South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-23
Stocking Bag
Worth Making
Darning Day Less a Hard
ship If All Necessaries
Are Close at Hand.

How do YOU keep your stockings
together for mending day? Overflow
ing a work basket, with a hayward
stocking bent on escape at every few
steps as you carry 1t 10 the mending
chair? Bad business! A "sho' nuff'
stocking bag is a solution TO the prob
lem. This should be simply made.
roOmy, and of durable materials that
Will wash, for there isn't an article
designed for more practical use than
the right kind OF a stocking bag.
Use denim, heavy linen, awning
cloth or some such heavy material
for the bag. Cretonne is also excel
lent and attractive for the purpose.
If the bag is made from one large
piece of the material, the piece should
be cut 80 inches long and 20 inches
wide. Machine stitch the two 20-inch
ends together and also close the bot
tom by a row of machine stitching.
The bag is now formed. Turn it in
side out, so that the seams will be on
the inside, and turn the top in to
form a two-inch hem, fastening it
down very close TO the turned-in edge
of the hem. Run another row of
stitching about a half inch above the
first row Of stitching used in the hem.
This forms a casing through which
the drawing ribbon, cord or tape may
be threaded. Near the seam, on each
sue Oh It. make a lilIOu5n
which the two ends of the drawstrlng
may be pulled. This buttonhOle is
made exactly as you would make a
buttonhOle in a frOck. The darninS
bag is now complete.
However, if you have yet a little
time over at your disposal, there are
various ways of improving on the
simple stocking bag described. Those
having a deep pocket on the outside
IN a of do
the darning egg, needles and scissors
are very convenient and repay one in
time saved for the extra time spent
upon the pocket. This outside pocket
may have a little clasp flap upon it or
a flap that fastens with a hook and
eye, to prevent the articles from roll
ing out when the bag is being han
died. If the pocket is made without
a flap or clasp to hold the top against
the bag, the bag should always be
hung by Its draWString upon the back
of a chair when it is not in use. to
hold it upright. If possible, procure
a darning egg whose handle is hollow
and capped with a little stopper.
These come especially for holding
darning needles, so that when the
large and thus easily found darning
egg is found the little and proverb-
tally elusive needle is never far off.
1t Is well to remember that for fine
stockings an embroidery needle is
quite as good, if not better, for darn
ing purposes. People with poor eye
sight should use embroidery needles
for all purposes. In fact, there should
be petition to needlemakers to make
all needles with the long embroidery
eyes. There is no reason why sewing
needles shouldn't be made in that con-
venient style.
II you are making the darning bag
for present you will probably not
object TO spending some time in en-
broidering it. All sorts Of designs can
be made upon it, the more ludicrous
the better for who ever heard of con-
Meeting romance or art with the darn
ing of socks? Stockings of different
sizes, say three sizes, and each hav- |
ing face outlined in it, sorrowful or
otherwise, according to its mended or
unmended state. An old shoe could
be somewhere nearby. Then embroid
ar the words, Sock Hospital" Re |
pair Shop" Dry Dock" or some
other ridiculous description. If You
are somewhat lacking in a blessed \
sense of humor Cor you think the
other fellow is-for whom the bao is
ntended), embrOider upon the bag
The conservative word. "Darning."