Page:The cutters' practical guide to the cutting of ladies' garments.djvu/15

Rh some system of shoulder or direct measures, using the measures taken on each customer to draft her pattern by. We know cases do often occur where for some reason or other, the cutter may not be able to take his measures direct, and when the only course open to him is to fall back upon the teachings of previous experience, and use a set of measures taken on some other lady, using the natural waist lengths, chest, and length of sleeve as guides to help him in his selection. But as some of our readers may not have the result of previous experience to fall back upon, we have endeavoured to supply them with examples from our own measure book, the scale on page 6 being an average of the sectional measures for the various chest measures, from 24 to 44, and which, we doubt not will prove useful.

We select a set of measures from our order book by which to draft out a plain, close-fitting, single-breasted Jacket; they run as follows: 8 depth of scye, 15½ natural waist, 25 full length, 7½ side length, across back, 18½ to elbow, 28 full length of sleeve, 7¼ across chest, 8¾ across over busts 7¼ neck, 12 front shoulder, 14 nape to prominence, 19 nape to hollow of waist in centre of front, 16 over shoulder, 36 chest, 20 waist, 46 hips. We apply these measures as follows: see

Commence by drawing lines 0, 22½, 0, 2½, at right angles, and mark off to 2⅝ one-sixth of the natural waist (this may be varied higher or lower if desired to produce any given effect to the style. It will not affect the fit, as any variation would be compensated for in the shoulders of forepart);0 to 8 is the depth of scye, 0 to 5½ is the natural waist length, 0 to 22½ is 7 inches below the waist to find the level of the hips, to 25 is the full length of jacket required, plus seams ½ inch). Draw lines at right angles to all these points, with the exception of the last, and make 0 to 2½ one-third neck, from which come up ¾ inch, and draw back neck. Now come in from 15½ one inch, and draw back seam springing it out below 15½ to join the straight line again at 22½. In measuring across the width of back, it is well to apply the measure, plus 2 seams ½ inch) about 2 inches below line 2⅝, and spring out with a slight curve, till it meets point 6½; this will be easily gathered by a reference to diagram; now draw a straight line from ¾ to 6½, and hollow it slightly between ¾ and W as shown. Next measure across from ½ to 20½, the half chest measure, plus 2 inches for making up, ease, &c., which amount must be varied, allowing more for thick and less for thin materials; the quantity quoted is a good general average. From 20½ measure back to 12½, the average between the across chest and the across bust measures; thus 7¼ + 8¾ = 16, half of which is 8, and by this means find the front of scye. We next proceed to form

Measure from O to ¾, and whatever it may be, deduct it from the front shoulder length, and by the remainder sweep from 12½, in the direction illustrated by 12; now add ¾ inch to this quantity, and sweep again from point 20½, and where the two arcs intersect each other locates the neck point F. Let it be clearly understood the back neck is deducted before the sweeps are made; the first one from 12½ is the next length of front shoulder, after the back neck has been taken off, and the sweep from 20½ is this quantity, with ¾ inch added. Having got this point, measure forward on a level parallel to line 12½, 20½ from F to V, the one-third of neck, and so find point V, which make a pivot of, and sweep the gorge from F to I. Now draw the breast line from V through point 20½ quite straight through 22 and 23½. We must now return to the shoulder. Measure the distance from ½ to W, deduct it from the over shoulder measure, and by the remainder sweep from 12 in the direction illustrated by 16 D, and so find the scye end of shoulder. Now measure the width of back from ¾ to 6½, and make F to D a full ¼ inch narrower than the back; give a little round to this seam towards D. Now shape the scye, keeping it as hollow as possible above point 12½, and as close up at the top of sideseam above 8 and 4½ as possible, consistent with harmony of outline. The top of sideseams will require a little readjustment as illustrated; after we have located

Measure back from 12½ to 11½ one inch, and divide the distance from ½, to 11½, into three equal parts or nearly equal parts, arranging it so that any little extra which may not be easily divisible may be given to the back, as from ½ to 4¼; having got points 4¼ and 8 in this way, we must next fix the waist line; measuring from N to E the side length, plus 1 seam (¼ inch), and so find E; next apply the front length of waist, measuring from F to T the measure taken from nape to hollow of waist in front, allowing 1 inch for seams, after having deducted the width of back neck. Now draw the waist line from 15½ to E, and E to T. Make the back at waist line from 1 to 3 half the width it is at ½, 4¼, and connect 3 4¼ up to > with a gradual curve: continue the bottom of back, below 3 at right angles to line 1 3, and the outline of back is complete. Before we proceed with the sidebody, there are two sweeps to make, one from pivot 4¼, sweeping from seam