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.
Design a circular flounce for a petticoat, one to be cut in sections, which are to be joined with lace insertion, and center decorations to be placed in each section of the flounce.
Bias bands of material make effective trimmings for undergarments. Rows of double bands may be used to decorate the lower edge of utility petticoats, these turned in and stitched twice at the top. The effect of these may be repeated in drawers, corset covers and night-dresses by the use of a single band placed as a binding for the edges, through which ribbon may be run. Either plain or striped material in delicate colors may be used for this form of decoration (Fig. 127).
Design a trimming for the lower edge of a utility skirt, using bias bands of several widths.
Design a similar trimming for the edges of the remaining garments of a set.
Several designs for ruffles are here suggested. They may be made of the same material as the garment, self-trimmed in simple fashion, or the decoration may consist of lace or embroidered edging and insertions, scalloping, etc. The fulness in the top of straight ruffles may be taken care of by means of gathers or vertical tucks. The lower edge of ruffles when finished with a hem may be treated in any of the ways suggested under hems. In addition to a plain hem, horizontal tucks may be used for decoration in a self-trimmed garment. Horizontal tucks should not accompany vertical tucks in the design for a ruffle. Ruffles may be made any depth desired, hemmed, and simply edged with appropriate lace or embroidered edging; the entire ruffle may be made of edging of simple pattern, the upper edge finished with braid, beading or bias bands of material, or set under a receiving tuck. A more or less elaborate decoration may consist of insets of lace and insertion.
Design a ruffle (finished depth, ten inches) self-trimmed with three-quarter inch hem, nine one-quarter-inch tucks in groups of three, the ruffle to be gathered at the top and finished with embroidered insertion. Problem II. - (a) Design a ruffle having shaped lower edge, suitable for a utility skirt. (6) A ruffle for drawers, having lower edges and ends finished with buttonholed scallops.
Design a ruffle for a petticoat to be worn with a lingerie dress; express your own feeling for the type of decoration.
Design a circular flounce, cut in sections, joined by lace insertion, the decoration, - inserts of insertion in pattern, the lower edge decorated with insertion and lace.
The method of designing patterns for undergarments has been considered under Pattern Making, pp. 100-106.
 
Continue to: