back stitch
Note to teachers and youth leaders: For instructor lesson plans of these materials, contact the Department's Outreach and Education Division.
The sewing projects in this unit do not necessarily have to be hand sewn. Consider the purpose of the article to be constructed. If the sole purpose of making a drop-sleeve shirt is to have a historical garment to wear, machine sewing may be appropriate. A machine will perform the task easier and quicker, provided you have some experience with sewing machines.
Remember, however, that sewing machines did not arrive in Missouri until after the frontier era had passed. Most of the garments used by frontier Missourians were handmade. If the purpose for constructing a piece of clothing includes gaining an appreciation for a vanishing skill, hand-sewing is a must.
Cloth garments in early Missouri were handmade from necessity. Sewing skills were needed to make and repair garments of cloth or skin. Some acquaintance with needle and thread was part of every frontier dweller's experience. Although clothing was simple in construction, it would be a mistake to conclude that garments were primitive-some were highly tailored. Only basic skills for sewing are presented here, however. Tailoring is beyond the scope of the guide. Additional information may be gained using the resources at the end of this guide.
Cotton and wool broadcloth, flannel and linen were all commonly used materi-als on Missouri's frontier. These were often coarsely woven (scratchy) fabrics, heavier than their modern counterparts. Solid colors were not as brilliant as today and fabric designs were simpler, using only two or three colors.
To obtain the appropriate "look," visit a museum and study the garments. If possible, ask to feel some of the fabrics. Sketch the designs, noting colors and construction. Do not rely on television or movies for appropriate clothing styles. Hollywood accuracy ranges from excellent to pure fiction.
Purchase fabrics and sewing supplies at a fabric shop. For historically accurate fabrics, consult the resources listed in the back of this guide.
Clothing construction follows the same basic procedure as other types of con-struction projects-layout, cutout, assembly and finishing.
Layout consists of making the pattern. Use old newspaper or tracing paper. Pin the pattern pieces to the fabric, taking care to conserve material. On patterned fabrics, consider how the pattern should appear when laying out pieces. (For example, on a striped shirt, if the stripes on the body are vertical, the stripes should run along the sleeves rather than around the arm.)
Cut pieces with a sharp pair of scissors.
Assemble all pieces using straight pins to hold them together where they will be sewn. Sew using an appropriate stitch (see stitches section).
Finish by adding buttonholes and buttons (zippers hadn't been invented yet).
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Begin by threading the needle. Use a double thread with the ends knotted together. Start most stitches on the wrong side of the fabric. (The wrong side of the fabric will become the inside of the garment; the right side will become the outside.) Push the needle in at one end of the intended seam. Pull the needle through until the knot is snug against the wrong side of the fabric. If the knot pulls through, it may be necessary to backstitch (see drawing).
To backstitch, start slightly in from one end of the intended seam. Push the needle through from the wrong side. Take a stitch toward the closest end of the seam (away from the direction of the seam). Push the needle through and angle the tip toward the direction of the seam. Continue to push through, pick up needle and continue. The motion here is to have the needle perform a series of backflips as it moves along. Individual stitches are taken in the opposite direction of the intended seam.
Continue stitching, using the desired stitch, until the end of the seam is reached. At the end of the seam, backstitch several stitches and cut off the excess thread, again, on the wrong side of the fabric. If more than one length of thread is required to sew a seam, backstitch as the first thread nears the end. Start a second thread the same way as the first thread and continue to the end of the seam.
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| Running stitch |
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| Saddle stitch |
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| Whipstitch |
Start needle through from the wrong side. Push the needle in and out through the fabric, making small stitches. The motion is to actually wiggle the fabric onto the needle. What should result is a series of evenly spaced, tiny stitches. Pay attention to thread tension to avoid bunching the fabric or leaving loose areas.
Roll the edges of the fabric together. Start the needle from and spiral the needle and thread around the rolled fabric.
This stitch is used to finish the raw edges of material so they will not unravel. Start from either side of the fabric. Take the needle over the raw edge, push through the fabric about l /4 to 3 /8 inch ( l /2 to 1 cm) in from the edge and continue. The result is a series of diagonal stitches crossing over the fabric edge. Be careful not to bunch fabric.
Some garments have sleeves, necks or waists that are gathered. That is, one piece is larger than the piece to which it will be joined. In order to make the seam, the longer edge must be gathered until its length matches the shorter edge of the seam. To gather the longer edge, run a series of loose, evenly spaced running stitches, putting tension on the thread so the fabric bunches or gathers between stitches. The tension will determine the size of the gathers while the number of stitches will determine the number of gathers. When the gathered edge matches the length of the other edge, the fabric pieces can be pinned and sewn as with other seams.
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Gathering Stitch |
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| Marking and cutting |
Finishing hole |
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Sewing button |
Finishing |
Mark the position of the buttonhole(s) with a pin at each end. Cut a slit between the two pins. Start the needle through from the wrong side. Push through and carry the needle over the edge of the fabric and push from the wrong side again. Bring the needle through, guiding it through the loop of thread formed by the previous stitch. Repeat to the end of the buttonhole. Stitches should be short and closely-spaced. To finish, pass the needle through the knot of the first stitch and draw the two sides of the buttonhole together. Take several stitches back and forth at the end of the buttonhole for added strength.
Knot the thread. Start by making one stitch where the button will be located, beginning from the wrong side. Pull the needle through the fabric, then guide it through a hole in the button from the back. Pass the needle several times up through one hole in the button and down through another. Repeat for any other holes in the button. Do not pull the button tight against the fabric. Leave about l/8 inch (3 mm) of slack so you can button your garment. When enough threads are through the button, finish with the needle between the but-ton and the fabric. Wind the thread around the shank several times. Pull tight and finish with several tightly spaced backstitches.
To make authentic buttons, use a handsaw or table saw to slice cross sections (l/4-inch or l/2-cm thick) of deer antler or hardwood sticks. Drill two or four holes in the center of each button and sew as explained.
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