Part 11

This figure shows the front and the back views of the normal form, as adopted in this work. It illustrates the slopes of the shoulders, and the measurement of said slopes on the angle of 135 deg., and each separate shoulder slope on an angle of 22½ deg. from the side of the neck. It also illustrates the pants bases, on the angle of 7½ deg., and shows the reason why the top of the front of a pants waist is thrown forward of the front base line. It shows the front pants base ⅝ sidewise of the center of the body, and runs down parallel to the inside of each leg. This figure is calculated to be in such a standing position that the ankles are 1¼ inches apart, so that ½ of that distance is ⅝ of an inch to the center, hence the ⅝ to be thrown forward of the base, on top of waist, as the smallest amount for any form.

In front of the center of the figure will be seen another dotted line, which is marked 1¼ from the base, which is intended to show the front of a pants for a fuller waist, or for a more forward leaning waist. This addition may be the most that can be allowed for a forward-leaning waist, and may also be considered to be the most that can be allowed for a medium large waist, as to such forms which require a made up waist of 40 inches, but whose seat measure is only 40 inches. Forms which measure 42 seat and require a waist of 44 made up, may have 1½ allowed in front of the base, and a 46 seat which requires a waist 50 inches made up, may be given 2 numbers, as shown in Dia. XX, but 2 numbers may be considered the most which any pants will require.

The position of the front pants base, on the front line of the angle of 7½ deg., must be considered, as it will be, when the pants are on the body, that is, running parallel to the front of the leg, which is forward on top of the waist, and which slope may again be called 7½ deg. From this line, most of the normal forms carry the top and front of waists a trifle backward, but it is very little, and we will call such waists even on that line, in order to make a standard.

Now, it must not be supposed, that when a waist grows larger in proportion, that it grows, or spreads very much forward of that line. Whenever the waist grows larger, the body becomes more erect, in order to keep in balance, and the relation between the front of such a waist, and the line running parallel to the front of the leg, change very little, and Dia. XX may be considered to be large enough at that point for almost any form. On the other hand, we find large-waisted forms which do not carry their fronts of waists in front of that line at all, though their abdomen may curve outside of it. Such pants may be cut with a normal front of waist—but with a trifle more curve over the center of the abdomen, and plenty full at the side so that the forepart is thrown forward from the side, forming another curve over the oval front on the same principle, as the back is thrown backward from the side, to form the curve over the seat.

There is an endless variation of such forms, and it is fortunate for cutters that a trifle more or less will not kill a pants. The difference in Dia. XIX, XX and XXI is not so great that a great mistake would be made. All the small diagrams were made with the top of front of waist thrown forward of the base 1¼, but as they are used for illustration only, and as there are a great many pants which require it, they have been left that way. Otherwise they are the same as Dia. XIX, XX and XXI.

[Illustration: _Fig. 1._]

FIG. II.

Fig. II illustrates the side view of the angle of 135 deg. as applied on the draft, and shows the reduction of the square in front and below the waist, as well as the addition behind and below the waist. The diagram on this figure is a simple vest, on the square of 17½, and hence the under arm cut is 3¼ at the circle.

[Illustration: _Fig. 2._]

DIA. I.

Dia. I is intended for illustration only. It is on a square of 20½, and the ½ is intended for the extra seam which the frock coat requires. The center of the back and center of the front run in the same direction as they must run when on the body. It also illustrates the spring over the hips as the body actually requires it.

The gore between the side-piece and back illustrates what may be buckled up on a vest. The front represents a straight single-breasted coat, as worn by the military or clergy, and may be depended upon if placed as in Dia. II. The front of such a coat must have a large gore in the center, which gore must be made at least 1¼ to 1½ inches, seams included, and must start well up above line 15, and the edges cut oval, not hollow; and the canvas and all padding and lining must be cut and worked in the same way, in which case the front requires no drawing in. The stay is put on close merely to keep the edge from stretching.

Above line fifteen the button-holes are cut, and the buttons are set plumb on the front line, but below line 15 the button line turns backward as shown. To meet the collar in front, nick one seam back of the front line, for military, but for a clergyman’s coat place the nick ¾ back of said line. The top of the skirt laps 1 inch in front of the forepart, and drops ½ inch on the bottom of the front. The standing collar must be a straight piece, and its width depends upon regulation. For a clergyman’s coat the standing collar should not be less than ¾ inches nor more than 1 inch, made up. The front of such a collar may be run straight upward with a line parallel to the front line of 135 deg., but may be shaved backward on top according to regulation or taste.

The place for the shoulder straps on military or society coats is the spot between the lines represented by 60 deg. from the front and 60 deg. from the back, which space of 7½ deg. represents the top of the shoulder. For practical purposes, use the back part of Dia. II for such a coat, and shape the front like Dia. I.

This Dia. I is made to show all the angles which start from the point of 135 deg., and which are required for a coat or vest. That angle which forms the shoulder seam, and which is also marked square of 20½, is 45 deg. from the center of back, but for some reason it was forgotten to be so marked. The lines of this diagram may be used to draw the angles for any coat or vest, by simply making them long enough for the size required, the same as in Dia. XII-A. Drawn long enough to cover both shoulders, as shown in Fig. I, the outside lines of this angle of 135 deg. is to be used to measure the shoulders as well as to draw all the other lines, or angles for drafting.

A circle drawn from this point, with a half diameter of 8 inches, will be large enough, and it may be cut out of solid paste-board, but better, of tin or zinc on which the lines are correctly drawn. The location of the forepart and shoulders is the same as in Dia. II, or any other diagram. The back and the sidepiece on the square of 20½ are in a different position only. The front is just as good as any diagram can be made for a military or for a clergyman’s coat, when placed as in Dia. II. The back and the sidepiece is for illustration only.

That back which rests on the angle of 135 deg. is in all respects correct, but the back which rests on the sidepiece has _one_ incorrect line, and this is the line forming the shoulder seam. It is correct at the armhole, but should run up to the point of the square of 20½, so that all three lines meet, and it will be found that from that point, down to line 9 over the front, will be 14⅜, but line 9 itself gives the correct distance from the top and back corner of the square.

By close observation it is also seen that the height of back above line 9 is only ⅜ more in Dia. I than it is in Dia. IV, or on the vest, and also that the side of the back of Dia. I is reduced again in length ½ inch by a gore from the armhole to the shoulder blade, all of which proves that both coat and vest are the same thing on the same square, and that the heights of back and front are the same, and in order that the vest is covered by the coat, the neckhole for the vest is cut ½ lower.

If everything is considered at the waist, the coat is only a trifle larger than the vest, and that, what the front of a coat has more than a vest, is used for the lapel. Though Dia. I has a square of 20½, and Dia. IV has only a square of 20, both have the same width when all the seams are sewed up. All of which shows that, as the coat must pass over the vest, the vest must be cut at least one size smaller than the coat, and I have found it correct. In other words: The difference between the breast measure over the vest, and that under the vest, is about 1 inch in the whole breast measure. Dia. I gives a good deal of information, though it may be useless for practical cutting.

[Illustration: _Dia. I._]

DIA. II.

This is a plain double-breasted frock; and the diagram is plain and requires little extra description, except the front of the waist and lapel. The fore-part has no gore at the waist, and the reduction is made in front. It will be seen that the double-breasted front of Dia. II is only about 1 inch wider than the single-breasted front of Dia. I, and that the gore in Dia. I is balanced in Dia. II by the large gore between the lapel and fore-part upward, and if it is desired to cut a small gore at the waist, then all what that gore takes up must be allowed in front.

The lapel in Dia. II will roll anywhere down to the second or third button, but if a gore is cut at the waist the roll will go down to the waist seam; and if the collar is pretty well rounded in front the lapel may be run down to the bottom. All frock coats have the center of the back pretty well thrown out at the bottom of the skirt, and this extra width is again reduced between the back and front skirt, which operation allows that seam to be oval-shaped in order to fit over the seat. The frock coat, being open behind, must receive its oval form over the seat in the seam between the back and front skirt, because that seam is sewed together and will hold its shape, whereas if the roundness were placed in the center behind it would simply produce a curved edge, but not an oval shape for the seat. The lap between the forepart and the skirt represents the extra length over the oval chest, and for a full chest, and if the chest is not very full, the lap of 1 number may be reduced to ½ at the front edge, but must remain 1 number at the plumb line base.

Dia. II is intended for the normal form, and for the following measure; Breast, 35; waist, 32; hip, 34; seat, 36; length of legs, 32 to 33; form straight without being over-erect. The back and the sidepiece is intended for a close fit, or as fine work ought to fit. If a looser fit is required, the gores between the back and the sidepiece and between the fore-part and the sidepiece should be made a trifle smaller from the hollow of the armhole downward, which will give greater ease to the armhole and is better than to cut the armhole more forward. If a waist is prominent, say nearly as large as the breast, the underarm gore may be made as small as ⅛ to ¼ at line 17½ and run out to nothing at line 20; while a very large waist may require a lap of 1 inch, at the waist seam, starting said extra width at the bottom of the armhole.

This diagram shows the sleeve and the armhole different than Dia. VII. The armhole is cut out to the front sleeve base line and the sleeve and the armhole laps 2½ at 60 deg., all of which gives both armhole and sleeve a trifle larger and that armhole requires not so much stretching as that of Dia. VII. The top sleeve and armhole nicks are connected by a right angle from the center of back through the angle of 60 deg., and they will fit pretty close together, and in fact may be taken together on all sleeves and armholes, basting forward and backward to meet the other nicks.

NOTE: Elsewhere it is stated, that Dia. II must be considered the parent pattern of all others, which is quite true, though the armhole of Dia. II is larger than the others.

FURTHER: In cutting the gore between the back and sidepiece, point 5 must be quite slightly touched by both, and it may be better to have ⅛ gore there on all coats except for the stooping form. See Dia. II B.

[Illustration: DIA. II.]

DIA. III.

This diagram is also made for illustration only, for it would be too complicated for practical cutting. It is made for the purpose of showing the correct position of the back and sidepiece for cutting a sack coat without changing any balance in the armhole. The sidepiece is so placed that it will form a spring at the side of the hip, and the back and sidepieces are lapped over on top enough to balance one seam, leaving the sack as a three seamed garment.

The top of the back skirt and bottom of the sidepiece lap over, and which lap represents the extra length that the frock coat requires while passing closer to the hollow of the body. On the sack coat the spring over the hips is not used, nor is the larger frock coat gore behind, but between the two the sack seam is cut with a gore of about 1½ numbers at the hollow of the waist.

In placing the sidepiece in position, as in Dia. III, the back part of the sidepiece on the shoulder blade falls backward and enlarges the square ½, and for this reason the three-seamed sack coat has a square of 18, or the same as a five-seamed frock.

In turning the sidepiece down into the waist, the top of the sidepiece will fall down behind and form the spring between it and the skirt, and consequently the whole frock coat back shortens on top, or from line 9 upward; and for the further reason that the sack coat back is the wider, the height of a sack back appears still shorter, as seen in Dia. III and VIII, and is 13½. For further explanation as to why the back of a sack is shorter than that of a frock, see article on “Narrow and Broad Backs.”

All foreparts in Dia. I, II and III are in the same position, and all changes are made on the sidepieces and backs. Dia. III produces the closer-fitting skirt for a cut-a-way. All skirts are alike over the back, because all coats must fit the same over that portion of the body, but fronts of cut-a-ways must be closer than those of double-breasted straight coats. The lap of the top of the front of the skirt and bottom of the front of the forepart are reduced from the sidepiece forward, which takes away all surplus flow of the skirt. The gore in the fore-part is simply turned forward on a cut-a-way, while on a “Prince Albert” it stops at the waist seam.

The swing of the sidepiece in Dia. III is made at line 9 over the forepart and on the square of 20½. The break is made there, and the calculation is made from that point; and it is for this reason that an opening is made above line 9, which is about ⅜ at the height of the sack coat side seam, and is cut away on a frock coat, as a small gore, if the garment is cut in this position. But in a three-seamed sack coat the swing must be considered further back, or at the seam, consequently the opening is at the top of the sack coat side seam, which is cut out as a small gore between back and front and above line 11¼, or else the back armhole will be too wide, and show too much sleeve there. This gore may be made ¼ to ⅜ of a number, but which is obliterated when the sidepiece is turned so as to come in the position as shown in Dia. VIII-a.

After the cut for Dia. III had been made, I came to the conclusion that the opening of the frock coat sidepiece and forepart toward the armhole, could just as well be balanced in a sack, by cutting it as a five-seamer, and by making back and forepart even above line 11¼, and this was one reason why Dia. VIII B was added.

[Illustration: _Dia. III_]

DIA. IV.

Dia. IV represents a vest, and is quite plain. It is on a square of 20, and in the same position as shown in Dia. I, front and back bases running parallel. From the front of the waist, or at the pit of the stomach, or where the body turns, the square of 20 is reduced to conform to the bend of the body, and from the back of the waist, or where the body turns, the back receiving what the front has lost.

Under the arm the normal form requires a reduction at the waist of about 1 in., and another in the middle of the back, as shown in Dia. I, between the sidepiece and back, but which may partly be taken off at the side seam and partly buckled up. A vest without buckle-straps should be cut with a gore in the back of say ½ inch, and as shown by dots in Dia. IV and XIII. All vests should be cut as though there were to be no turn-down collar, and if such a collar is to be added, a simple piece of the shape of the whole neck is attached, in which shape the front may be curved at pleasure.

The side of the neck as 4, is for a vest without a turn-down collar, and is calculated to lose one seam for the turn-in; and if the vest be bound this point ought to be 4¼, and if a turn-down collar is put on, said point should be fully 4¼, because nothing is lost by a seam, but instead there is an actual gain by the top-collar covering the seam, and for the purpose of illustrating Dia. V, VI, IX, Dia. IV has the shoulder seam cut on a straight line, and without lap or gore, and if cut just like it, the side of the neck must be stretched say about ¼ to ⅜ inches on each side, and close to the shoulder seam. If, however, the vestmaker can not be trusted to do the stretching right, it is better to allow about ¼ spring at the neck, starting at, or about the middle of the shoulder seam, or to cut the vest as directed at the end of the article on vests. In no case must the back be held full on the collar.

When finishing the neck, the side of the back is to be turned in, or cut off, whatever surplus length may be there, but the center of the back is turned in just one seam. Notch the shoulder seam as shown and baste up and down.

[Illustration: _Dia. IIII._]

DIA. V.

This diagram is also given for illustration only. It represents the centers of the front and back on straight lines, the neck-hole on the back and front, even, and the reduction of the shoulders at 45 deg., as it actually is to be reduced. The side of the neck represents Dia. IV as cut out 4¾, and would require a standing collar of ¾ to be sewed on. In this position a neck-band could not be cut on the forepart as shown in Dia. IV, because the shoulder seam would be too far in front. Though it is useless for actual cutting, it is worth its place in this work for illustration. It fully demonstrates that the so-called front shoulder point is a myth.

[Illustration: _Dia. 5._]

DIA. VI.

Dia. VI is also for illustration, and shows the vest on the angle of 135 deg., and again on an angle of ½ of 135 deg., or on 67½ deg. There the angle of 135 deg. is cut in two, or folded together, so that the center of the front and center of the back are one line, and wherever the front of the waist is reduced the back is enlarged.

The cut of the side of the neck is the same as shown in Dia. V, though one is shown as 3 2-4 and the other as 4⅜, but the calculations are made from different points. Dia. IV is the parent pattern of Dia. V and VI.

[Illustration: _Dia. 6._]

DIA. VII.