itches of
perfectly equal length; take up and leave three or four threads,
alternately, and instead of holding the stuff fast with your thumb, push
it on to the needle as you go, and draw up your thread after every four
or five stitches.

[Illustration: FIG. 18. GATHERING.]

STROKING GATHERS (fig. 19).--When you have run in your gathering
thread, draw it up tight, and make it fast round the finger of your left
hand, and then stroke down the gathers with a strong needle, so that
they lie evenly side by side, pushing each gather, in stroking it, under
your left thumb, whilst you support the stuff at the back with your
other fingers.

[Illustration: FIG. 19. STROKING GATHERS.]

RUNNING IN A SECOND GATHERING THREAD (fig. 20).--This is to fix the
gathers after they have been stroked, and should be run in 1 or 2 c/m.
below the first thread, according to the kind of stuff, and the purpose
it is intended for: take up five or six gathers at a time, and draw your
two threads perfectly even, that the gathers may be straight to the line
of the thread.

[Illustration: FIG. 20. RUNNING IN A SECOND GATHERING-THREAD.]

SEWING ON GATHERS (fig. 21).--To distribute the fulness equally,
divide the gathered portion of material, and the band, or plain piece,
on to which it is to be sewn, into equal parts, and pin the two together
at corresponding distances, the gathered portion under the plain, and
hem each gather to the band or plain piece, sloping the needle to make
the thread slant, and slipping it through the upper threads only of the
gathers.

[Illustration: FIG. 21. SEWING ON GATHERS.]

WHIPPING (fig. 22).--Whipping is another form of gathering, used for
fine materials. With the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, roll the
edge over towards you, into a very tight thin roll, insert the needle on
the inside of the roll next the thumb, and bring it out on the outside
next the forefinger, at very regular distances, and draw up the thread
slightly, from time to time, to form the gathers.

[Illustration: FIG 22. WHIPPING.]

ORNAMENTAL HEM (fig. 23). For an ornamental hem, make a turning, 2 or
3 c/m. deep, and run in a thread, with small running-stitches up and
down, as shown in fig. 23. By slightly drawing the thread, the straight
edge will be made to look as if it were scalloped.

[Illustration: FIG. 23. ORNAMENTAL HEM.]

SEWING ON CORD (fig. 24).--For sewing on cord, use strong thread,
either Fil d'Alsace D.M.C, Fil a de