This section is from the book "Clothing For Women: Selection, Design, Construction", by Laura I. Baldt. Also available from Amazon: Clothing For Women: Selection, Design, Construction.
The calculation of these enters into the problem of design, else design and garment may not fit into the scheme of one's expenditures. To calculate the quantity of material necessary, lay a drafted pattern on the table (if straight drawers), with the lower edge to edge of table; if circular drawers, place according to the grain of the material, the edge of the table representing the selvedge of the material. Measure from the lowest edge of the pattern to the highest point; double this quantity and add the amount necessary for ruffles. This can be ascertained by measuring the width of the leg at the lower edge, allowing one and one-third to one and one-half this amount for a ruffle, and twice this for both ruffles. Divide this amount by the width of the material to find the number of strips necessary, and multiply by the depth of the ruffle to find the amount. Facings for finishing edges and gores that may be necessary, if the material is not wide enough to cut the entire garment in one piece, may be taken from the pieces left from the cutting. Measure for the entre-deux. Allow one skein, at least, of embroidery cotton; D. M. C. crochet cotton, a hard twisted cotton, because more effective after laundering; then applying what has been learned in regard to prices and widths of material, go to work to calculate the cost. If it amounts to too much for the purse, change the design, or kind of materials, etc.
As a problem to explain the principles of making drawers, the type illustrated in Fig. 166 has been chosen because it embodies principles that can be applied to any type one may wish to make. These are straight, with the fulness taken out in darts and having one placket. They are to be cut from a commercial pattern.
Calculate the quantity of material necessary.
Cutting Drawers
1. Prepare material (p. 132).
2. Test pattern (p. 94).
3. Lay cut ends of material together, selvedges meeting. If tucks are to be used across the body of the drawers, extra material must be allowed, and these laid and stitched in the opposite ends of the cloth before cutting material by pattern, in order to avoid tucking both pieces for one side (see Tucking, p. 400).
4. Place pattern, lower edge to cut ends of material; pin to place.
5. Cut around edge of commercial pattern; allow for seams if using drafted pattern (p. 96).
6. Trace darts and lines for plaits; also seam lines.
7. Remove pattern and where tucking is not used, tack the two pieces of the garment together in the upper right hand corner, and leave the tacking until the trimming is applied to the lower edges, as one is less likely then to make two pieces for one side.
Place entre-deux at the lower edge of drawers considering the inside of the material as the two pieces lie together as the right side. Place the wrong side of the entre-deux to the wrong side of the material and stitch one quarter inch from the cord of the entre-deux. Open seam, crease sharply, and trim to less than one-quarter inch. Fold again and stitch just outside cord, making a French seam.
 
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