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Tassels, Fig 27

Simple tassels like the one shown appear in threes on the lower edges of purse-bags. Morę elaborate ones for the ends of mantle laces (Cloaks, Fig 2) can be found in soft furnishing shops.

Mending, Figs 28, 29

This was important at a time when clothes were too yaluable to replace if worn or damaged. Patching seems to have been the usual method, and it would have been morę important to match the weight of the materiał than the colour. Careful mending looks far morę 'authentic' than tattered clothes.

The commonest job is repairing split hose: don't just puli the edges together and oversew them, as this puts them under further strain and they will split again.

28. Patching

Patches from heavy fabric can be cut without seam allowances. For all fabrics make the patch square on the grain, and match this to the grain of the garment.

a.    On lighter fabrics turn in the allowances before pinning.

b.    Pin and hem the patch down on the right side.

c.    Turn over to the wrong side. Trim away the ragged edges, snip into the corners, turn them in slightly and hem them to the patch.

29. Mending hose

a. Hose normally tear along the grain, so match the patch to the grain.

27. Making a tassel

You can use morę than one colour, to match a braid for example.

a.    Wind the thread round a cardboard template, enclosing the tying-off thread.

b.    Slide the tassel off the template, using the thread to tie it tightly. Bind another thread round the tassel and tie it to form a 'neck'.

c.    Finished tassel with the loops cut and trimmed.

c

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b. Pin then tack it in place before darning down the torn edges. Work the darning unevenly, as shown: if the rows end in a neat linę the hose may tear again along that. Trim the patch to just outside the darning, leaving the edges raw.

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