Adjustment of the Lining - Buttons and Buttonholes - How to Cover Button-moulds - Making the

Sleeves - Lining the Sleeves

If satin or silk is used for the "facing," the raw edges must be turned in and felled in the same way as the edge of the material "facing" was done.

In removing the tacking from velvet or satin, every stitch must be cut first, to avoid marking.

The inner edge must be herringboned to the material, so that it may lie flat under the lining of the coat.

Turn the coat up round the bottom, herringbone, and press it.

Slit the edge of the canvas at intervals to prevent any strain, then tack in the pieces of the lining, leaving extra length at the curve of the waist, to ensure the material setting smoothly there; notch and turn it in at the seams, and round the bottom, and fell in the lining.

Mark the position for the buttons and buttonholes on the front of the coat, as shown in the finished sketch. The two buttonholes can be worked at the edge of each side of the front (as in a man's coat), so that it may be buttoned over either side.

Diagram 1. "Tailor tack" the chalked outline of the sleeve in the serge

The three small, simulated buttonholes on the pockets and revers must be traced and worked in the same way, but not cut. The "purl " edge of the buttonhole stitches must be worked to meet as closely as possible. No material should show between the two lines of stitches. Before covering the button-moulds, cut a paper pattern the correct size. The best way to obtain the size is to measure the diameter of the mould to be covered, with a pencil compass, and draw a circle on paper by that measure.

This should measure twice the diameter of the button - mould, and will give the correct size to cut the covering, which must be large enough to cover the upper and under side of the mould.

Make a row of small running stitches, with strong cotton, near the edge of each round of velvet or satin, put the mould in the centre, draw the thread up tightly, and fasten it securely, but do not cut it off. To keep the gathers in position, and to draw the covering firmly over the mould, work a row of stitching all round, a short distance from the gathering thread, catching down each gather securely and equally. This row of stitching will also form a "stem " by which to sew the button on to the coat. Sew the buttons on the coat, revers, and pockets, as shown on the sketch. They must be sewn on securely and with a thin "stem." The stitches must only be taken through the serge and interlining, not through the lining of the coat.

Diagram 2. Cut the turning of the back seam slanting inwards towards the stitching

Buttoned Coat Sleeves

To make the buttoned coat-sleeves, "tailor tack" the chalked outline of the sleeve in the serge, as in Diagram 1. Tack the inside seam only of the sleeve, exactly on the "tailor tacked " line, remove the short threads, and machine-stitch the seam as closely as possible to the tacking, notch and press the seam open. As the bottom of the sleeve must be interlined and turned up before the back seam is joined up, tack the strip of crossway canvas - which was cut for this - rather tightly round the sleeve; it should reach just below the tailor tacked line which marks the bottom edge of the sleeve, so as to turn it up with the serge. The canvas should be 3 1/2 to 4 inches in depth.

The canvas at the back seam of the " forearm " must extend just beyond the "tailor tacking," so that it may be turned in with the serge; this turning must be made exactly on the line which marks the seam. The canvas on the under piece of the sleeve must extend about half an inch beyond the line for the back seam, to form a " button stand." Cut a strip of linen selvedgewise, about an inch wide and 3 1/2 inches long, and tack it down over the canvas - the raw edges level - on the under piece of the sleeve. This is to strengthen it for the buttons. Tack a similar piece of linen over the canvas on the "fore-arm" of the sleeve; this should reach 'just to the line of "tailor tacking," not to the edge of the canvas. This is to strengthen it for the buttonholes. Turn the serge over the canvas at the back of the " fore-arm," and tack it neatly and firmly close to the edge of the sleeve down as far as the cut edge of the serge. Turn the serge over the canvas at the back of the "under-arm," and tack it neatly and firmly, about half an inch outside the line of "tailor tacking"; this half inch is to allow for the button stand. Turn up the bottom of the sleeve on the row of "tailor tacking," cutting away all unnecessary turnings of serge from each side. Neatly tack round the bottom of the sleeve, near the edge, turn in the serge - a narrow turning - at each side, tack and fell it neatly, herringbone the raw edge of the serge round the sleeve.

Diagram 3. Cut the turning of the back seam of the under-arm also slanting towards the stitching

N.B. - The herringboning on the canvas can be done with long stitches, as it is only to keep the edges flat and smooth. The herringboning on the serge must be neatly done, as that will be seen, and it should be done with fine silk to match the serge.

Damp it on the wrong side and press it well. To mark the position for the button-holes and for the row of stitching round the cuff, measure one inch from the bottom of the sleeve up the back of the fore-arm, and make a chalk mark for the first buttonhole; from it measure one inch, and make another mark for the second buttonhole; from it, measure one inch, and make a third chalk mark for the stitching; measure the same distance, 3 inches, from the bottom of the sleeve at the inside seam, and make a mark, and at the back of the under-arm, make another mark, and draw a line across the bottom of the sleeve from one mark to the other.