An Improved System of Cutting Dresses, Jackets, and like Garments.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 20th Oct., 1804
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved System of Cutting Dresses, Jackets, and like Garments.
I, HENRIETTE Fox, of 248 Sauchiehall Street, in the City and County of
Glasgow, Gentlewoman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement in writing, that is to say :-
This invention has for its object to teach how to cut dresses and jackets and like
garments by an improved system which consists of one piece only, with results of
the most artistic symmetry of figure.
By my improvements every line of a complete dress or jacket including front,
back, basque, sleeve and skirt, to fit any figure is drawn by this one piece only,
while other systems heretofore in use aiming at a similar purpose, with not such
good results, require four or more pieces. The advantages of the one piece system
is seen at once.
1. It saves time and inconvenience of putting down one piece to pick up
another.
2. The annoyance of the different pieces getting lost.
All other systems draw a bodice with one sidepiece only, but by my improved
system a bodice can be drawn with either one or two side pieces, and the latter is a
great advantage to stout ladies to whom. it gives a more slender figure and
consequently a much neater figure.
Other systems require great calculations or tables for finding the required dart
spaces for the different figures. My improved system having the front-waist and
front-bust sizes printed above each other between a two-feet rule is so arranged
that the space between the two which is the dart space, is seen at once.
Other systems require a scale for the front-width-neck and a scale for the
back-width-neck the front being always wider than the back. My improved
system has only one neck-width-scale which draws the back and front neck the
same width, and consequently prevents the front drawing the back too much
forward from its proper place.
In other systems both darts are the same width, this system causes the first dart
to be always narrower than the second which has the advantage of making the
bodice sit better into the groove of the figure.
The back-waist-proportions in other systems rises from about 18 to 40 inches.
This system gives the minimum of back-waist proportions at 22 and the maximum
at 29 although it would fit perfect on a figure any size possible. The object of
this is to prevent very thin people looking too pinched and stout people too
broad.
Other systems measure the bust all round but by this system the back and front-
bust are taken separately, and separately calculated in the scales which fits better
on disproportioned figures.
Other systems require a great many guiding lines that the drawer may find the
proper places for shoulders, neck, front, back, basque, under-arm, darts, and the
like; but in my improved system the calculation is so perfect that the exact spot
for each part is indicated by dot, which not only saves time but does not confuse a
pupil when cutting out.
Other systems have a sleeve pattern which is so arranged the different size
sleeves are drawn by it.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto

page_text: appended two explanatory sheets of diagram drawings in which the descriptive
view of each figure is printed on it, and the reference letters, numerals, and arrows
corresponding to the description of the various parts herein set forth.
Neck All round.
Shoulder Centre of back-neck to shoulder-joint.
Back-length Centre of back-neck to waist.
Under-arm-Armpit to waist.
Back-bust Across back, about five inches below neck.
Front-bust All round highest part and deduct back-width.
Waist All round (tight).
Front length-Waist to throat, marking bust-height.
Chest Centre of chest to armhole (2 inches below neck).
Length-From shoulder-joint mark elbow and wrist.
'Width All round armhole, one inch above elbow, and wrist at sleeve length
required.
How To DRAFT BACK.
Place chart even with edge of paper before you.
Put dot A at arrow 1, dot B at neck-size on neck-width-scale, and draw B to A.
Punch dot C at shoulder-size on back-shoulder-scale, and draw C to B.
Move chart with back-length-measure to dot A (chart even) and put dot D at
arrow 4 on left edge.
Slide chart-corner with arrow 3 to dot D, put dot E at arrow 5 and draw E
to D.
Put dot F at arrow 7 and dot G at waist-size on back waist-scale. If waist is
smaller than 22 inches put dot G at 22 if wider than 29 inches put dot G at 29,
draw F to G.
Draw D to A which is the back-length-line and 4 inch above under-arm-measure
put dot H.
Move chart with arrow 3 to dot H. Put dot I at back-bust-size and draw H
to I, which is back-bust-line.
Slide arrow 3 along back-bust-line till chart is at dot C, in the centre of the space
put dot J.
Move arrow 3 to dot J, chart to dot C and punch dot K.
Use long curve, draw J to C and I to K.
Place arrow 16 to I with curve to G and draw I to G.
Use long curve arrow 17, draw K to F and J to E.
1
Place arrow 15 to dot G.
Place chart from B to D.
BASQUE.
Draw side-basque-measure and put dot L.
From D draw back-bust-measure and put dot M.
Move arrow 3 to dot M with left edge to L, put dot N at arrow 6 and draw M
to N.

page_text: punch dot D at shoulder-size.
Use neck-curve, arrow 2, and draw C to B.
Draw D to B.
Move chart with front-length-measure to dot C (even with dot A). 24 inches to
the left of C put dot E.
Mark dot F at bust-hight and dot G at star on left edge of chart. (Note that
the row of figures nearest long-edge of chart are the front-waist-sizes, the figures
in second and third row the front-bust-sizes.
Move chart with waist size to dot G and edge to F. Put dot H at front
bust size.
1 inches to the left of H put dot I.
Place arrow 3 to dot E and mark chest measure, dot J.
Move arrow 3 to dot F; put dot K at front-bust-size, punch dot L, and put
dot M at arrow 13.
Move arrow 3 to dot I, put dot N at front-bust-size. The space from G to H
is required for the two darts, 12 inches marked with I is put in the first dart and
the space from I to G in the second dart.
inch nearer to H
Should the whole dart space be less than 3 inches put dot I
than G which in that case will make the first dart inch narrower than the
second.
Slant arrow 3 to G, put dot O at arrow 9 and draw O to G.
(For children put the whole dart piece from G to H in one dart. Place it from O,
and put dot R at the other side.)
Put dot P at arrow 11, dot Q at arrow 12 and draw P to Q.
Mark the second dart-space from Q with dot R.
Use dart-curves 21, draw L to O, L to P, M to O and M to R.
Place chart from G to F and three inches to the right of G put a cross (*).
Draw G to .
Use long curve, arrow 15, and draw to C.
For bodices with two sidepieces, see further on.
Place arrow 3 to dot R, with chart to dot N. In the centre of the space put
dot S.
Two inches on this side of S put a dot ( ). inch to the right thereof put dot T.
Draw T to R.
Two inches past S put dot U. and inch to the left of N put dot V. Draw V
to U.
From each dot T and U and to the right thereof mark under-arm-measure, W
and X.
Place arrow 18 to V with curve to K and draw from V to 1 inch past under-
arm-measure.
With the same curve draw U to X.
Place arrow 20 to T and draw to W.
Draw Y to X. Use armhole curve, draw W to J and D.
FRONT BASQUE (ONE SIDEPIECE).
Reverse chart and place arrow 15 to dot V.
Draw side-basque according to length required and put dot e.
From G at waist, mark front basque same length as back and put dot f.
Place arrow 3 to dotf with chart to e.
Put dot 9 at arrow 10, dot H at arrow 11. (should first dart be narrower than
1 inches move chart with arrow 11 accordingly nearer to g and put dot h.

page_text: 2nd Width.
Take second width, same length as line 2, double it lengthways, mark ten inches
across at the top and eighteen inches across at the bottom and from the one mark
to the other draw line 3.
In the centre of the narrow end draw a dart 1 inches wide by four inches.
deep. If material is not wide enough add for gores as shown by dotted line in
diagram.
3rd Width.
Add 3rd or back-width, quite straight, and same length as longest side of gore.
Put spare twelve inches long as shown in diagram.
For longer skirt draw gores 27 inches wide at the bottom. Draw back the
same length as longest side of gore.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The system of cutting dresses, jackets and like garments, substantially as
herein described in reference to and by way of application shown in the accompanying
diagram drawings.
Second. In a system of cutting dresses, jackets and like garments the method of
employing one piece only, substantially as set forth.
Dated the 13th September 1894.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents..