Handbook on dress and cloak cutting

by Charles Hecklinger

FIG. 11. SKIRTS.

Cutting and making a dress skirt, of any style and kind, is sometimes considered of very little importance. By many dressmakers the work is entrusted to inexperienced hands and blocked out by a pattern which will not fit the form. Many fine costumes lack style because the laws of cutting skirts for the different figures have not been observed.

The fashion for the present, and for some time past, requires the skirt to be fitted with as much care as any other part of the dress. All fullness must be so arranged as to fall into the back breadths of the train. The sloping of the bottom must be proportionate, so as to give a straight even effect across the front and sides and allow the train to suddenly spring out at the lower part of the back widths.

Fig. 11.

The careful sloping of the gores at the sides causes the train to fall into a fan-like sweep. The necessity of fine slopes, and a difference of those in different costumes, as well as for different figures, will be readily appreciated when we observe the use for which the dress is intended.

In a walking dress, as it should be to be in harmony with style and the present demands of fashion, the skirts should adhere closely all around the front and sides, leaving whatever fullness there may be at the back. In order to gain this, darts are required between the breadths, which reduce the size needed over the hips down to the size at waist. As the hips proportionately increase at a given ratio at the sides it must be evident that, in order that the skirt may fall down fairly over the hips, these darts at side must be larger there, while towards the front they must be smaller.

The bottom should have a regular sweep. This sweep can be gained the easiest by laying the gores in a closing position on the table, drawing a straight line along the centre of the front and extending upwards about the same length as the skirt. At the centre of the back breadth another line is drawn far enough up to cross the first line. In this shape the two lines would represent a cone; at the point attach a string to a pin driven into the table, and extending this string to the lower length of the skirt sweep around the bottom—this will produce a correct effect in every case.

The front width is now cut wide enough so that only one additional width is needed at each side. As we have already said, much depends upon goring the sides as regards fitting the hips, but on stout ladies extra care must be taken that the front be also sufficient to cover the round form of the body. The defect liable to occur in this point has the same result as not sloping enough at the side for large hips, namely, the skirt will hitch-up on the waist-band.

Putting on a skirt to the band is of equal importance. A dart in the apron or front width gives sufficient fullness over the round of the body in front; so also do darts at side. All the rest of the fullness should be pleated or gathered into the few inches left of the band after the front and sides have been sewed to the band.

We should not advise any one to cut out a skirt, whether short or with train, with out a good pattern, unless they understand how to draft one and know the points of the different shapes in gores.

Such skirt patterns we are prepared to forward to any address, on application, but in order that students may acquire an idea of how to cut them, Fig. 11 will show the general form and shape of them.

Draw line A, and make it 45 inches long, and mark off all the distances on the line, as shown by the number of inches given at all these points; draw lines across at right angles to line A.

Draw a line from point 6 to 12 and curve it to within one-half inch of 6, and then curve slightly one-half inch below line at centre to 6½ on line A. This finishes top of front breadth; connect 12 and 45, which finishes the bottom.

Finish the top of side-breadth by drawing lines from 7 to 11, curving these lines like Figure; at the bottom, curve from 12 to 42.

Connect points 32 and 42, also 22 and 12, by straight lines, which finishes the back part; this will give a skirt 38 inches long and the prevailing width.

Lay the front part, line A, on the fold of the goods.

In sewing to the band the front and side-breadths are left plain while the back is pleated in three or four large pleats.