Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1885-04-08
DRESSMAKING.
How Ladies' May Economize and Save
Money.

Money.
To cut and make ones own dresses
is not as much of an art as it was when
we had nothing to assist us with our
work, but with our excellent paper pat
terms and the numerous illustrations
and descriptions given to our readers
each month, by the use of little care
and patience almost anyone may be-
come her own dressmaker, and thereby
save much of the allowance apprOpri-
ated for dressing. We will commence
with the skirt of our dress, and see how
we can best arrange to cut it out OF the
material. If this is very handsome it
is not used, but q foundation skirt OF
cheap silk, alpaca, or cambria is sub
stituted; this foundation skirt does not
show at all, being covered with the
trimming and drapery. The skirt is
usually from two to two and quarter
yards in width; the front breadth is
gored at the top upon each side, the
cores cut off here are sewed upon the
lower sides of the breadth if the mater
ial is narrow; the two side cores arc
cut out of one breadth of single width
goods, provided there is no figure to in
terfere, the wide part of the one and
the narrow part of the other coming
out of the width; one side of these
cores is cut straight, the other
bias. Two breadths of plain single
width material are sewed together for
the back, then the bias edge of the side
gore is sewed upon the straight edge OF
the back breadth; the front breadth is
then sewed in; next the other side gore
is attached to the back breadths, and
your skirt is completely put together.
Particular attention should be paid
in sewing up skirt that two bias
seams are never sewed together; this
makes skirt hang very badly, and no
amount of after fixing can ever make it
satisfactory. The skirt should be
shaped around the edge so as to form a
graceful curve, sloping toward the
back; after this, if it is made OF cam
brio or alpaca, q narrow facing three
or four inches deep, OF the dress mater
ial should be put around the outside of
the skirt; then facing nine inches
deep or deeper must be put upon the
under side, and skirt braid put on, as
a binding neatly hemmed down, first
upon one side, then turned over and
hemmed upon the other. Many mo-
distes put in deep facing of hair
cloth; this keeps the skirt out at the
lower edge, and prevents the necessity
of always wearing long hustle. Still
d later invention is to put springs in
the skirt; these springs must be very
high up, so that they will adjust them
selves to any change of position of the
wearer. They are usually made OF
whalebone, and should be inserted of
castings made of tape, sewed on at in
teryals of five inches apart, five springs
being usually put in a dress. The
castings commence at the side cores,
and are only put across the back
breadths. The length of the springs
must be regulated by the taste of the
wearer, as some Wearers admire the
drapery to be more bouffante than 9th
ers, but they must be regulated in
length, and five inches difference be-
tween each spring is a good rule. An
other mode of arranging the underskirt
is fastening five sets of strings or elias
tic bands to the middle of the side
breadths. Two pair of ribbon strings
OF tapes are at the top, the upper pair
being only five inches below the belt;
the next two pair are short elastic
bands with ribbon at their ends to tie
them together; the fifth is a single |
elastic band fastened permanently only |
ten inches above the foot of the skirt;
this band is about half yard long, and |
is tackled in two or three places to the |
lower skirt. An arrangement like this
is used with fully draped overskirts
when the pad-bustle and steel springs
are omitted. If kilt skirt is desired
the material should be measured of
the depth required, cut straight, and
calculation made as to the number OF
breadths needed; three times the width |
of the skirt is required for a killing; |
sew all the breadths together, and |
press each seam on the wrong sidc, |
leaving the last one open SO that it will |
be in straight piece; then proceed to
line it. Silk muslin is required for the |
lining; cut in the same depth and
with as the goods and sew the two to-
gether; turn over and haste carefully |
along the edge; haste together further !
up and proceed to make your plaits; |
lay them over so that each one just |
touches the other, basting down as you |
make them.
After you have finished the length |
required lay them down upon a lap
board or table, fix each one in place
and fasten down with a number of
basting threads; then press with an |
iron upon the wrong side, until they |
are in place, put tapes across the back
at intervals of four inches; tack each
plat slightly upon the tapes, and pro-
coed to arrange upon the skirt, and
haste before sewing; then stitch on
with machine, and finish with mar
row band. Never remove the basting
threads from the killing until the whole
dress is finished. Killing is always
covered over with the drapery so thatit
is sewed on. If whole kilt skirt is
desired without drapery, it goes up be-
meath the basque. Next month we will
finish our skirt, which space will not
permit of our doing now.-Godey's La
dy's Book for December.