Butterick Pattern Company

“ If a single body is used the seam joining the body and skirt is made toward the inside. A bias strip of cambric is placed next to the petticoat in the same seam, which is then stitched, turned over and hemmed to the body (Ill. 119) .
If made double, stitch the under-arm seams of both outside and lining; place the right sides of the material together and stitch all except the lower edge and shoulder seams. Clip the curved edges, turn the body right side out and crease along the sewing line. It may be stitched again on the outside to strengthen the edges and hold the seams in position. ”

“ Sometimes the skirt material is used for collar and cuff facings on the coat.
REMODELING FOR CHILDREN'S CLOTHES—Quite frequently it is easier to cut down a coat suit for one of the children than to remodel it for the mother. But do not use a material that is old and somber for a child, without relieving it by a trimming that is bright and youthful-looking. A black-and-white pin-cheeked wool or a dark serge is apt to make a dull frock for a little girl, but if it is trimmed with bands of contrasting material in a suitable color it becomes childish-looking and pretty. ”

“ Wrinkles at the back near the neck are often caused by the lining being too long-waisted. Or the shoulder may have been sloped too much if the person is very square-shouldered. It is better to rip the basting and pin the seam again.
If the waist draws to one side it means the waistlines have not been pinned together at the line of basting. The top of the darts, if there are any, must come just below the curve of the bust and they may be raised or lowered if necessary. If the armholes feel too tight be careful not to gouge them out under the arm or at the front. ”

“ Long overblouses when in style are very good, because they have plenty of size at the waistline. Surplice waists, especially when they are made with sashes, adapt themselves to your changing figure with the tying of the sash. Waists with soft fulness when they are used as part of a dress made with a soft skirt should be joined to the skirt before either the waist or the top of the skirt is gathered. A casing should be placed at the waistline and the fulness of both the waist and skirt drawn in with the same drawstring. ”

“ In heavier cotton and linen materials use seam-binding as a facing. The inner edge must be hemmed invisibly or stitched in place on wash materials.
THE SLEEVES are considered by some people as the most difficult part of a costume. Great caution is necessary to keep them exactly alike, from the time the sleeves are cut until they are finished and sewed in the armhole. If not correctly cut and basted, one sleeve may be larger than the other. If they are not stitched in the armhole exactly alike, one may twist while the other hangs without a wrinkle. ”

“ MATERIALS—Wool materials that are too shabby to be made over can often be used for interlining Winter coats and jackets.
Wool materials and some silks that are shabby on the outside but comparatively fresh on the inside can be turned if the wrong side is nice looking. It may not be exactly like the right side but if it is presentable it can be used. Satin, plush, velvet and silks that have a design on one side only can not be turned for the wrong side is not wearable. ”

“ A soft finish is much used on silk and wool materials and on velvet. For this soft finish turn under the seam allowance on the neck edge and cover it with seam-binding sewed on flat like a facing. No sewing should show on the outside. In silk and wool materials if there are seams or closing edges or embroidery or trimming of any sort, the inner edge of the seam binding may be tacked to the seam, closing edge, etc. ”

“ When the seam is stitched, cut the paper close to the stitching and pull it out. The stitches between the two edges of the material all then look like illustration 254. The edge toward the hem is turned down and the hem is stitched by machine, close to the turning. The raw edge of the garment is turned in and stitched by machine.
DRAWN-WORK makes an exquisite trimming for lingerie frocks and blouses, and for dresses for children and young girls. It is also used on lingerie. Cotton voile is the best material to use for drawn-work because the threads pull easily. ”

“ Hold the thread under the thumb and take up four or five threads with the needle, bringing the needle out over the thread so that it forms a loop as shown in Illustration 251. Draw this loop quite tight and take a small stitch to the left of the stitch in the fold of the hem. Now take up the same number of threads as before and repeat the hemstitching for the length of your hem. When it is finished turn your work so that the opposite side of the drawn threads is toward you. Make a second row of hemstitching in the same way, taking up the same groups of thread as before. ”

“ POWDERED FRENCH CHALK OR FULLER'S EARTH may be used by placing the powder over the stain and holding over a heated iron. The heat will dissolve the grease, and the powder will absorb it. Grease can also be removed from most materials by placing the material, right side down, over a piece of brown wrapping-paper and pressing over the wrong side of the material with a hot iron. The heat of the iron drives the grease from the material into the paper, because grease has a tendency to go from a warm spot to a cooler one. ”

“ You should avoid anything that is extreme or bizarre or that will enlarge your figure unnecessarily. Skirts with plaits, long soft tunics, or soft fulness are admirable, for they give you the size you need at the waist. You should not use a skirt that is extremely narrow. It might become too small for you before the baby is born. If you select such a style it is advisable to add sufficient width to it in cutting.
SKIRTS—A skirt can be adapted to maternity use by allowing extra length at the top in front. ”

“ False Hem or Facing—Straight Facing—Bias Facing—Shaped Facing—Sewed-On Facing—Applied Facing—Extension Facing—Sewed-On Extension Facing—Applied Extension Facing—Corded Facing—Piped Facing
A FALSE HEM OR FACING is often preferred for the finish of an edge. A garment can sometimes be cut from less material by using a facing, for a hem requires extra length or width while a facing can often be cut from pieces which would not otherwise be used.
A hem is better than a facing for thin materials as the joining seam of the facing would show in transparent materials and would not be pretty. ”

“ The knitted afghans are made of wool. Two thicknesses of Shetland wool in pink or blue, or white with pink or blue, put together with a satin ribbon binding makes a dainty afghan for Summer. There are always new and charming ideas in afghans and the best ones with directions for making them will be found in Needle- Art. A very nice blanket can be made with two thicknesses of cheese-cloth with one thickness of cotton wadding between them. The edges are bound together with ribbon or scalloping and the three thicknesses are caught together with satin bows or knots of baby ribbon. ”

“ Sewing Equipment enough to lay out a skirt or coat for cutting and sewing. If it is a regular sewing-table, you can keep your shears, pins, etc., in the drawer. (Ill. 1.) The table should have a smooth, hard, even surface and should be of comfortable height, so you can sit at it with your feet under it as you would sit at a writing-table. Never sew with your work on your lap. It makes you sit in a fatiguing position, strains your eyes and back, and stretches and crumples your work. Lay your sewing on the table, letting the table support its weight. ”

“ It must have the right sleeve and collar and the skirt must be the correct width and length. The waistline must come at the right place. Don't wear a high, Empire waistline when a low or normal waistline is the vogue. Don't wear a belt that gives you a pinched-in waist when a wide waist is in fashion.
Be sure that the collar is not only the right size and shape but is absolutely fresh. Collars get hard wear and a collar that is still good style might be worn and shabby. ”

“ Place a piece of lining material inside each armhole, turn in the armhole edges three-eighths of an inch and fell them to it. (Ill. 2.)
FOR a figure that varies quite decidedly from the average it is better to use a special dress-form. Alter your pattern and make up the lining as described in the earlier part of this chapter. Send your finished lining to a firm that makes dress-forms and has a special form made from it, but a size smaller than your lining. When you get the form, put the lining on it and pad it as already described. ”

“ Light-weight twisted embroidery silk, mercerized cotton, or a linen thread may be used to advantage, for in this work smoothness is the most desirable feature, and the threads should all be placed in such a way as to lie next to one another, but not overlap. ”

“ ALTERING PATTERNS FOR A FIGURE WITH AN UNUSUALLY SMALL BUST. For the woman with an unusually small bust it is wiser to make up the lining first in unbleached muslin before cutting into the regular lining. Where the bust is just a little under the average the alteration can be made at the underarm seam. ”

“ Small pieces of material can often be combined to make hats for children, or if suitable used for collar and cuff facings.
When combinations of materials are in fashion remaking is a simple matter. Wool materials can often be combined with satin, taffeta, foulard, or with plaid, stripe or check silk or wool materials. ”

“ The tabs at the front and back are pinned to the diapers to keep them in place.
SHIRTS—If you buy the baby shifts, get the second size, for they outgrow the first size almost immediately. It is much less expensive to make them yourself from fine white flannel. Every stitch should be made by hand with great care in finishing all of the seams, hems and turnings as flatly as possible, as otherwise they are likely to make the child uncomfortable. The shoulder and underarm seams should be pressed open, after stitching, and both seam edges catstitched on the inside of the garment. ”

“ You must be especially careful in picking out a dye that will suit your material. White, of course, can be dyed any color. Pale shades can be dyed darker or changed into other slightly deeper colors. A material of one color dyed with a dye of a second color will emerge from the fray an entirely different shade from either. For instance, if you dye a yellow material with a light blue dye, you will get green; while the same light blue over light red makes purple, and over light green makes peacock. ”

“ When the fagoting is to be applied to the garment in fancy design, and the material underneath the stitches cut away afterward, the entire piece of work should be smoothly basted over paper, and the line of spacing which represents the fagot-stitching outlined with chalk or tracing cotton. ”

“ Feather-stitching In working a blanket-stitch do not use a knot but secure the thread by running one or two stitches toward the edge, holding the thread under the left thumb. Insert the needle the depth required, bringing it out under the edge, allowing the thread beneath to form an edge. ”

“ If the bust is only a little full, the alteration can be made on the underarm seam when you try on the lining and waist. For an unusually large bust the alteration must be made before you cut your good lining and outside material. ”

“ AT THE beginning of every season when you are planning your clothes, look over, your wardrobe and decide what you have that is worth remaking and will fill some definite place in your outfit. Do not make over any clothes simply because you have them. ”

“ By using fancy trimming-pieces, collars, yokes, etc., you can almost always model a waist so that the piecing will never show. Lace or net for yokes, chemisettes, etc., can be dyed the color of the dress either at home or at a regular dyeing establishment. ”

“ In making over half-worn garments into presentable and at the same time durable clothes for boys, such as suits, reefers, and overcoats, a tailored finish is the first requirement. It means neat work, even stitching and careful pressing. For the pressing you will need heavy irons, evenly heated, and a piece of unbleached muslin that can be dampened and laid over your work. ”

“ You will need a thimble that fits correctly, needles of all sizes, basting cotton, different colored cottons for marking tailors' tacks, tailors' chalk, a yard-stick, emery for polishing needles, and a tape-measure. Learn to use your tape-measure accurately, for one of the points of fine dressmaking is the difference between an eighth of an inch and a quarter, a quarter of an inch and three-eighths. ”

“ A PATCH POCKET is simply a patch sewed on three of its sides to the outside of the garment. Patch pockets vary in size and shape according to the style of the garment and the position they occupy. The upper edge that is left open may lie simply hemmed or faced, or trimmed in any way that the character of the garment may suggest. ”

“ A Pinning Blanket with Tie Ends A BARRIECOAT OR PINNING BLANKET is an open front petticoat made of flannel and sometimes used in place of a flannel petticoat. Its ends can be turned up and pinned to keep the baby's feet warm. Hospitals and doctors do not approve of it, for it prevents the baby from kicking and strengthening its legs. The front and lower edges are turned in hems and feather-stitched on the outside. ”

“ In Winter a baby will need a ready-made veil of fine knitted silk or Brussels net edged with satin ribbon.
THE KIMONO OR WRAPPER is a very practical garment and may be made of flannel, cashmere or any light-weight woolen material. A very pretty little garment may be made of French flannel, dotted or plain, with a shaped band of contrasting silk or flannel. ”

“ You want to look as much like other women as possible so that there will be nothing to draw notice to you. It is much better to choose current styles that can be adapted to maternity wear and use them in preference to the special maternity clothes. Your things will be prettier and smarter and of more use to you later. The slight alterations that you make for maternity use can be changed back to normal lines after the baby is born. ”

“ It is neat, durable and gives a garment a dainty, finished look. It is also used as a trimming either in straight rows or in a fancy design. Prices for the work vary, but it is not expensive. It can not be done at home, as the machine required is too costly, but any plaiting establishment or the salesroom of a sewing-machine company will do it. ”