Garment cutting in the twentieth century

by Günther F. Hertzer

2d. Run the inside and the outside lines of the angle of 10 deg. down as far as the cloth or the table allows, and sweep the inside seam from the inside line and the outside from the outside line, each seam separately, from a point as far down as you can reach.

3d. Fold the broader back over to the smaller front, so that both will lay smooth and without twisting, then cut the nicks.

4th. Square from each line of the angle of 10 deg., and at the knee only, because, at the knees, the front and the back are the nearest together, then measure up and down and cut the nicks, and in all cases be careful that the back is not held full behind the knee and upward on either seam....

If the distance between the smaller front and wider back were miles, or rods, even, the result would not be very satisfactory, but in this case the space is never more than 1 inch, and the variations in the several ways are not perceptible. The diagrams in this work are the best illustration of the sweeps from point 80, as well as of the cutting of all seams on a nice slope.

The medium sizes require the top of forepart about ¼ of the whole waist measure, but smaller sizes require the side seam further back and the larger ones more forward on account of the pockets. Another point should be observed: It has been stated that the center line of the angle of 10 deg. is a line to square from for a level bottom as well as for a level top, all of which is true, but the waist of the normal form runs downward in front, and the top of the normal waist should be run in the same direction, and for this reason should be squared from the front base line, and for extremely small waists it may be squared from the front line of the angle of 10 deg. Taking Dia. [XIV] as a model, we may sink the front of waist ½ inch and raise the back ½, to 1 inch from that top square line.

In conclusion of this article, I will say that, perhaps, I have gone too many times over the same ground, and perhaps I will go over it again and again, but it is always from a different standpoint and connected with something else.