PREFITTING WORK

Up to this point, if you have cut and marked your garment material properly — you are now ready to proceed.

Baste or pin in all darts, tucks, and any other inside design form shaping details.

Stay stitch all curved and bias edges to prevent stretching mate­rial out of shape. Remember to handle your garment material lightly at all times.

Pin or baste shoulder and side seams of bodice. Baste sleeve seams and put aside. Pin or baste skirt seams.

THE FIRST FITTING

Drape bodice on dress form or living figure. Make any changes neces­sary in the fit of the garment by removing original pins or basting as you go along and replacing them at proper places.

These changes may be made at constructions seams, or at the darts, or other shaping seams. Don't make the mistake of over fitting — remember to leave room for action.

When you are satisfied with the fit of this part of your costume, drape the skirt over your form, turn down seam allowance at waistline and attach to bodice at the waistline by matching your side seams, center front and center back, and other markings inherent to your garment design. Make corresponding alterations in the same manner you followed in fitting the bodice.

CHECK ON YOUR STRAIGHT OF GOODS. MAKE SURE THIS AT CENTER FRONT AND CENTER BACK IS EXACTLY PERPENDICULAR   (AT RIGHT

angles) to the floor. THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT if you

EXPECT TO HAVE YOUR GARMENT HANG OR DRAPE PROPERLY. When your design calls for a bias cut pattern — the exact line of true bias must be perpendicular to the floor in the same mariner — either at the center front and back, or at the design center as, for example, the center of each gore or godet.

Mark any changes you have made with chalk. Remove garment from form and take the next step to the finish line. Before you remove any pins, make sure that you have marked all seam allowances and all changes.

Detach skirt from bodice and take apart side and shoulder seams — BUT DO NOT DESTROY OR REMOVE ANY OF YOUR MARKINGS!

Begin with sewing in all your darts and inner lines of design.

At this point Vah-Li, our designing friend says "Don't forget to press as you go along. This alone can make the difference between a profes­sional looking garment and a homemade one."

PRESS EACH DART, SEAM, OR LINE OF SEWING BEFORE ATTACHING ANY CROSS SEAMS OR ASSEMBLING THE ADJOINING PART.

Press darts from the wider part toward the tip. Use your press mitt or tailor's ham. Press waistline and shoulder darts toward the center of the garment; and bust line or sleeve darts downward. When working with very heavy garment material or very wide darts — trim dart to about %" of sewing line and press open, leaving a triangular fold at the tip of the dart.

In pressing seams — first press them open and then toward the direc­tion desired; or leave them open if this is your intention as a designer. When one edge of seam has to be eased to match the length of the opposite edge as for example the top edges of sleeves or fullness over bust — in order to achieve neat shaping, gather in the fullness with a small running stitch to the length desired and steam shrink to shape by pressing over a curved surface such as your tailor's ham.

ALWAYS PRESS BIAS SECTION WITH THE GRAIN OF THE MATERIAL TO AVOID STRETCHING OUT OF SHAPE.

TIPS FROM A PROFESSIONAL DRESSMAKER

Time for a second fitting.

Complete the bodice in all details except for final finish­ing. Sew in the interfacing if use of it is necessary to hold and reinforce the shape of your garment design.

Sew in facings wherever required.

If your design calls for a collar — baste it in.

Set in your sleeves and baste.

Have another fitting to check on collar and sleeves — Do the sleeves fall properly? — Is there enough ease for movement? — Does the collar lay smooth or roll the way you planned it? Measure off the length of the sleeves. Mark any changes necessary.

Now finish the bodice completely.

Remember to press each seam before sewing on a cross seam.

TIME FOR A FOURTH FITTING

Ready now for the skirt.

Sew all inside lines of garment design as marked in your original fitting. Finish any decorative sewing work, buttonholes, pockets, piping, etc. Press each seam as you go along.

You may be tired of hearing press, press, PRESS — but — if you expect to have the effect of the finished dress resemble your dream — any designer or dressmaker will tell you this — after cutting and fitting — proper pressing at the proper time is most important.

Sew your side seams along marked seam allowances. Baste skirt to bodice — matching at side seams, center front and center back, and at all other marked points. Ease in your bodice fullness if any is indicated in your design.

Now you are ready for the next fitting. Put your garment on the dress form or, preferably, on the person for whom the dress is being made.

Check on the grain of the material. — Does the straight of goods hang perpendicular to the floor at center front and center back? — Does it drape or fall properly? If it hikes up at any place give the skirt more length at that point by borrowing from the seam allowance at the waist­line — or by lowering the waistline itself. If it droops or seems to fall in toward the bottom edge — do the reverse — take in some of the seam allowance. See that the side seams hang straight and perpendicular to the floor.

Check on the hips. — If it wrinkles above the hips you may have to take in additional allowance at the seams near the waist. Or if this is caused by not having followed your original markings accurately you may have to let out the side seams and give the necessary added width at the hip line.

When you are completely satisfied with the drape of the garment mark the changes with tailor's chalk or colored thread if there are any to be made. Mark the placing of your zipper placket or any other type of closure you intend to use — and the bodice and skirt are ready to be joined.

Remove the garment from your dress form. Remove pins and bastings no longer needed — BUT DO NOT DESTROY THE MARKINGS! Place the right sides of bodice and skirt facing each other, pin or baste along the seam allowance as marked and checked at the last fitting. Put in your permanent stitching by machine — or hand if you prefer — along the marked seam allowance. Pin or baste binding tape to the joined seam allowances, working with bodice side up, place tape so that joining seam is just covered and stitch permanently about ⅛" just below the seam. This will act as a reinforcing stay and will keep the waistline from stretching out of shape. Again — remember to press your seams as you go along.

Sew in the plackets and baste in the zipper or nylon tape closures — and you are ready for your final fitting. With a bias skirt — allow the gar­ment to hang for at least 24 hours before measuring the hem.

FIT FOR A QUEEN OF FASHION

At this fitting — the garment is ready for measuring the length, turn­ing up the hem, and checking on whatever last minute changes may be necessary. Use the skirt marker and measure for the length most becom­ing to the wearer but which is still within fashionable limits.

(The type of hem depends on the design and the type of material used. Knitted jersey, for instance, is best hemmed by catch stitching; bias or circular shirts are either rolled, piped, or have very narrow hems. The weight of the garment material will have a certain effect on the type of hem you choose. For a flat, non-bulky appearance, bias binding is usually sewn to the raw edge on the right side so that the binding overlaps the edge by about a third of its width. When the hem is turned all raw edges will be hidden.)

Make your final check on how the entire garment fits. Does it hang straight? Does it fit well without limiting movement? Remember that the wearer will have to walk, sit, climb stairs. Will she be able to move her arms comfortably without pulling out the seams ?

Mark the placing for buttons if these are being used. Check on the smoothness and fit at the closing placket whether for zippers, nylon tape, hooks and eyes, snaps or whatever.

Is everything the way you planned it to be? The last stage of making your garment is finally at hand. Put in all your finishing touches. Sew on your zippers or buttons. Stitch the hem accordingly to plan. PRESS. And your garment is ready — and fit — for the Queen of Fashion.

TAILORING TIPS

Tailored garments require a specialized type of planning and sewing. In the first place the materials used in severely tailored styles are usu­ally heavier or firmer than those ordinarily used for the so-called dress­maker styles which have softer lines.

The preparation and handling of your garment materials is the same in any case. Remember to pre-shrink the material. Check out the straight of goods. Match stripes or other material design. Remember to make all your marks. Remember the importance of pressing all seams as you go along, pressing tip — to avoid seam allowance impression to show on the right side, place heavy paper between seam allowance and body of the garment before applying pressure with your iron. All rounded areas should be pressed over a tailor's ham, and straight seams on a roll cushion.

All tailored styles require interfacing in order to hold the shape and crisp lines of the design. Interfacing is cut from the same pattern and it usually covers an area in a tailored suit jacket — about 3" below armscye, curves over bust line, and extends down along the front edge in about a 3 or 4" width. In the back it reaches about 5" below the neckline and curves to the same depth as the front interfacing below the armscye. Inter­facing is also necessary for the collars, cuffs and pocket flaps if the garment design calls for them.

SEWING TIPS FOR INTERFACING: Instead of being joined in the conventional manner, the seams are overlapped and catch-stitched. This prevents unsightly, bulky ridging. Darts are handled in a similar way — they are slashed, overlapped, and catch-stitched.

METHOD OF PROCEDURE: The interfacing has to correspond ex­actly to the markings and alterations, if any, on the garment itself.

(Drape the garment, inside out, on the dress form.  Smooth out all wrinkles. Pin the interfacing to it. Make sure all markings are matched.

See that the material and interfacing are placed together wrinkle free.

Baste interfacing to material at seam lines, front edges, armscye, and neckline.

Beginning at the point where your lapel will fold or "roll" pad-stitch the two together working from the fold to the outer corner of the lapel. Be sure to pick up only one thread of your material with each stitch so that they will be completely invisible on the right side. Sew twill tape to the roll line of lapel, and after clipping the front edge of interfacing almost to the seam line, join it to the garment with tape by sewing one edge of tape to garment and the other to interfacing with slip stitches. At this stage — if you are going to have bound buttonholes — sew them in right through interfacing.

Now baste interfacing to wrong side of collar. If collar is to remain flat, join it to the garment material entirely with padding stitches. If it is to have a folding line or roll — mark the line of this with machine stitching and follow with rows of additional machine stitching until the entire area to the neckline is filled. The rest of the collar is finished with padding stitches. Steam press the collar to shape and leave on tailor's ham until thoroughly dry.

Attach the collar to the neckline — right sides facing — stitch at the seam line through material and inter­facing. Notch neckline seam allowance. Clip interfacing close to stitching line. Press seam open.

Sew upper collar to lapel and neckline facing. Clip corners and notch seam allowance. Press seam open. Pin, right sides facing, to garment. The upper collar and lapels have to be eased slightly in order to form the proper shape or roll as you sew them to the garment.

Clip all interfacing close to stitching at seam allowance. Grade all seam allowances so that they are of different widths. Clip corners and notch curves wherever they would buckle or ripple when turned. Before turning press open all seams with the tip of your iron so that all edges will be crisp after turning.

Turn the facing and garment right side out and baste together about half inch from outer edges. Finish backs of button holes and catch stitch edge of facing to inter­facing.

Use the same procedure in sewing sleeves. Match markings. Press seams as you finish stitching. A double row of running stitches along the top edge of sleeve is used as a means of easing the sleeve to fit the armscye. This easing has to be shrunk by steam pressing. Match all markings — pin — and sew sleeve in. Press armhole seam over ham and long seams over roll.

Measure and mark your correct lengths. Cut a strip of interfacing a little wider than hem depth to fit along the lower edge of the jacket. Slip stitch into place so that the lower edge will be exactly at the fold of the hemline. Catch stitch the top edge to garment. Turn up hem and catch stitch edge to interfacing and finish stitching facing.

If your garment design calls for shoulder pads, tack the centers to shoulder seams and catch stitch the edges to the interfacing.

LINING COATS, JACKETS, DRESSES AND OTHER GARMENTS

In lining coats and jackets care must be taken to follow the same pat­tern with the same alterations, under no circumstances cut the

LINING SMALLER THAN THE GARMENT.

After cutting and marking make a pleat at the center of front shoulder seams. Sew the side seams. Press seams open. Clip and notch wherever necessary to reduce the bulk or prevent rippling. At the center back neckline make another pleat — catch stitch this on the right side.

Drape your garment inside out on your dress form and fit lining smooth­ly over it. Match centers and seams. Pin securely. Baste side seam allowance of garment to side seam allowance of lining to about 3 or 4 inches of bottom (this is to allow for turning up of the hem). Baste front shoulder seam allowance of lining to back garment seam allowance.

Turn down seam allowance at back of neck of lining, clip or notch where needed to avoid pulling or rippling. Ease into place and slip stitch to neckline at the collar seam allowance. Bring forward lining of back shoulder, turn under shoulder seam allowance and slip stitch to front lining at shoulder seam line.

Baste lining to garment securely around armscye. Turn under front edge of lining, pin into place about l/2 inch beyond catch-stitching at edge of interfacing. Slip stitch into place.

Now the sleeves'. Make the sleeve lining the same way you made the sleeves. Remember the lining should never be smaller than the garment it is to line. Turn garment sleeve inside out and baste seam allowance of garment sleeve to seam allowance of lining. Turn lining right side out. Pin and ease shoulder of sleeve lining at seam around armscye. Slip stitch into place.

IN THE WORKROOM OF A CUSTOM DRESS SHOP

Step1 — Deciding on the style. Taking measurements. Regular customer probably has sloper previously prepared

Step 2 — Original muslin pattern is centered on the dress form and slashed and spread or patched wherever needed to fit the measurements of the customer, and still keep the essential lines and design of the original.

All garment material used for patching has to be on the same grain to avoid distortion of lines.

All new lines and cross marks are marked with a contrast­ing color pencil to distinguish them from the original mark­ings.

Step 3 — The entire muslin pattern is then laid out on the garment material. In cutting generous seam allowances are used at places where alterations are commonly made: side seams, shoulders, arms, and neckline.

Step 4 — After all the style lines are thread marked the pattern pieces are ready for the draper.

Step 5 — In a busy shop the draper may work on several dresses every day.

As the draper works on putting the dress together each thread marked piece is pinned on the dress form. The seams of one piece folded back and then pinned over the adjoining piece. Any inside curves of style lines are slashed and pinned to lie smoothly.

Step 6 — The fitting — Sometimes the style line seams are stitched before the first fitting, but usually, and especially with a new customer the garment will be pinned only to facilitate fitting.

Step 7 — The drapers assistants now take over — the actual sewing is now in progress. As each seam is finished it is carefully pressed before being joined to the next piece. The number of fittings required during this procedure will be decided and agreed upon with the customer. A final fitting will be made before the finishing touches are put in.

Step 8 — The garment is finished, pressed, and ready for delivery.

References :

Evolution of Fashion — Gardiner Costume Silhouettes — Evans                   Dress Design — Hughes

Costume Antico e Moderno — Ferrario Psychology of Dress — Parsons McCall's Easy Sewing Book