The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1943-01-28
Homemakers' Column
Edited by Miss Mariana Lee Long,
Home Demonstration Agent
WOOL CLOTHES ON THE MEND


cupied with goods and garments fof
the armed forces, there is much less
to supply civilian wardrobes. Many
families now own garments that can
not be replaced for the duration. But
the housewife who is skillful with
needle and thread, and knows the
secrets of mending, can keep clothes
lasting and looking well.
Clothing of wool-which is a stra-
tegic acknowledgements utmost care
and prompt mending when needed.
Home economists offer camouflage
pointers on mending wool, so the
mend won't catch the eye.
To begin with, they suggest that
patching is usually best for a large
hole, darning for a small hole, snag
OF worn place
Patching Pointers
Here are patching pointers: Cut the
patch on the straight of the goods.
Sew it in so its cross wise yarns
meet the crosswise yarns in the garm-
ent, and its lengthwise yarns meet
lengthwise yarns. This makes the
weave of the material run straight
through from patch to garment and
hides the patch If the material has a
design-stripes, figures or dots-the
design must match in every detail to
conceal the patch. Patch a faded
piece Often hem or a pocket can
supply a piece that will match in
color.
Disappearing Darns
Darns are we'll adapted to mcnding
wool, especially small holes, tears
and worn spots. Make a good start by
using thread of the right color If
possible use yarns ravcled from a
scrap Of the same cloth the garment
was made from, or ravelcd from the
inside of a straight-cut seam or hem.
For looks and strength, use lengthwise
yarns for darning lcngthwise and
crossWise yarns for crosswise darn
ing. The inside of the hem can sup
ply crosSWise yarns, the inside of the
seams, lengthwise yarns When ravel-
ing is not possible, use duIl-finish
thread that blends closely with the
material. A slightly darker shade Of
thread often shows up less than
thread that seems an exact match on
the spool.
Work with short thread because
long thread pulled back and forth
across a tear or hole tends to pull and
stretch the darn out of place. AS for
the needle, have it fine to save pulling
and stretching the material
Study the weave of the fabric,
make the darning stitch as much like
it as possible. Sit by a strong clear
light to work.
Work for flatncss, in weaving.
If threads are pulled too tight, the
finished darn Fuckers But too loose
stitching makes a darn look puffy.
Usually it is better to darn on the
right side of the material in order to
see how the darn appears as you
work. Draw the mcnding yarn in and
out through the yarns of the cloth
when possible, to blend darn with
fabric. Take tiny stitches and 90 easy
on the turns. Around the edge of the
darn. run the stitches uncvcnly into
the cloth so there is no definite line
to show where the darn begins. Cut
off the ends of the darning threads
on the inside of the garmcnt-and not
too closely. Be sure all raw edges of
the hole arc on the undcrsidc of the
darn.
No darn looks perfect until it has a
final pressing. Stcam-prcss on the
wrong side then brush the right side
lightly to lift the nan Of the wool
Different Holes-Different Remedies
Now some tips on monding differ
ent kinds of holes in wool For most
small tears in wool material-moth
holes, snags and such-usc a plain
weave hand darn. For large tear
use a patch that is dalncd in by hand,
ar set in by machine or hand stitch
ing. The darned-in patch looks best
on thick wool, the sct-in patch on
thin wool.
To make a darncd-in patch first
trim the hole in the hole in the
garment so that it is square or roc
tangular. Cut the patch exactly to fit
the hole, also to match the pattern
and grain of cloth. Now haste the
patch onto piece of net. Fit the hole
down over the patch and haste, to
hold the patch while you work Use
dull thread that matches or is slight
ly darker and darn each of the four
sides of the patch as if they were
straight tears Let the darns overlap
at the corners.
For the thrce-corncr tear-the banc
of every housewifc-thc tear Junior
gets when he catches his trousers ON
nail, darn by hand as though each
side were a straight tear. At the
corner the two straight darns will lap
over each other. This gives extra
strength. Working ovcrnct or over a