Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-18

Paper Patterns Are the First and Best
Helps

The paper patterns OF necessity the
standby Of the amateur dressmaker and are
sold In thousands during the year, their
number being Increased tenfold during the
spring and fall sewing. yet few persons
know really how to buy q pattern, and,
having bought 1t, how to adjust or At 1t
to suit Individual needs. as 1t goes without
saying that waist pattern Of given
Measurement cannot possibly At all women
who take that size For instance, a woman
I'VE feet high may take q thirty-six bust
measure. while the same number Of inches
will At at the same point a figure six or
/ seven inches taller.
In the arst place. directions tell Us to
call for a waist pattern according to bust
measure. few years ago 1t was quite
an easy matter to buy accordingly. tape
measure was passed under the arms and
closed In center front. encircling the line
of the largest part Of the bust. but this
was in the days when every one wore the
| straight up and down high bust corset.
| Then the low bust corset came in. and as
some preferred this garment extremely
| low. others medium and not a few stood
by the old model, 1t became a most difficult
| matter for patternmakers to design q waist
to fit the many when the line of the bust
varied SO largely. according to the style of
| corset worn.
A. figure wearing a very low corset would
probably take the bust measure some three
inches above the waist line while q figure
wearing the high bust would take it quite
double this number of inches and 1t
| came about, after many complaints of mis-
| fit. that the patternmakers decided that the
better plan would be to cut from chest
measurement Therefore, in taking bust
measure. instead of passing the tape around
the fullest part of the body, 1t should be
and then brought up above the line of the
bust in a very slight point. Adopting the
old-fashioned method will surely result in
a waist inches too large every way and
give no end of trouble in fitting. In fact,
SO many cases of this kind having come
under my notice, decided to find out the
| reason. with the result recorded above. 50
| that, though seemingly a small point. 1t is
an Important one, and should not be for
| gotten when purchasing
| The next thing to be considered Is the
| adjusting of pattern fitting normal
| figure to the needs Of the extra tall woman.
or the one proportonately too short, yet
all having the same bust measure. This Is
done by means OF folds across the pattern
| II the wearer to be is too short wasted
| and slashed to f1t the figure whose waist
measure Is extra long.
To determine just where these folds or
slashings shall be placed it Is necessary to
take the measure Of a person, first. from
neck to line on the lower edge of the arm
hole down center back. and again, from
under the arm to the waist line. These
measurements ascertained, compare with
the paper pattern, when 1t will be seen at
| glance just where the fold or slashing
shall come: some people being short from
head to shoulder blades and long from
under the arms. others vice versa. If the
former. the fold is made exactly midway
| Of the armhole across the back and chest;
II the latter, just above the waist line
In the case Of the pattern being too
| short slashings are made instead of folds
and the edges drawn apart until the desired
length is obtained. Now. supposing the
chest measurement Of the figures are the
same but the bust measure of the one Is
less than normal. while the other exceeds
| 1t, then. to give the former a good fit 1t
Will be necessary to take a tuck from the
front edge of waist to the dart and another
very small one from the top of the dart
slanting upward to the armhole seam. 1t
win also be necessary to fold over the pat
tern from top to bottom Of dart so that less
fullness Will appear. On the contrary, for
the overfull figure slashings will take the
place Of the tucks, the edges. as described
before, being drawn apart before cutting
lining or material.
Backs Of people vary perhaps more than
the fronts. Anyway. trimming will some
times conceal faults in the latter, but the
back must be perfect fit certainly. Some
persons have extremely fiat shoulders and
a very straight back, and so, If fitted by
the average pattern. the waist will prob
| ably show group of wrinkles right across
| the back, between the shoulders, which
would give the impression that the bodice
was too lOng-waisted The fault, however.
can never be remedied at the waist line,
because all other portions are correct and
not too long-waisted at all, SO, placing the
| lining on the person, tucks should be taken
up across the back, graduating to nothing
at all on the side forms. until the fit is
entirely smooth, when the outer material
may be cut.
For a round-shouldered person or a
| slightly STOPPING figure the slashings again
take the place of the folds. the opening
being its widest at the cented back seam.
graduating to nothing at all on the side
forms.
An ill-ftting back, too, is often response
BILE for wrinkles in the front from neck to
armhole. This can generally be remedied
| by stretching the front shoulder seam and
easing the back one. the latter being cut
fully half an inch longer than the former,
| then pulled in to fit together.
Changing the sleeve length Is done in
about the same way that adopted for
the waist. Measurements are taken from
the top Of the arm to the bend of the elbow
and then from that point to the wrist.
These measurements compared with
those on the pattern. slashing folding
process being carried out found neces-
sary, and above or below the elbow, the
| lengthening or shortening calls for. To cut
off from either top or bottom would bring
| the elbow in the wrong place, the result
being an uncomfortable sleeve, full OF
twists and wrinkles