The evening times., 1898-06-18
p LESSON In
FLAG MILKING
Buy Bunting and Make Your
Own Patriotic Emblem.
Eesides Being n Glorious Task. It
VIII lie Chcrper r, ns Ready Made
Flags Come High.

Tho ordinary material selected for a
flag is wool bunting. There is differ
ence in the quality. but the heaviest is the
most durable. particularly If there is to
be much exposure to the weather. Wool
bunting is Is inches wide. and the aver
age price is % cents per yard II is some
times to be had cheaper, but quite as Of
ten dearer in these days. For war times
have occa stoned "A lavish display of our
national emblem. ard this has made bunt-
ing. as well as flags. go up
1t is better to decide the exact dimen-
SONS OF the flag before the materials are
purchased. and in this way avoid too
much piecing of the stripes of "Old
Glory" and also too much waste in cut
ting the materials. AS the bunting is so
narrow. it of course cuts some width
stripes to better advantage, than others.
1t is therefore well to plan your flag ac-
cOrding to the width of your bunting. II
you can do SO. y flag of 10 or one OF 10
feet will cut economically. In the first
place, three of the stripes can De cut
from each width of the bunting; in the
second, exactly two. In the blue, also
this size is convenient.
The standard measurements of an Amer
lean flag. as given by the Army ana
Navy code. are as follows:
The depth or hoist of the flag must be
ten-nineteenths of the length. The thir-
teen stripes are of equal width, and the
union is four-tenths of the length of the
field in length and seven stripes in width.
In irving to calculate on these proper
tions, the fractions and inches grow hor-
ribly formidable. Certain sizes, however,
are easier to make than others partly be
.vtE- of
inches to consider and partly becausa
they cut better from the bunting. The
10 feet long or Is feet long flags aforesaid
arc good sizes for the amateur to make,
for these reasons:
Flag 10 feet long: In this size each stripe
Iseven red and six white) is inches wide,
This makes the whole width feet )
inches. The union is feet long, and seven
stripes or 35 inches wide.
A flag of fifteen feet in length must
have each stripe seven and half in
ches wide. which makes the whole width
eight fee one and a half inches. The
union is six feet long h. seven stripes Or
iifty-two and a half inches wide
For flag ten feet long. three yards
of blue bunting, seven of red. and six OF
white will be ample one fifteen feet
long will take seven yards of blue. four
teen Of white and fifteen of red bun ing.
Selvagcs may be left on the outside
edges of the flag. but on each side OF
each stripe and on three sides of the
blue union seams must be allowed of
one-half to three-fourths of an inch. All
seams must be fla; fells. evenly sewed.
Two inches are allowed on the outer
ends of the stripes for q broad fiat hem.
Sew all seams with silk. 1t is stronger
and wears better.
The stars are cut from linen or a soft
finished muslin. Ninety are needed, rs
they are pu. on both sides of the union
forty-tive on each side. and each row
sewn exactly over that on the opposite
side. A perfect five-pointed star is nee
essary. Make pattern first. and cut
the muslin slightly larger 10 allow for
turning. Sew them on by hand and al
low the sewing to run across from point
to point of the star. making it fiat in the
center.
4 wide strong binding of canvas is sewn
on the inner edge This has eyelets fast
ened on it to allow the insertion of the
flag halyard.-Harper's Bazaar.