Cutting and draping

by John W. Stephenson

Pleat festoons A and B in the same manner as straight festoons in last chapter, the lines on the board corresponding with the lines on the plan, the elevation at 3——4 exactly as the plan calls for, and adjust the goods until it conforms to the size and shape on the plan. When one end of a festoon is attached at a higher level than the other, attach the elevated end of the pleat first, and then the lower end, for greater ease in forming the pleats nice and round.

Irregular festoons are not interchangeable any more than clothes, and will only fit the size and shape for which they are made; for this reason be careful in laying out the measurements on the board, as once pleated they will hang that way only, and a change in elevation or distance, unless very slight, will destroy the neatness of the pleats. If, in a drapery design, a festoon with the heavy fall point X to the left of the centre is repeated in another place with the heavy fall to the right of the centre, and the sizes are exact, the pattern cut for one will do for the other by turning the other side of the paper up; but be careful to mark each side and the festoons to correspond, so as not to duplicate.

It is a good plan to number or letter each festoon and tail on the plan, and the patterns to correspond; then, if the goods is cut with the face side up, the completed drapery must be the same as the plan.

If for any reason it is advisable to cut the goods with the face side down, you must be careful to turn your patterns all face down, or your drapery will be transposed, with the right tail at the left side, and vice versa, and errors of this kind are, to say the least, vexatious.

To lay out festoon C for cutting is a little more difficult, but can be easily mastered with care. Lay out the paper for pattern on the table, as explained for festoons A and B, and draw the bottom line A——B parallel with the edge of table, and about half the length of the pipe above it (Figure [8]). Erect the perpendicular line X——X, and find all the points on the pattern in exactly the same manner as for festoon A; round out the line from A1 to X (dotted line, Figure [8]) and the raking line A1 to C.

From point B1 as a centre, with the length of the pipe as a radius, strike a quarter circle from the line A——B down to a point below B1 (line 1——B1), round the line right side from X to a little above the line, and gracefully sweep to break the sharp corner where the circle intersects, as dotted line, Figure [8], and rule from B1 to D, adding afterwards the allowance for trimming off after pleating.

If you have a small festoon to cut, and one of this kind, mark out the small one first, letting the pattern lie to the opposite side from the side on which you want the piece for the pipe, and the allowance for the pipe can usually be cut out of the corner, F. (See broken line, Figure [8], which outlines the top of a festoon beneath the line A——B.)

In irregular festoons the line X——X must be at right angles to the end of the goods, or chalk line representing bottom of festoon where no pattern is used.

Cut festoon C out complete and match the pattern of the goods to the piece before cutting out the tail. (See Figure [7].)

Join the straight side 1——B1 on festoon C to the left side of tail and press the seam out so that it lies flat as one piece.