened at the end and snipped off with the scissors.

“Now turn over the tiny hems one-eighth inch on the wrong side around the neck and sleeves and down the slit in the back and crease them,” ordered Sir Bodkin. “Then turn one-quarter inch over all around again for width of the hems. Press them flat as you go along,” said the King.

Margaret did this, creasing one turn then the other.

“Come, Baster!” called Sir Bodkin and soon he had all these tiny hems basted along their tops so Hemmer could come after him and finish them with her dainty steps.

When all the hems were finished and threads fastened, Sir Bodkin cried, “Pull out your bastings and be careful when you do it!”

Margaret laughed to herself to hear him order her around.

“How shall I fasten the dress on my doll?” she then asked.

“Suppose you trim it first, then we’ll decide,” said the King. “How would you like some kind of bright-colored hand-stitching around neck and sleeves?”

“Oh, that would be lovely!” cried his little mistress, “but I’ll have to do that another day for I want to run out and play a while in the yard now.”

Sir Bodkin and all the One-Eyed Fairy Stitchers sat up very stiff and straight in the red tomato pincushion as Margaret picked it up and put it in her work-basket.

“Thank you all so much,” she said to them. On her way out to play she showed her mother 45how much she and the One-Eyes had done on her doll’s dress.

“To-morrow we’ll trim it and put on the fastenings,” she said happily.

CHAPTER V THE CREWEL ONE

Margaret had finished her doll’s dress as far as the plain sewing and was now ready to call Sir Bodkin to help her trim it with fancy stitching.

She took from her work-basket the pincushion, where they all were resting, and softly called his name as she placed it on her table. The King stepped out, made a very low bow and climbed up to Margaret’s hand and stood there.

“Here I am right on the job,” he said proudly. “What are your commands for to-day, My Lady Dear?”

“Don’t you remember you were to tell me how to do the fancy stitching on my doll’s dress for trimming?” Margaret replied.

“To be sure. That I will gladly,” he answered. “All out, everybody!” he then called to his subjects.

The One-Eyed Fairies rushed out pell-mell, some from the needle-book and others from the pincushion. They all met on the table-top and danced joyfully, then stood in a straight line, waiting for orders. Sir Bodkin, from his perch on Margaret’s hand, looked them over to see which one should be called to help.

“Come here, you Crewel One,” the King called. A very big-eyed fairy with a sharp toe stepped forward.

“He’s not really cruel, My Lady, just a 48fancy-acting fellow. He’s an artist,” Sir Bodkin explained to his mistress.

“Tell, sir, what you can do to make the world beautiful!” he then said to Crewel, who began to sing this song:

“That’s the very thing for this dress!” exclaimed Margaret clapping her hands. “Oh, let’s begin, dear Crewel. I’ve some lovely pink wool thread here in my knitting-bag.”

She cut a length of the yarn and Sir Bodkin showed her how to loop it around Crewel’s head and then squeeze it between her thumb and forefinger so it would slip easily into his big eye. Crewel stepped on the back of the 49dress at the left side of the neck. He took two tiny back steps on the wrong side to fasten the thread. Margaret held the edge of the neckline over her left forefinger and held the thread down with her left thumb, so Crewel could slip over it when making the blanket-stitch. He then sang as they worked:

Blanket-stitch

They stitched from left to right, all around 50the neckline of the dress, fastening the thread securely at the end. Then stitched around each sleeve edge in turn the same way. The blanket-stitches made a pretty finish to hold the hems around the neck and sleeves and also made a nice firm edge.

It was great fun holding the thread while Crewel jumped through the cloth, stuck his toe out under the edge and over the thread.

“It’s just like jumping rope,” said Margaret, “and how fast it goes, too!”

“You have to be careful to take even jumps from one stitch to the other,” said the King, “or it won’t look so pretty. If you wish, My Lady, you can make a different pattern by varying the length of the stitches.”

“It’s been great fun. Now my doll’s dress is trimmed. Thank you so much, dear Crewel,” said Margaret as she snipped the last thread.

52That graceful fellow bowed and sang:

Sir Bodkin looked very happy and very proud of his artistic subject.