Look at yourself—as you start to sew. How do you sit? And how are your feet below? Think of your posture—it’s no chore— _to keep your back straight, with both feet on the floor_. You won’t get tired so quickly then and you’ll enjoy stitching again and again. Start to sew If you have learned to run the sewing machine smoothly, and to thread it correctly, you are ready to start making something useful. A shears case The first article you will make is a shears case. It can be used to store your shears in your sewing box. This will help remind you that these are special shears and should be used only for cutting fabric. Cutting paper will make them dull. [Illustration: The first article you will make is a “Shears Case”] A shears case will protect the sharp points from being damaged by hitting other tools in the box. It will also protect your fingers when you reach for your shears or for your other sewing tools. What you will learn • To recognize the feel and appearance of felt or nonwoven interfacing. • To choose and buy pretty material and thread. • To read ruler measurements. • To make a pattern according to measurements. • To pin a pattern to the material. • To handle the shears when cutting material. • To use tailor’s chalk or a tailor’s pencil for marking around the pattern. • To use the stitch regulator for backstitching and adjusting the size of stitches. • To use the toe of the presser foot as a marked line for stitching straight. • To make a hem and stitch it. What you will do first To make a shears case you will need to buy felt or nonwoven interfacing (suit-weight), thread, and tailor’s chalk or pencil. If your shears are 8 inches or less in length, the felt swatches (9 inches wide and 12 inches long) sold in many stores are a good buy. If your shears are over 8 inches long see page 14 for directions. Ask your leader or your mother to help you decide how much fabric you will need. If it is easy for you to stitch straight, try a color of thread which is different from your material to add color to your case. If you are still having difficulty stitching on a straight line, it would be better to use thread which matches your material because mistakes will be less easy to see. You can use either regular or heavy duty thread. Tools and supplies you will need to make the case are as follows. Pencil 12-inch ruler Paper shears Fabric Paper Thread Bobbin Tailor’s chalk or tailor’s pencil Shears How to make the shears case Make a paper pattern Measure the length of your shears on a piece of paper. Mark this length with lines AB and CD. Then draw a vertical line between these two lines by placing a ruler on the lines as shown. [Illustration: {measuring the shears}]