CHAPTER VIII BROTHER JIM’S MARBLE-BAG [Illustration] “Sir Bodkin!” called Margaret one warm spring day. The One-Eyed Fairies had been having a long rest in their home. They were very glad to hear Margaret’s voice again. “She wants us!” they cried excitedly. “Hush!” commanded their King, “she wants me. Everybody wait until I see who is needed to-day.” He hopped so quickly out of the work-basket that he fell headlong to the floor. “Goody me!” cried Margaret picking him up and sticking him in the red tomato pincushion. “Are you hurt?” “Oh no! that’s nothing. One of the chief sports of our band is floor-falling. We love to slip to the floor so we can be picked up. It’s very good for your waist-line,” said Sir Bodkin. Margaret laughed. “You’re a funny man,” she said. “Did you want me for anything to-day, My Lady?” he asked. “Yes, I wanted to make a good strong bag for Jim’s marbles. They’re always falling out of his pockets and rolling all over the floor for us to step on. We nearly break our necks,” she replied. “Well, upon my word, that’s a shame. However we’ll soon remedy that. Get a piece of heavy, strong cloth, like denim or gingham. Be sure it’s a dark color, blue or brown or green, so it won’t show the dirt, and we’ll start,” he said. [Illustration: “Fold the goods lengthwise and cut”] So Margaret hunted through her mother’s piece-box again until she found some cloth that suited her purpose. “Here we are!” she exclaimed to Sir Bodkin, as she came back to the room. Taking her little steel scissors out of the basket she made ready to cut the cloth as she was directed. “That’s the thing; blue denim makes excellent marble-bags. You can make sewing-bags of cretonne or silk and laundry-bags of chintz or linen, but marble-bags must be of very tough cloth. All bags are about the same when it comes to the way of making. It’s just good, strong seams with no raw edges showing, a proper casing for the drawing-strings, and the right kind of openings to pull the strings through. The bags differ only in size and shape. Now for this bag, fold the goods lengthwise, and cut it six inches wide and seven inches long,” Sir Bodkin told her. “Now, Baster,” said he, “come out for your harness and step along the seam at the bottom and up the side, on the right side of the bag, keeping one-quarter inch from the edge.” Baster stepped quickly across the bottom, around the corner and up one side. [Illustration: Basting and running on outside of bag] [Illustration: Basting and back-stitching on inside of bag] “The fold makes the other side,” explained Sir Bodkin. “Now we’ll need a stout Stitcher for finishing the seams of this heavy material.” So he called out all the Stitchers and selected one with a large eye. Margaret harnessed him with blue cotton thread, then they were ready to sew the seam.