y resistance, it
is bad. Never use a bent needle, it makes ugly and irregular stitches,
and see that the eye, whether round or egg-shaped, be well-drilled, that
it may not fray or cut the thread. Long or half-long needles are the
best for white work, long ones for dress-making, and longer ones still,
with long eyes, for darning. A stock of each, from No 5 to 12, is
advised. The needle should always be a little thicker than the thread,
to make an easy passage for it through the stuff.

To keep needles from rusting, strew a little stone alum in the packets,
and workers whose hands are apt to get damp, should have a small box of
it handy, to powder their fingers with. Blackened needles can be made
quite bright again by drawing them through an emery cushion.

SCISSORS.--Scissors are a very important accessory of the work-table,
and two varieties are indispensable; a pair of large ones for
cutting-out, with one point blunt and the other sharp, the latter to be
always held downwards; and a pair of smaller ones with two sharp points.
The handles should be large and round; if at all tight, they tire and
disfigure the hand.

THIMBLE.--Steel thimbles are the best; bone are very liable to break,
and silver ones are not deeply enough pitted, to hold the needle. A
thimble should be light, with a rounded top and flat rim.

THE THREAD.--Except for tacking, your thread should never be more than
from 40 to 50 c/m. long.[1] If the thread is in skeins, it does not
matter which end you begin with, but if you use reeled cotton, thread
your needle with the end that points to the reel, when you cut it; as
the other end will split, and unravel, when twisted from left to right,
which is generally done, to facilitate the process of threading. The
cotton should always be cut, as it is weakened by breaking.

KNOTTING THE THREAD INTO THE NEEDLE (fig. 1).--When the thread becomes
inconveniently short, and you do not want take a fresh one, it may be
knotted into the needle, thus: bring it round the forefinger close to
the needle, cross it on the inside next to the finger, hold the crossed
threads fast, with the thumb draw the needle out through the loop thus
formed, and tighten the loop round both ends.

[Illustration: FIG. 1. KNOTTING THE THREAD INTO THE NEEDLE.]

MATERIALS.--For tacking, use Coton a coudre D.M.C qualite superieure
(black and gold stamp) Nos. 2 to 6.[A] For hand-sewing, Fil d'Alsace
D.M.C Nos. 30 to 700,[A] and Fil a dentelle