Basting Waist Together

Mark waist, neck and armhole lines and center shoulder points with colored thread. Begin with underarm seam, pinning waist lines together first, and keep traced lines together with pins at right angles to seams, and seams on right side of the waist. Baste from waist line up and down, using even basting, small stitches. Pin shoulder seams so that cross and center lines meet (Fig. 184). Baste, holding back shoulder toward you, so as to ease the extra fulness on the front; the back shoulder was made one-quarter inch longer than the front when the pattern was drafted. When the waist is basted, try it on, to be sure that the shoulder, underarm and neck lines are good.

Finishing Seams

Stitch the seams, being sure to have the upper stitch of the machine on the top of the seam. Finish seams with a stitched fell one-quarter inch wide. Turn all seams toward the front of the waist when finishing. Finish bottom of waist with a narrow hem. Other finishings are sometimes used for the bottom of the waist when the figure is very stout: binding with bias lawn seam binding, overcasting the raw edge, or pinking it and stitching it by machine just above the pinking (Fig. 185). Still another method is to cut away the front of the waist below the waist line as far back as the underarm seam, then fit a circular peplum to the waist line. This removes all fulness where not needed.

Fig. 184. - Shirtwaist and sleeve basted for fitting.

Waist Band

Use a piece of non-elastic tape, four inches longer than the waist measure. Place it on the waist line as indicated when the pattern was tested. Gather through waist line, two rows as far apart as width of tape. Draw fulness to fit and stitch top and bottom of tape as far as the underarm seam. Finish the ends of the tape with a blanket stitch. A hook and two eyes may be used to fasten the tape, setting the eyes so as to loosen the belt if desired. Ordinary twilled cotton tape is sometimes used for waist bands, but is not so satisfactory because not firm. The band may be made of the material of the waist if desired, using it double and turning the edges in and stitching the same (Fig. 185).

Fig. 185. - Finishes for lower edge of tailored waist Waist line finishing.

Collar Band

One of three types of collar bands may be used.

1. Straight Band. - For some slender necks the straight band may fit very well. It can be made of a single lengthwise piece of cloth cut the neck size plus the width of the box plait and one-quarter-inch seams by one and one-quarter inches. Turn up the edge of the band one-quarter inch all around. Baste through center fold at top. Set the band down on the neck line on the right side of the waist. Let the ends of collar band come to edges of box plait and hem, pinning band to center of plait and center of hem. Then fold band from these points to find center. Place at center back of waist. Baste to place and set the under folded edge of band directly on this and baste. One continuous stitching on the edge should finish this band. Care must be taken not to cut band too wide, else it will lie in folds under the collar. If too narrow, it is apt to slip out from under the collar.

2. Curved Band. - This band is in two pieces, cut from pattern. Turn the lower edges of band up one-quarter inch and crease. Put two right sides together and baste seam at top. Stitch and turn right side out. Place same as straight band (Fig. 186E).

3. Curved Band with Protector. - This band is cut with an extension at the bottom of the center back, which folds in such a way as to protect the neck from friction caused by collar button. The extension is cut only on the outside of band. Baste two pieces of the collar band together at the top, turning the lower edges of the band up and creasing before basting around top. Stitch top; turn right side out, and baste turned edge to hold it firm. Fold the extension piece under to place and slip the collar band over the neck of the waist, basting the under side of the band to place first, then the under side of the extension. Stitch across extension. Lay the outside of the band to place and let one continuous stitching finish it (Fig. 186D).