Frock and Sack Coats and Vests.
Diagrams [I] and [III] are given for illustration only. Dia. [II] may be used as a model by which to cut all frock coats. A pattern of Dia. [II] was used to form Dias. [I] and [III], and they should all come out the same as to the fit. It may be, that in transferring Dia. [II] in the different positions, a slight difference may have been made, but it must be admitted that it is rather a difficult undertaking to transfer the same pattern into different positions and always have it work out the same to the smallest fraction. Dia. [II] should be considered the parent pattern, and after the division of the angle of 135 deg. has been mastered, anyone who knows his A, B, C’s ought to be able to make the coat draft. But as this work is intended for beginners as well as for the old and experienced cutters, I consider it worth the while to give a minute description of its cuttings as well as of its making up.
Be it understood that the angle of 135 deg. and its divisions, as bases, are the same for all frock and sack coats as well as for vests. All must be worn over the same body, and all must have the same base. But although coat and vest surround the same form, each has a different function; hence the difference in the construction of the neck-hole, the centre of the front and other points.
Notice this fact—that the top of the back of a vest is placed at 3¾ from the point of the angle of 135 deg., or ½ lower than on a frock coat. Now, in the first place, the vest collar should be lower than the coat collar; and secondly, the front of a vest is cut nearly straight down at the waist and all surplus cloth cut away sidewise, or buckled up behind—all of which has a tendency to shove the vest backward and upward to the neck. Hence the top of the vest back is ½ lower than the top of the coat back. It should also be noticed that the vest and sack coat back, above the armscye, up to 135 deg., is shorter than the frock coat; and it is so for the reason that is set forth in the article on “[Narrow and Broad Backs].”
A vest is intended to fit best in front, and the height of back should never be less than 14 above line 9 in front, because a short back over the blade is apt to cause the front to be too long around the neck. On the other hand, a coat is intended to fit best in the back, and for this reason a sack coat back should never be longer than 13½. The sack coat, being some shorter in the back and looser at the side, has a tendency to fall away from the neck; and for this reason the top of back is placed at 3. Again: The overcoat must cover the collar of the undercoat. For this reason the top of the overcoat back is placed on 2½. The side of neck, at 60 deg., should not be closer than 3½ or 3⅝, which allows the collar to be sewed on easily at the side.
Now, it is true that there can be no difference between the height of the backs of frock and sack undercoats, and I do not claim that there is any, although Dia. [II] has a height of back of 15, on line 9 of the front base; but according to the combination of frock and sack (see Dia. [III]), when the sidepiece is turned down and in at the waist, and all parts are even at the back and the under armhole, then the frock and sack backs are equal in height. The foregoing comparison, as well as what has been said in the combination of sacks and frocks, is based upon more than ten years of experience, and it is repeated here for the reason that this question has been more or less agitated in the different fashion journals for many years without any satisfactory result to cutters in general.
For the frock coat in particular see Dia. [II]. It may be useless to recapitulate their points, but I must again remind the student of the fact that the connection of the sidepiece and back must be made at lines 9 and 15. The back and sidepieces are on even lines at the waist, and below line 9 and 15, and it is only necessary to allow one seam at the bottom of the sidepiece, as the back is in one piece. In order to get the top of the sidepiece long enough for the back, the sidepiece must be run out into the armhole for that purpose, with a small gore of say ¼ inch at the armhole. It is important to know exactly where to make the connection, and instruct the journeyman to sew up and down evenly, or to stretch or “full” certain parts above and below, as the case may require.
The gore between the sidepiece and the back always requires careful cutting, especially over the blade. In Dia. [II] the gore at lines 9 and 15 is put at 1 number, and I must here state that this is as much as any coat may require, and if the gore there is made only ¾, it will not spoil the coat, but it may do good, and make the coat feel easy in the back. A coat cut out too much there will feel small in the back whenever the arms reach forward. It is true, this can be helped by cutting the armhole forward, but will be at the expense of some other point, which will be disturbed. A coat cut too tight at that point will show too much back at the point of the blade, both in length and in width, and I will here again say that if you desire a loose fitting coat, a coat that fits, too, cut the gore at that point not over ¾, running up and down, and making the same connection at the point of the blade and at the hollow of the waist as in Dia. [II].
I have been particular in writing about the gore between the sidepiece and the back, and a cutter must always watch the same, because the peculiar making by this or that journeyman will draw it out into a different shape. The back may be called the face of a coat, and it requires constant watching on the part of the cutter. At lines 9 and 15 the back should not be cut less than three numbers wide, and the whole calculation in regard to the height of a frock coat back is made with a back, three numbers wide at that point, and the calculation for a sack coat back is made with seven number width at line 9. At the waist the width of the back depends a good deal upon the size of a coat. A large size may have enough with two numbers, while a small size may have two and a half numbers. A back 2½ in. wide at the tack, will not be far out of the way for almost any size.
The position of the back and sidepiece requires both to be sewed on smoothly. Never hold the back full over the blade, nor sew a large seam over the curve. A back may easily be made too full or too long by fulling it over the blade, either by doing so in basting or in sewing a deep seam over the curve, and the more curved the sidepiece is the more will be the danger of fulling the back, or going to the other extreme and stretching it.
Below the lines 9 and 15 the back and sidepieces should also be sewed on smoothly, particularly so for pretty straight forms. Should the form bend a trifle forward, without being stooping, the sidepiece may be stretched, or the back held full, say ⅛ to ³⁄₁₆ of an inch, at the hollow of the waist. Or, if your coats have a tendency to be a trifle loose behind, stretch the back sidepiece a trifle above the waist, and you will find that it will improve the coat. Or, if the coat is a trifle loose after it is made, you can improve it greatly by stretching both sidepiece and back; and if the lining is not long enough it must be opened and let out, or pieced if necessary.
It is wonderful what a different appearance you can give to the back of a coat by making the back and sidepiece lining longer or shorter. The peculiar manner of different persons in sewing the seams, or basting in the lining, will also have a decided effect upon the appearance, if not upon the fit itself, and a good cutter must understand all that; that is, he must be a good coat-maker, otherwise he will always be in trouble. In recent years the question has often been asked: “Can a cutter be a good cutter without knowing how to make a coat?” I, for my part, would answer: “Yes, certainly; but if he could make the garments he cuts, his services would be worth a hundred per cent. more.”
But right here let me put another question: “Would not a good coat-maker be a better coat-maker if he knew the principle by which the coats he makes are cut?” And, in answer, again I say: “Yes; a thousand times.” Cutting and making must go hand in hand, and whenever a cutter understands both, he is able to give positive instruction to a journeyman workman. If not, he is not “boss” over the back shop.
Over and along the hips the forepart and part of the sidepiece should be stretched, say about ½ to ¾ of an inch, and the top of the skirt should be shrunk about that much, so that the gore in the skirt, which is not cut out, is shrunk away; and the gore between the sidepiece and front, which is cut out, is stretched out again at the seam, and the skirt, forepart and sidepiece are sewed up just as shown in Dia. [II]. The gore between the sidepiece and forepart might be run out at the waist seam and both cut equal without stretching or shrinking either part, but it will throw the fullness over the hips too much on one point. The back skirt seam should be oval to imitate the seat. At the center of the back, and from the tack downward, the frock coat is sprung out, say 1¼ inches at line 30, but said spring is again reduced between the back and forepart. On a short sack the oval form over the seat can be partially produced by cutting the back seam oval, which, when sewed up, will produce the oval form. But on a frock coat, which is open behind, the oval center would simply produce a rounded edge at the back, but not the oval shape of the body. Now, whatever is thrown out over the base behind is again taken off or balanced between the back and front skirt, and shaped to fit the form, will remain oval when sewed up.
The width of the buck skirt depends upon notion or style, but when made up the fold and the edge of the top tack should run parallel on both sides. The shoulder seams ought to be sewed on evenly, but as the back is always more bias than the front, there is danger of stretching the back, and the seam should be so basted on that when held up without strain the back would be a trifle the most full. It is also a good idea to notch the shoulder seam in its center, and baste up and down.
In making up, the front of the arm-hole must be well stretched; then starting from the front sleeve nick up say 1 in. back of 60 deg. For this purpose the canvas and all padding should be cut into at three or four places, and fully 2 in. deep. Then about 1 or 2 in. above the front sleeve nick; the lining should be cut through and a “V” put in. All of these cuts should be so finished and again filled up, that when the coat is done no off-set will be visible on the outside.
The front of the arm-hole is guarded by three notches, and needs no further description; but I must caution against an error in regard to the under sleeve. It is frequently contended that the under sleeve should be sewed in tightly over the sidepiece, but this is a mistake. An under sleeve which is held a trifle full over the back and sidepiece will “set” far better than one that is stretched away at that point. This is on the same principle that the top sleeve will not set well if stretched at and above the front sleeve nick, or anywhere else.
When a back under sleeve drags or shows too much sleeve, it is a sign that the arm-hole has too much space somewhere over the back, and it must be reduced. Stretching the sleeve will never make it better. But by sewing in that part of the sleeve a trifle full, I do not mean that we should stretch the arm-hole that trifle. It should be secured by a suitable stay, or a solid thread drawn in, which will keep it from stretching, though the sleeve is a trifle full. All linings around the back and arms must be loose and large, and may be cut bias. The back lining should be provided with a fold as well as the under arm cut.
When I use the term shrink or stretch, I mean just what I say—not to hold one side full, and sew it together, and then press it out as best you can. A seam sewed, and particularly a machine-sewed seam, cannot be stretched satisfactorily, for it will largely return and draw the other side full. But a seam stretched before sewing up will remain so. This holds good on all seams and on all garments, particularly so on pants.
