LEATHER AND SUEDE

Leather and suede present special problems to the designer. To smooth out wrinkles, creases, and stretched out bumps – use a lukewarm iron (dry iron) on the wrong side and keep on pressing and gliding iron over it until the leather lies smooth. These materials have to be sewn with a larger stitch than usual. All the seams should be stay-stitched with tape to prevent pulling and cutting through the skin.

Both leather and suede come in the shape and size of the animal from which it is obtained. For full size garments larger sections have to be pieced, therefore your design will have to be well worked out in advance to take this into consideration and to have the lines of patching form an integral part of the design.

IMPORTANT – DO NOT PIN LEATHER OR SUEDE – Cut and fit your entire pattern accurately in muslin and after all alterations and fittings are as good as can be – use this muslin for your pattern in cutting out the suede or leather. Once your material is cut out – this is it – no changes can be made.

Lay your pattern pieces on the wrong side of the material, DO NOT PIN. Weight it down to keep it in place. Outline and put in all marks with tailor’s chalk. Cut. Seam allowances need not exceed 1/4 inch but neckline and arms have to be stay stitched with tape to reinforce all points of possible strain and tearing.

In working with leather or suede – THE FIRST SEWING HAS TO BE THE FINAL SEWING. If stitching has to be removed and done over, the material will be weakened and cut by the needle, and unsightly markings will be produced.

FURS

Cutting of furs is very exacting, and delicate, and difficult, but if your dress designs call for fur trimming you will want to know how it’s done. Follow the same procedure for marking as you have done with your leather and suede. Place the fur side down and do all your marking on the skin side. With a sharp razor blade cut into the hide – but be careful not to cut into the fur itself. After you have finished this cutting procedure grasp the fur with both hands and firmly pull apart on each side of the cut

MARKING THE PATTERN PIECES

CHALK MARKING

Carefully lift pattern from cutting table to chalk board with muslin side up. With your tracing wheel trace over every marking, all sewing lines, and every cross mark. Use short firm strokes and lift wheel at each stroke so that material is not pushed out of place.

Remove from chalk board and check that all markings are clear. Remove muslin pattern, but don’t unfold material. Place the opposite side on the chalk board and proceed to mark this side by tracing over the first chalked lines. Again check that all markings are clear and that you haven’t forgotten any.

Don’t knot the thread. Leave a tail piece and secure your thread with one or two back stitches. End your line of marking stitches in the same manner. Do not knot. Never knot your marking or basting threads. You will run into less trouble this way when pulling them out later.

When learning how to sew a dress initially, ensure you begin and end each straight line of stitching in the same manner. Do not turn corners with a continuous thread. Break off your thread each time direction changes and start anew.

Cross marks take the place of notches. In making cross marks use a double thread, no knots, and no back stitches. Start with a tail, taking small running stitches, and end with a tail.

PIN MARKING

On light materials when chalk marks will not show up very well pin marking is used. For very delicate materials on which pins will leave permanent marks use needles instead.

Cut and mark carefully and you will get pleasing results in your dressmaking designs.

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Firstly when learning how to sew a dress there are some very difficult materials to work with. Leather and suede present special problems to the designer. All the seams should be stay-stitched with tape to prevent pulling and cutting through the skin.

IMPORTANT – DO NOT PIN LEATHER OR SUEDE – Cut and fit your entire pattern accurately in muslin and after all alterations and fittings are as good as can be

– use this muslin for your pattern in cutting out the suede or leather. Lay your pattern pieces on the wrong side of the material, DO NOT PIN. Cut. In working with leather or suede – THE FIRST SEWING HAS TO BE THE FINAL SEWING. If stitching has to be removed and done over, the material will be weakened and cut by the needle, and unsightly markings will be produced.

FURS

Cutting of furs is very exacting, and delicate, and difficult, but if your dressmaking designs call for fur trimming you will want to know how it’s done. Place the fur side down and do all your marking on the skin side. MARKING THE PATTERN PIECES

CHALK MARKING

Carefully lift pattern from cutting table to chalk board with muslin side up. With your tracing wheel trace over every marking, all sewing lines, and every cross mark. Remove muslin pattern, but don’t unfold material. Place the opposite side on the chalk board and proceed to mark this side by tracing over the first chalked lines. Don’t knot the thread. End your line of marking stitches in the same manner. Never knot your marking or basting threads. Cross marks take the place of notches. In making cross marks use a double thread, no knots, and no back stitches. Start with a tail, taking small running stitches, and end with a tail.

PIN MARKING

On light materials when chalk marks will not show up very well pin marking is used. Cut and mark carefully and you will get pleasing results in your dress designs.

Basic Principles and Practice of Dress Fitting
If you have cut and marked your material properly from your dressmaking pattern – you are now ready to proceed in finishing your dress and then have your first dress fitting.

Baste or pin in all darts, tucks, and any other inside design form shaping details.

Stay-stitch all curved and bias edges to prevent stretching material out of shape. Remember to handle your material lightly at all times.

Pin or baste shoulder and side seams of bodice. Baste sleeve seams and put aside. Pin or baste skirt seams.

THE FIRST FITTING

Drape bodice on dress form or living figure. When you are satisfied with the fit of this part of your costume, drape the skirt over your form, turn down seam allowance at waistline and attach to bodice at the waistline by matching your side seams, center front and center back, and other markings inherent to your design. Mark any changes you have made with chalk. Remove garment from form and take the next step to the finish line. Before you remove any pins, make sure that you have marked all seam allowances and all changes.

Begin with sewing in all your darts and inner lines of design.

PRESS EACH DART, SEAM, OR LINE OF SEWING BEFORE ATTACHING ANY CROSS SEAMS OR ASSEMBLING THE ADJOINING PART.

Press darts from the wider part toward the tip. Use your press mitt or tailor’s ham. Press waistline and shoulder darts toward the center of the garment; and bust line or sleeve darts downward. When working with very heavy material or very wide darts – trim dart to about 1″ of sewing line and press open, leaving a triangular fold at the tip of the dart.
ALWAYS PRESS BIAS SECTION WITH THE GRAIN OF THE MATERIAL TO AVOID STRETCHING OUT OF SHAPE.
Time for a second dress fitting.

If your design calls for a collar – baste it in.

Have another fitting to check on collar and sleeves – Do the sleeves fall properly? Mark any changes necessary.

Now finish the bodice completely.

Remember to press each seam before sewing on a cross seam.

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HOW MUCH MATERIAL WILL YOU NEED?

The dress has been designed, the pattern drafted and cut – every necessary part, facings, bias bindings, pockets, trimmings, etc., have all been cut and marked.

First decide on width of material to be used, then lay all your pattern pieces on the same width muslin or paper exactly as it will be laid out for the final cutting. Make sure to place all your pattern pieces parallel with the straight of the goods. The amount of material you will need is exactly the amount you have used for laying out your pattern.

Special planning is required for stripes, plaids, prints, and material with nap. The additional amount of material needed will depend on the style and amount of matching required, and on the size and spacing of the fabric design. Generally fabrics used for dressmaking with small designs will require 1/8th yard extra.

Medium designs, stripes, and small plaids -1/4 yard extra.

Napped materials, large plaids and large spaced prints will require 1/2 yard or more extra depending on the design and style.

PREPARING MATERIALS FOR CUTTING

Before any cutting is to be done the material must be checked for shrinkage control. It is always best to shrink all cottons and woolens whether they have been preshrunk or not. This is best accomplished by immersion in tepid water and pressing dry through a cloth or by pressing the dry material with a damp cloth and steam iron. When pressing be sure to just press and not push the iron back and forth over the material – the latter will only stretch it out of shape.

Another important thing to know about how to sew a dress is to straighten edges of the material you are going to use. Firm materials can be straightened by clipping selvage and tearing.

Delicate materials require delicate handling. Some materials are impossible to tear – with these you will have to draw a thread across the material and cut along this guide. Determine which side of the material you want to use as the right side: Washable materials usually come with the right side folded out. Silks and wools usually come with the right side folded in to prevent soiling. Some materials may be used either side – use your own judgment as to which side is more attractive in finish, pattern, weave, etc. Straighten grain of material by stretching on the bias from selvage to selvage. Press out all creases and wrinkles.

Pin selvages together to make certain the center fold will be directly on the straight of the material. Always fold your right side in. Extra pinning is required for plaids, checks, stripes, and smooth slippery materials to prevent material from crawling and the design from creeping out of alignment.

When you lay out your material for cutting use a large table. Special cutting boards (folding) are available – these are especially good because they are marked for straight lines and right angles and fabric can be pinned to it to keep it in place.

CUTTING

Have all pattern pieces properly marked for straight of goods and for joining points. Place all pattern pieces on your material making certain that the straight of goods marking matches the grain of the material.

Use sharp, long scissors. Keep material and pattern flat on table. Don’t pick up the material. Let the blade of the scissors lift only enough to enable cutting. Take long, clean strokes.

Before removing pattern from material, make sure that you have transferred all the markings to the material.

The first steps in how to make a dress have been taken. Now begins the actual start of your garment making. Good luck!

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