CUT CAREFULLY.

Otago Witness, Issue 4028, 26 May 1931, Page 60

CUT CAREFULLY.

A wise amateur dressmaker will readily realise that “ prevention is better than cure.” And in this connection I am going to give you a. few do’s and don’ts. Before cutting any crossway line on a garment, consider whether is is to be sewn immediately. If it is not, do not cut it. Instead, merely mark the line with a tacking thread, and leave it until you get to that part of the making. When a crossway line is to be sewn right away, run a thread with fine run-ning-stitches right along the line, and finish the thread off, so that it cannot slip. Now you know just what the length of the line should be when finished. If you haven’t done this, and your line has stretched, measure your pattern, put in the runner, finish it off, and then shrink the line back to normal with a damp cloth and a hot iron. A neck-line, should not be cut until the first fitting. Then it should be tested by splitting it straight down from the centre of the neck, and folding it back. In this way you will not get it too low. Having decided the depth of the neckline, refit your paper pattern and cut carefully, leaving even yet a good margin to be snipped away at the last minute. Armholes should be outlined with a tacking thread of bright cotton, and sleeves should be slightly eased all round Panels to match must be cut on the same grain, otherwise they will drop unevenly, and nothing will cure this. When cutting strips for binding the material it must be absolutely on the cross. No! just off the straight, won’t do!

When turning up a hem which is off the grain, do one of the following:— (a) If cloth, turn up once'"and herringbone lightly', so that the stitches don’t go through. (b) If tweed, bind the edge with artificial silk binding, press well, and then hem up and slip-stitch. (c) If silk, bind narrowly, if possible, and leave the binding for decoration. If not, face up with a narrow crossway false hem. Do not attempt to turn up a hem in the ordinary way; it will be clumsy, and will never hang well. (d) If of ninon or georgette, .have it picoted. But before sending it to the machinist’s, sew narrow strips of muslin on the wrong side all along the line. Then they cannot stretch it. (e) When you are sewing a straight edge to a crossway edge hold the crossway edge in slightly, and stretch the straight one slightly', so that they will both sit properly. (f) Now, this is important: Leave all crossway skirts, panels, and draperies to drop well before finishing them off. (g) And, more important still: Take time and take pains. It’s better to have one well-made frock than a lot of cobbled-up garments which will spend their lives in the wardrobe, and end their days at a jumble sale. —Home Chat.