The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-13
MAKING PAPER PATTERNS.
System Which Enables All Women TO
Dress in Garments of Stylish Cut.
New York Mail and Exnress

A System Which Enables All Women 10
Dress in Garments of Stylish Cut.
New York Mail and Express
One often hears of the severe fashions of I'VE
oden time" of plain skirts and bodces, fine in
material but simIly constructed even for 1.-THE
Sunday best" and we can but look in astonish-
ment TO see the contrast few years has brought
about. Wondering how this great revolution
mad taken place, reporter called on a large
fashion house to make inquiries Having stated
his object he was conducted to a suite of rooms,
each occupied by number of pretty girls, all
busily engaged in cutting and folding papers.
when dresses became more elaborate, PEG
pie in moderate circumstances little able to
afford dressmakers' bills and who yet wanted
to keep up with the fashions of the day, were
at loss to know what to do, till the inventive
genius of man came to the rescue with paper
patterns This idea gave rise to a large bust
ness, which was taken up by a few companies,
generally IN connection with the sale of sewing
machines, thus combining the advertising power
needed for the two departments. Since then
several houses have started independently, and
one large firm has even given up the machine
department paper patterns having absorbed all
the capital, time and attention of the company
will you tell me how these patterns are
NADER
When design has been submitted-design-
ing styles is 4 profession by itself-ether made
up from paper or shown from a French draw
ing or plate, and has been approved, competent
filters initiate the design in cheap muslin,
SIMPLY DaSllnS Jle parts tOcetner, Yet Nelng
extremely careful to obtain perfect
and we'll fitting model from which the
pattern may be copied These models, to insure
a sure and stylish figure, fitted to a live
model who wears the ehosty dress till every
plat is properly adjusted and the garment made
to compare exactly with the original design.
This cloth model is then sent to the description
writer, who carefully rips 1t apart, at the same
time marking each portion that it may be ex-
acty replaced from the directions she writes to
accompany each pattern. Next comes The
grader who takes the dissectcd garment and
cuts an exact pattern of each part putting in all
the notches and perforations as marked upon
the cloth by the description writer The latter
by this time has sent the directions to the
printer who is fast making ready the envelopes
to hold the pattern, when completed
How are they made to ct different persons?"
''The grader, who has a system of measure
ment known only tc the profession, prepares
separate patterns duplicates of the garment
properly enlarged or diminished, to suit both
great and small. lie sends these pasteboard
patterns of the different sizes to the cutters
who stand before large tables with immense
sheets of tissue paper in layers of fifty spread
before them. The pattern is then marked upon
them and cut with large shears and then is
handed to girls, who with trained fingers rapidly
fold and place them in the envelopes now In
waiting.
Much art work is required in an establish
ment of this kind as the cloth model after TT
ting, has TO be sketched by skilful artists who
curves folds and various novelties represented
in the fashion, to make as acceptable a wood
cut possible to in the illustrated catalogue
upon the envelopes and other advertising
mediums. Most houses issue fashion paper, a
few spicy and catching notes from the outer
world helping the circulation of what without
these would be pure advertising sheet"
Are these patterns much sought afterln
over a million patterns sold yearly by
one house, agencies being established all over
the world, though it is conceded that the most
substantial orders are from the growing West
and from towns where the facilities for obtain
ing reliable styles are few and feeble. A love of
being 10 mode lies either latent or expressed in
the heart Of every woman, and to the favored
ones living in the city walk down the leading
street or avenue brings to the rnindof both young
and old some new idea of dress, with which the
country girl can only be blessed by the advent
of city visitor or by the fashion paper brought
by the kindly mails. These papers are eagerly
waited for and grasped on their arrival. Each
new style is conned and criticised and the want
of the heart filled and happiness made complete
by the knowledge that few cents will bring
the requisite pattern and full directions for the
making Of the garment desired
'How many new styles are brought out a
month";
From fifteen to sixty new styles are manu-
featured monthly aud these sometimes form a
nucleus for 4 200 page magazine partially made
up of stories, articles on art decoration, practical
housekeeping. etc, forming still another solid
medium for further circulation of the styles
manufactured. Twice year styles are killed"
in order to keep the stock reduced to the proper
number The undesirable fashions are easily
detected on examining the orders which reveals
sometime a tickle and ehangeable public taste.
A stroll through an establishment like this
described is interesting as illustrating a manu-
facture well repayiug the happy invention OF the
discoveror of want long felt and supplied with
the little oblong envelopes containing the mys-
FERROUS angles, curves and curious shapes Of
brown tissue dotted and notched called paper
patterns"