Home-Made Attire.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 978, 28 November 1890, Page 5

Home-Made Attire.

Hints on Dj

Here are some hints on dressmaking that ■bonld be welcome to ladies who want to make their own dresses. So many cannot use the eat paper patterns with any degree of success that they may be glad to hear of another way. Go to some dressmaker or tailor and get a bodice out to fit your figure perfectly, have it tacked, and try it on. If the tit is satisfactory, have the waist-line marked with ink around the bodice, and mark all the seams so that yon will know how to put them together again. Then unrip, and mark all the turnings with ink, so that you will know how much to take in ; then iron out. Get a large new sheet of fairly heavy wrapping-paper, secure the lining firmly to it with pins, and cut a duplioate which shall come to the inked lines only. Have some good paste or mucilage ready, and paste the lining and paper together. This must be done very carefully, so that the muslin shall be neither drawn nor shrunken. Of course, the ink lines are on the outside, and the widths of the seams and turnings are left flexible outside of the paper pattern. This must be put under press immediately to dry flat. The object of using linen and paper together is to obviate the trick of curling up, tearing and breaking with the constant use of pins and handling of a paper pattern, while the muslin alone ia apt to lack fiimness and draw, and it is quite impossible to crease over it correctly as a guide for the seams. After the pattern is thoroughly dry and stiff, lay it away flat, unrolled and uncreased, in a drawer for future use, and you have a reliable pattern whioh, with slight and easy alterations for increase or decrease of flesh, will last for years. When you are going to make the bodice of your new spring or summer gown, have ready a low table or lap-board entirely clear. A tray of fine pins, a pair of sharp mediumsized scissors, basting-cotton, needles, thimble, and—intelligence, and you are ready to go in for the first steps of success. Faoe tbe paper side of the lining material and pin together firmly at all points. (There should not be less than eleven pins in the front form.) Then proceed to cut, of course following the muslin edge. As the pieces are cut, before unpinning them, crease the lining over the edge of the paper, or, batter still, run it around with a tracing wheel, and mark the waist-line and X &c., exaotly as in the pattern. Now cut the dress material from the same pattern, but do not crease the edges or mark it. Baste the lining and material together with close stitches (markings outside), and keeping it as flat on the table as possible. After going around the outside, fasten the two materials at the top of the darts with a few firm stitches. Then as you baste down the darts draw or stretch the dress material a trifle firmer than the lining. The same applies to the side seams below the waist. Now pat the seams together acoording to the tracings. When the darts are basted together you will find that the farther side of the second dart Is a trifle shorter than the seam it is to be joined to. This ia so that it may be drawn tight, or the other seam e»sea. on to.it above and below the waist, which gives that- smooth, taunt effect round the waist. Always start to baste or maohine a seam at the waist-line and go towards the top. Then begin at the waist again and go down to the end. Baste olose and firmly. The back seam is saored and must invariably keep to the true line. In putting the rounding side pieces on to the back start at the waist-line and go up to within two inches of the top. There yon will, or should, find the side pieces a trifle short to fit on the baok. This is meant to be stretched and drawn nearly half an inch to matoh the back, and covers the shoulder blades smoothly and obviates the ugly sagging under the arm one is so apt to notice in home-made garments. The front of the shoulder should also be drawn tighter than the back—no foiling, mind, perfectly smooth, only stretching the material before sewing instead of letting it stretch itself out of shape after* the gown is made. When the seams are all closely basted turn down the front edges according to pattern, and try it on. If any trifling alteration is necessary make, it, and proceed to seam with the machine. If you have exaotly followed the lines open the seams aud press with a hot iron (unless it is silk), notch at the waist, bind with silk binding or overhand tbe seams, hemming or feather-stitching the rounding side piece down upon the lining on both sides. Make the button holes and place the buttons correctly ; if hooks and eyes are used, they should alternate sides for better security. Avoid steel, bones, or any such substitute. Get the short strips of whalebone that cornu with boles already pierced at both ends, or long lengths to be cut as required. By placing iu cold water two hours before using, it becomes very flexible, and you can readily put a needle through to fasten in several places along the seam. G3t a piece of hinding braid the colour nearest your lining and ease on to the open seam. It mast be quite full to make the bones set well. Leave one end open, into which the ends are inserted and pushed very tight. Remembor the rule is emphatic —casings full aud the bones tight. Fasten to the bodice and casingß through the holes. Ordinarily there is no necessity to place bones on the side, back form, and the bones must not come within 2in or 3in of the armhole in the under arm-seam. Have the notches in the arm-hole correspond with the sleeve, and insert it carefully, keeping the arm-hole tight and the sleeve easy.