Page:The cutters' practical guide to the cutting of ladies' garments.djvu/50

42 This is merely a piece of material 13 inches wide top and bottom, the back being cut on the crease, this is drawn in to 1½ inches a side at the top, and so reduced to the size of the waist, but to counteract the hollowing tendency of this drawing in, a little round must be added to the top.

As these garments are somewhat out of the ordinary run, we will give a few extra instructions, so that the inexperienced may know how to proceed

The materials mostly used for foundations are linen, Italian cloth, silk, &c. The best of these is linen, as it combines all the advantages of silk, while it wears better and it is far less expensive.

The foundation is seamed up with the seams to come outside, and a facing is put all round the bottom some 5 or 6 inches deep, so that the bottom is bound with this facing; on the top of this a narrow kilt is put also about 4 or 5 inches deep; this is done more with the view of keeping the skirt out round the bottom than for it to show, though as we write there is a decided tendency for them to be seen, and in some cases are put on the top of the drapery. An opening is left at the right sideseam for the pocket to go in, about 5½ inches long, the top about 5 inches from the waist: on the left side an opening is left quite 10 inches long to allow the wearer to put it on or off. This should be well stayed at the bottom, and a facing put on so as to hide its existence in wear. The waist-band is best of? section, that is, the top part is single and the bottom part double, and allows the foundation to be sewn to the one part and then the drapery to be slipped under the top one, and the whole firmly fastened together. Putting on the waist-band is a very important detail; the front or front and sidepieces should take up 3 inches less than the entire waist measure, and the back gathered or pleated in to 1½ inches aside; that is, the foundation of back measuring 26 inches right across, is drawn in to 3 inches. In arranging the V's of the foundation at the side, we always prefer pleating them over and not cutting them out, as by that means they adjust themselves to the shape of the figure at the hips automatically. In dealing with very stout ladies it will be found a very good plan to take out a horizontal V from the bottom of the second V forward, in the same way as tailors usually treat big men's vests; by this means a receptacle is formed for the prominence, and the skirt is kept well in at the bottom—a result always aimed at, though of course care must be taken not to overdo this feature, as it is certainly preferable to have a little excess of drapery, than to outline the stomach too closely. We will now pass on to that most important phase of ladies' skirt making,

To drape a skirt well is undoubtedly a work of art; and inasmuch as each figure requires certain adaptations to make it the most suitable, it will at once be understood that any rules we may lay down are to be applied in a general sense, leaving the special application to the figure to the draper's judgment.

The material has a considerable effect on the drapery; heavy, thick material needs far less to form a fold than thin. The warp or lengthways of the material should always run down the figure, and if not wide enough to produce the desired effect, join on some on either side; always avoid a seam down the centre of front. Drapery consists of an artistic arrangement of folds and hangings, and there can be no doubt that the best means of becoming proficient in this art is by experiment. The foundation skirt may be likened to the walls of a house, the drapery to the paper and pictures and other ornamentation hung upon them. With the view of illustrating the principal methods of draping we have prepared a series of figures.

Illustrates a deep kilt. The artistic effect of this adds height to the figure, and is generally a favourite style, either as illustrated or in a modified form. It is produced at the sacrifice of width, thus: suppose your foundation skirt was 40 long and 2¼ yards round, your material would then be cut off in lengths of say 42 to 44, the extra 2 inches allowed for hem at bottom, the longer lengths allowing for the extra length of back; these would then be seamed up till it was from 4½ to 6¾ yards round. The smallest quantity a kilt can be arranged from to look at all passable is double quantity, whilst for thin materials treble quantity will be needed. The seams should always be hidden under the folds, which should also be nicely graded in at the waist. If the kilt is very deep it will be necessary to keep it in place by means of tape put about 14 inches apart; thus a kilt right up to the waist would have two tapes, one 14 inches from the bottom and the other about 28.

To produce these, extra length is required, the points below the folds would be exactly the same as the foundation; each fold would consume about 4 inches of length in a fairly good substance cloth. The best method of arranging these satisfactorily—in the absence of draping it direct on the figure—is to get a dummy and make it up, by wrapping cloth, &c., to as near as you can judge the size and shape of the figure. The best ladies' tailors keep dummies so made up of all their best customers. Take the foundation, and having