Page:The cutters' practical guide to the cutting of ladies' garments.djvu/35

Rh If our readers have thoroughly grasped the principles involved in the Sleeve System, they will soon recognise they are identical with those employed to cut the hodice sleeve. The width across the scye is used to find the distance from O, 6: the sleeve pitches are located—the forearm ¾ of an inch up from bottom, and the hindarm, in this instance, at the second sideseam, which may of course be varied; hut this mode is most in accordance with the views of ladies at present, the topside sleeve being made much wider than half, and consequently it will be noticed a great difference exists in the quantity on the square when taking the balance of the sleeve: the first amount for this sleeve is 6, the second is 2½, and this of course makes the sleeve head very round, in locating point 5, make it rather less than half 3½, 10½; proceed with the elbow as before described, measuring from 2 to 7½ * half the size the elbow is desired, plus two seams; then come out from 7½ to 8½ 1 inch, or as much as it is desired the topside sleeve shall be wider, when of course a similar quantity is taken off the under sleeve, as from 7½to 6½. Point 7½ should be used as the pivot to sweep from 10½ to get the top of hindarm of undersleeve.

Are so very popular at present, that no description of a system for sleeves would be complete without an explanation of the mode of producing them. First sweep by the elbow at 8½ from 10½ in the direction indicated by dotted lines 1½, and go out from 10½ three times, or very nearly three times, the amount of puff desired, and add on an equal amount of round to the top above 5, thus: suppose an extra ½ inch of round is desired to the sleeve head, addon 1½ inches as indicated by the dot and dash line. Some may consider this an excessive allowance, but when they remember the puff must be provided for on both sides, that is, up and down, they will at once see that twice is the least possible quantity, and to this must be added an allowance for the hollowing tendency of fulling in the sleeve head; for whenever a part is fulled on or drawn in, the round is apparently much reduced.

In order to fully illustrate this, we have taken the scye of dia. 28, and applied the system in exactly the same way, with the result of diagram 15. But here we should use a little; judgment, for we know ladies of this class are usually very square shouldered and short Kicked, so that it would be our duty to keep the fulness of sleeve head as little as possible, in order to prevent anything that would in the slightest degree raise the shoulders; so we should take off or 1 inch of round from the top of the sleeve head as illustrated by the dot and dash lines: this would enable the sleeve to be put in almost plain, and would be quite satisfactory, as the bones of the shoulder of this class of figure do not show any prominence at this part, the surrounding flesh mJung shoulders comparatively flat.

Diagram 23, Plate 11, illustrates a sleeve suitable for check material. It is produced in the same way as diagram 43, with the top and undersides grown together to elbow, a fish being taken out under the arm to make it shapely at back. We will now give a few

If there are buttons and holes at either fore or hindarm seams, a button-stand must be left on that side the buttons are intended to go on. In putting the linings in, always keep them rather long than short, and always flash baste them over the seams, in the case of the Dress Bodice Sleeve, the extra length in the hindarm of topsides must be put on at the elbow in fulness. In putting the sleeve into the scye, keep it close round the back scye as from A to C, dia. 42, keep it fair round the bottom from A to W, and begin the fulness a little below D, and terminate it well above the forearm pitch.

If there is a moderate amount of fulness to go in the sleeve head, it may be drawn in with a running thread and pressed away before the sleeve is put in, but if there is more than can be successfully arranged in this way, put it in in little pleats, and if the sleeve be desired to appear puffed, do not open the seam at sleeve head, which would press it flat, and so destroy the end in view: a judicious use of canvas or horsehair, or even a little roll of (doth or wadding, will be a great assistance to produce a good puffed sleeve head.

The problem which has puzzled the profession during the past fifty years, more than any other, is simply this: how to compensate in the sleeve for variations in the width of the back: and though in practice the difficulty has been invariably surmounted, yet when the various processes have been tested theoretically, they have all been more or less deficient in meeting the self-evident needs; and the measure of success their authors have achieved has doubtless been largely due to the elasticity of the material and the judicious manipulation that the workmen have put into the garment.

Let us take a glance at diagram 46, and see the varying widths of back marked 8,9, 10. These represent backs of an inch difference in the width—9 is the normal, 8 the wide, and in the narrow. Now it is