Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences - Drafting and Plain Dressmaking Part 3

By Mary Brooks Picken

Mary Brooks Picken founded the Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences in Scranton, Pennsylvania. An expert on fashion, Picken is an authority on dress, fabric, design, and sewing. She taught "Economics of Fashion" at Columbia University and was one of the five founding directors of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.
Here we have one of her classic books on drafting and dressmaking.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Sep 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9781473353176

Book preview

INSTITUTE

of DOMESTIC

ARTS & SCIENCES

INC.

INSTRUCTION PAPER

With EXAMINATION QUESTIONS

Drafting and Plain Dressmaking

PART 3

By MARY BROOKS PICKEN

1920

COPYRIGHTED BY EDUCATION CORPORATION GENERAL. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Contents

DRAFTING AND PLAIN DRESS-MAKING

EXAMINATION QUESTIONS

DRAFTING AND PLAIN DRESS-MAKING

(PART 3)

ONE-PIECE DRESSES

KIMONO-CIRCULAR DRESS

1. In Fig. 1 is shown the front view and in Fig. 2 the back view of a kimono-circular one-piece dress; that is, a dress consisting of a kimono waist to which is joined a circular skirt. This style of dress is practical in every sense of the word, as it may be easily made, easily put on, and easily laundered. Although the dress here shown is made of striped material, plain, checked, or figured wash material may be used to advantage, as may also woolen fabrics; however, dresses of woolen fabrics should not be attempted until later Sections containing directions for handling such materials have been studied. Still it will be well to keep this style of dress in mind when the construction of woolen garments is taken up.

In selecting any material for a kimono-circular dress, it should be remembered that material 36 in. or greater in width cuts to best advantage. Material narrower than 36 in. will necessitate piecing the waist in the back and will also cause the piecing required at the lower part of the skirt to come nearer the hip, thus tending to detract from the appearance of the garment. For this dress is required 4 to 5 1/2 yd. of 36-in. material.

2. Matching Striped Material.—For this style of dress, striped material is a little more effective than plain, as the bias back of the waist and the skirt, as shown in Fig. 2, makes the back of the garment appear more pleasing and overcomes, to some extent, the severely plain lines of the dress; on the other hand, material with a stripe is a little more difficult to handle than plain fabrics.

FIG. 1

Very narrow stripes that are close together do not require matching on the seams, but stripes 1/8 in. or more in width should always be matched, because they then present much more harmonious lines. No material is more effective than striped, provided the stripes are correctly placed in the seams and the design shows a pleasing combination; on the other hand, nothing is more commonplace than stripes thoughtlessly put together. The matching of stripes is sometimes troublesome, but if the following precautions are observed in cutting out the material no difficulty should be encountered:

1. Rather than pin the selvages together, preparatory to placing the pattern on the material, pin the stripes together along the selvage; then, if the material is not dyed or woven evenly, the stripes will appear the same on both sides of the garment, regardless of any such imperfections.

FIG. 2

2. In cutting out the draft to make the pattern itself, keep the edges perfectly even; then, when the pattern lines are traced, or marked, a perfect seam line may be obtained.

3. Preparing the Pattern.—For cutting out the kimono-circular one-piece dress, use is made of a circular-skirt pattern drafted according to the measurements of the person for whom the dress is to be made, as well as a standard kimono-waist pattern drafted by the aid of the plain foundation-waist pattern for this person. Although short sleeves are employed for the dress here shown, the waist pattern may be drafted for either short or long sleeves, as desired. The patterns for the collar and the cuffs of this dress must be drafted separately.

4. To draft the collar pattern, proceed as shown in Fig. 3. Draw on a piece of paper of suitable size a parallelogram with sides equal to one-half the neck measure plus 1/2 in. and ends as wide as the stand and turn-over of the collar, as a rule 3 1/2 in., lettering the corners of the parallelogram A, B, C, and D, as shown. Next, measure down 1 1/2 in. from C on line B C and locate point E. Then place point E2 3/4 in. to the right of E. Draw the collar line from D to B next. First, place the square, L. S. up, so that v of the L. A. C. is at D and the edge of the curve between s and r touches E2 and draw a heavy line along the curve; then, continue this line from E2 to B, turning the square around and placing i of the S. A. C. at E2 and letting the edge of the L. A. C. touch B. Next, measure up 2 in. from A on line A D and locate A2 and 2 in. to the left of A on line A B and locate A3; then connect A2 and A3 with a dotted diagonal line.

FIG. 3

Having completed the draft, form the pattern by cutting from A to D;