Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/255

 233 From the line just drawn measure double the width the strapping is to be when I Diagram 10 How to cut diagonal material on the cross finished. Place chalk marks at short intervals, and with the square or rule draw a straight line through these chalk marks from one selvedge to the other. Continue to measure in this way until a sufficient number of strips have been marked to make the quantity of strapping required. Carefully cut through the chalk lines, join all the strips together evenly to form one long straight strip, with the edges all perfectly level. Note that the thread of the material of all the strips must run the same (the selvedge) way. In the short strips that are cut from the corner, and not from selvedge to selvedge, it is necessary to cut off a piece from the cut edge of each piece (before it is pinned to another strip) to make the thread run in the same direction (diagram 1 1). It is better to join the shorter strips to the longer ones, instead of putting all the short ones together, as the joins are not so observable. To Make the Strapping: When the strips have been stitched together, separate the turnings and press them flat, turn down (on the wrong side) the raw edge of one side to the middle of the strip of material, and tack it. Turn down the other edge to meet the first, and tack this also. To ensure the strapping being perfectly straight, this tacking must be very neatly and evenly done. The strapping must now be pressed on the wrong side very carefully, so as not to stretch it. It is now ready to be tacked on to the garment for stitching. DRESS Very good tailors generally prepare the strapping by placing the two raw edges together, and sewing them over before tacking it flat, especially when the strapping is to be used for the seams of coats. The stitching on of the strapping must be done as near to the edge as possible. For drill or other washing coats which are to be made unlined, the seams of the coat can be made on the right side, the turnings cut level, separated, pressed flat, and then covered over and made neat with the strapping. Cording and Pipinsr To prepare the material for cording, cut strips from | to i inch in width (according to the thickness of the cord which is to be placed in them), and perfectly on the cross. Join the strips together and press open the seams on the wrong side. If it is required to join one piece of the garment to another by cording (such as the seams of a skirt or the flounce on to a skirt), place a cord along the centre of the strip, turn the material over it, push the cord well up into the fold, and run (through the double material) close under the cord. The material for the piping for cording the top of a skirt, or the edge of any part of the garment, is cut, joined, and pressed in the same way, but, instead of the cord being placed along the centre of the strip, it is placed about one-third from the edge ; the material is then turned over it, and the cord well pushed up into the fold. It is then run through the double material, as close as possible under the cord. Cording and piping are usually made and put on by hand, as the ordinary presser foot of the sewing machine does not allow of the stitching being made close enough to the cord*. A special presser foot, however, can be purchased with which cording can be made and put on ; the price is about 3s. 6d. If much cording has to be done, it is well worth this small outlay, as, besides being much quicker than hand work, it is much firmer and also looks better. An ornamental cord can be sewn as a trimming to the edge of any garment, such as revers and collar of a coat, etc. This cord can, of course, be bought ready made, or plaited by the home-worker. It is put on in the following way : Place the cord along the edge and on the right side of the garment (the cord held next the worker) and over-sew it on ; roll back the cord and press the stitches well down with the thumb- nail, so that the cord may lie flat along the outer edge of the revers or other part of the garment. Another variety of cord for orna- mental trimming can be made and sewn on in a pattern (as braid would be) to a dress or coat. This cord is made from piece silk or satin cut perfectly on the cross into strips about one inch wide. These strips must be joined together into one length, and the seams pressed on the wrong side. Q