wide to be used in all instances.

THE A-TENT.

To make an A-tent,[15] draw upon the floor a straight line seven feet
long, to represent the upright pole or height of the tent; then draw a
line at right angles to and across the end of the first one, to
represent the ground or bottom of the tent. Complete the plan by finding
where the corners will be on the ground line, and drawing the two sides
(roof) from the corners[16] to the top of the pole-line. This triangle
is a trifle larger than the front and back of the tent will be.

The cloth should be cut so that the twilled side shall be the outside of
the tent, as it sheds the rain better.

Place the cloth on the floor against the ground-line, and tack it (to
hold it fast) to the pole-line, which it should overlap 3/8 of an inch;
then cut by the roof-line. Turn the cloth over, and cut another piece
exactly like the first; this second piece will go on the back of the
tent. Now place the cloth against the ground-line as before, but upon
the other side of the pole, and tack it to the floor after you have
overlapped the selvage of the piece first cut 3/4 of an inch. Cut by the
roof-line, and turn and cut again for the back of the tent.

In cutting the four small gores for the corners, you can get all the
cloth from one piece, and thus save waste, by turning and tearing it in
two; these gore-pieces also overlap the longer breadths 3/4 of an inch.

The three breadths that make the sides or roof are cut all alike; their
length is found by measuring the plan from corner to corner over the
top; in the plan now under consideration, the distance will be nearly
sixteen feet. When you sew them, overlap the breadths 3/4 of an inch the
same as you do the end-breadths.

In sewing you can do no better than to run, with a machine, a row of
stitching as near each selvage as possible; you will thus have two rows
to each seam, which makes it strong enough. Use the coarsest cotton, No.
10 or 12.

The sides and two ends are made separately; when you sew them together
care must be taken, for the edges of the ends are cut cross-grained, and
will stretch very much more than the cloth of the sides (roof). About as
good a seam as you can make, in sewing together the sides and ends, is
to place the two edges together, and fold them outwards (or what will be
downwards when the tent is pitched) twice, a quarter of an inch each
time, and put two rows of stitching through if done on a machine,