air the wear
and tear of use or accident is quite as valuable an art, as that of
making new things.

Under the head of mending, we include the strengthening and replacing of
the worn and broken threads of a fabric, and fitting in of new stuff in
the place of that which is torn or damaged. The former is called
darning, the latter, patching.

DARNING.--When only a few of the warp or woof threads are torn or
missing, a darn will repair the mischief, provided the surrounding parts
be sound. When the damage is more extensive, the piece must be cut out.

In some cases the warp of the stuff itself can be used for darning,
otherwise thread as much like the stuff as possible should be chosen.

MATERIALS SUITABLE FOR MENDING.--Coton a repriser D.M.C is used for
most kinds of darning. It can be had in 18 different sizes, from Nos. 8
to 100, white and unbleached, and in all the colours of the D.M.C
colour-card in Nos. 12, 25 and 50.

It is but very slightly twisted and can be split or used double, if
necessary, according to the material. For all the coarser articles of
house-linen, unbleached cotton is the best, and for the finer white
fabrics, Coton surfin D.M.C Nos. 110, 120 and 150[A]. This cotton, which
is not the least twisted, and is to be had both white and unbleached,
can be used, by subdividing it, for darning the finest cambric.

VARIETIES OF DARNING.--These are four, (1) Linen darning, (2) Damask
darning, (3) Satin or Twill darning, and (4) Invisible darning, called
also, Fine-drawing.

(1) LINEN DARNING (figs. 40 and 41).--All darns should be made on the
wrong side of the stuff, excepting fig. 54, which it is sometimes better
to make on the right side. The longitudinal running, to form the warp,
must be made first. The thread must not be drawn tightly in running your
stitches backwards and forwards, and be careful to leave loops at each
turning, to allow for the shrinking of the thread in the washing,
without its pulling the darn together.

[Illustration: FIG. 40. LINEN DARNING. DRAWING IN THE WARP THREADS.]

[Illustration: FIG. 41. LINEN DARNING. DRAWING IN THE WOOF THREADS.]

Run your needle in, about one c/m. above the damaged part, take up one
or two threads of the stuff and miss the same number, working straight
to a thread; on reaching the hole, carry your cotton straight across it,
take up alternate threads beyond, and proceed as before. Continue the
rows backwards and forwards, taking up in each row,