HOME ECONOMICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21731, 21 February 1934, Page 16

HOME ECONOMICS

THE AMATEUR DRESSMAKER DEMONSTRATION LECTURE Aspects of homo dressmaking formed the subject of the demonstration talk given under (be auspices of the Auckland Home Economies Association in the Technical College last evening. The president, .Miss 13. Carnachan, presided and spoke briefly of (he aims of (lie association. These, she explained, wore (o help, by means of talks and practical demonstrations, any work which had for its object the welfare of (be home and the consequent welfare of the community.

Tbe making of a dress form (or model) was the subject chosen by Miss Aitcheson for her talk and demonstration, and assisting her were home science graduates of Otago I'niversitv. M iss McCormick spoke upon and demonstrated the use of commercial patterns, after which a demonstration of draping was given. As pointed out bv Miss Aitcheson. (he greatest difficulty that beset (be woman who made her own clothes was that of fitting the garments. Jt was not always possible to have someone else to do it for her and even when that was possible it was not always done to her satisfaction. For this reason, the possession of a dress form was invaluable. The advantages of the home-made article were, said the speaker, its cheapness (about os), its exact resemblance to the figure of the dressmaker, which obviated the necessity of trying on garments during the making of them, and lastly its ease in handling and transportation. It was even possible to pack it in a suitcase.

The materials needed in making the form were enumerated by Miss Aitcheson, who then proceeded with the help of a living model and four assistants, to make it. These materials included brown gummed paper, a cheap cotton singlet, scissors, safety pins, a bowl of water, tape measure, carving knife, small pieces of cloth, etc. After taking the necessary measurements Miss Aitcheson proceeded to work upon her model until she had her sheathed to below the hips in the strips of gummed paper, which moulded her figure like a glove.

The form was then slit up botli in the centre front and centre back, so that it came away from the model in two shells. These were measured and checked against the original measurements, and then joined together again down the back and front, trimmed off and left to dry for further covering. A similar form was used for the demonstration of draping. For draping, said the speaker, the form was invaluable, giving scoim? for individuality and self-expression in designing. and making the dressmaker independent of patterns.