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Material and Pattern. – The model
illustrated has a skirt of very dark-blue crepe meteor, and, over a
gray Georgette foundation, a blouse of dark-blue Georgette, with a
back panel of crepe meteor. Gray, dull-silver, and American Beauty
colored threads form the embroidery. The design is worked heavy
across the front just above the waist, and then, in order to produce
proper balance, is made lighter both in design and in color as it
nears the shoulders. For the average figure, 4 yards of crepe
meteor, 1 ¾ yard of blue Georgette, and 1 yard of gray Georgette
should be provided.
A plain waist and a
two-piece straight-skirt pattern are needed for the foundation. Try
out in muslin at least the front and back waist panels in order to
ascertain exactly their correct width and shaping. Cut the back
panel from 4 to 6 inches longer than the back length, so that the
upper end may be turned back 2 or 3 inches to form a fold or collar
that will extend across the shoulders. Cut the foundation waist of
gray Georgette and the back panel of crepe meteor, allowing for a
1-inch hem on the lengthwise edges of the panel and a 2- or 3-inch
hem at the top. Cut the front waist panel in one with the under-arm
sections and provide for a plait about 1 inch wide to form this
panel. For the skirt draperies, provide a 1 ¾-yard length of crepe
meteor cut the full width of the material.
Construction. – Baste the plaits
to form the front panel of the waist. Then, with the foundation and
outer waists together, baste the right-shoulder seam and both
under-arm seams; also, baste the sleeve seams and the hems in the
lengthwise and upper edges of the back panel. Next, slip on the
waist so as to make sure that it fits correctly, and, in order to
provide an opening, slash the left side of the waist and of the
foundation at the inside edge of the tuck. Then pin the shoulder
seam from the opening to the armhole edge. Also, mark the line for
picoting the neck line of both the foundation and outer waists,
arranging for the neck line of the foundation to extend above the
neck line of the outer waist.
Remove the waist and have
the neck edges picoted. At this time, also, have a row of
hemstitching run through the lengthwise center and along one end of
the piece cut for the draperies, and cut this through the
hemstitched line to form a picoted edge for the upper part of each
draped portion.
Before finishing the
waist seams, apply the embroidery to the outer waist portion only.
This will produce a softer finish than to take the embroidery
stitches through the foundation after these parts are secured
together. Then French-seam the shoulder and under-arm seams of the
waist; also, join the sleeves and insert them with French seams.
Bind the lengthwise edges of the opening with self-colored
Georgette, and face both sides of the shoulder opening, making it as
neat and inconspicuous as possible. Secure the hems in the back
waist panel with fine, loose hemming-stitches.
Make plain pressed-open
seams in the foundation skirt, but leave the left seam open at the
top and finish it with a continuous placket. Then gather the waist
line of the skirt.
With the parts of the
dress thus prepared, place them on the form, adjust the waist and
skirt fullness to an inside stay belt, and turn the hem at the lower
edge of the skirt.
Stay belts for this
season are merely perfunctory in point of service because of the
looseness of the waist line. Now they should be 1 to 3 inches larger
than the waist measurement and in the majority of cases narrow.
Frequently the 2 ½-inch belting is split through the center and
bound on one edge with ribbon or silk seam binding, thus making one
belt length serve for two dresses. A piece of the lining silk
finished with a picoted edge or narrow lace makes a good covering
for the belt. This piece of silk should be applied when the dress is
practically complete.
To arrange the drapery
for each side, secure, at the side front of the skirt, the
unfinished end of one of the pieces that have been picoted. Arrange
to have the selvage in the lower part of the drape and the picoted
finish for the upper edge. Lay the fullness in soft plaits,
arranging these to occupy a space of about 5 inches on each side.
With this done, loop the material down at the side; then tack the
upper finished corner at the side-back waist line, as the
illustration shows.
Gauge the width between
the drapes by the appearance of the individual. For large figures,
bring the drapes closer together in order to form a narrower panel
that is becoming to figures that are slighter. Soft plaits and
drapes aver very effective in satin and soft, luxurious materials,
especially when designed to accord with the individual. Some
designers contend that no rule can apply for drapery, for every
dress has its own demands in this regard.
In order to prevent
bulkiness in the drapery and to make it very soft and pretty, pin a
dart from the upper edge of the center of the looped-down portion.
Take up 10 to 12 inches in this dart and taper it so that it
terminates about 4 inches above the selvage edge or just inside of
the lowest fold of the drape. Stitch the dart in a plain seam and
press this open to make it very flat. Then lay the looped portion in
folds, extending these from the plaits at the waist line.
Finishing. – If the crepe meteor or satin is heavy, the
drapes will hold in place very nicely. If any difficulty is
experienced, however, because the material is too light, sew a small
weight at each inside fold so that the drapes will hold in place and
the effect shown acquired.
Tack the back panel in position
to produce the neck-line effect you desire. This will provide a fold
to simulate a collar that extends straight across the back. The fold
may be tacked merely at the shoulders and brought up high at the
center back to stand up straight, or, if desired, it may be arranged
so that it will flare out from the neck.
Make the girdle of a
true-bias piece of crepe meteor 11 inches wide, finishing the sides
with a 5/8-inch hem slip-stitched in position. Gather the ends into
the width desired when the girdle is crushed into position, and
secure these gathered or shirred ends to a tape or light-weight
covered bone. Then, to hold the girdle together securely, finish it
with hooks and eyes. |
