Pin your faith to
VOGUE ...
your cloth to a
VOGUE PATTERN
When prices of materials mount and clothes are
costlier, Vogue Patterns step more firmly to the fore
in any fashion picture.
It is so important that quality fabrics be cut on chic
and perfect patterns. It is also important that precious
hours should be profitably spent in turning out well-
styled, finely-fitting clothes.
Vogue Patterns cost a little more, but they are a lot
more economical. They are your unfailing style insur-
ance. Today that insurance is more vital than ever.
The wise woman pins her faith to Vogue-her cloth
to a Vogue Pattern.


WHY LEARN TO SEW?-WHY NOT?
PICK UP YOUR NEEDLE IF YOU
ARE INTERESTED IN ECONOMY
THE problem of looking like a million dollars
on practically nothing at all distresses almost
every one of us these days. The best way to
manage this deception, and the most unbeatable,
is to wield a clever needle yourself in a smart
fabric cut by a Vogue pattern.
frocks, skirts that will increase the usefulness
of your coats. Thus, with lengths of material, you
can plan an extensive and very beautiful ward-
robe that will round out your life perfectly.
If you can sew—that is, sew with professional
skill, you hold in your hand the sesame of
chic. You don't have to be one of the dozens
wearing dresses turned out by the gross, in all
colours and in all sizes. You can be an individu-
alist; you can play up to your type, choosing
the colours and the lines that suit you and bring
out your best points. You can have that custom-
made look-like a man whose clothes are tai.
lored and not ready-made.
Sewing is no deep, dark mystery. “All well and
good,” some of you will say, “but sewing—pro-
fessionally perfect sewing—is one of those fairy
godmother gifts—like a talent for music or art,
bestowed at birth. You either have it, or you
haven't.” All of which is sheer nonsense. We re-
peat: there's no deep, dark mystery to sewing.
It isn't an unsolvable riddle. If you have intel-
ligence, one brain, two eyes, and two hands, you
can become an expert. There are rules to follow,
of course, just as in any profession, and that's
why this small book is published. And rules are
made to be followed religiously. Short cuts and
makeshifts are what give to so many home-made
dresses their home-made look.
It's a little obvious to go into the higher math-
ematics of the financial benefits of a sewing
talent. Any one with a practical turn of mind
can figure that out for herself—and will know
how she can whittle down expenditures and in-
crease the size of a wardrobe.
In the following pages, many of the sketches
are greatly magnified, so you can see at a glance
exactly the angle of a stitch or just what thread
goes over another. Make a practice of using the
finest needles and the finest cotton and silk that
your fabric will allow. And keep running-stitches
and hemming-stitches very fine—that is a touch
of Paris that you can get at home.
Every wardrobe, to be a good, workable one,
should have garments that may be fitted together
like the jigsaw pieces of a puzzle. The wardrobe
should be flexible, its separate parts interchange-
able. Each item should fit into different sartorial
schemes, play a double rôle, and, sometimes,
even a triple rôle.
Usually, it is impossible to manage this chameleon
quality when you accumulate a wardrobe in the
shops. The dress you want can't be had in the
colour or size you want. The skirt of your choice
is off-tone. But, in the fabric departments, you can
work this trick of interchangeability with great
skill-you can have dresses that collaborate with
your coat, jackets that ring changes on all your
Before you plunge into any sewing-you must
have the right mental attitude. Don't be too am-
bitious at first; don't try to tackle difficult de-
signs. It is wiser to start in with things to fill out
your wardrobe. Begin, for instance, on a sleeve-
less tennis dress or a blouse or try a separate
sports skirt. It is better to choose simple patterns
with few pieces and no staggering tailoring re-
quirements. If you are in doubt as to which pat-
terns to select for such primary work, you should
consult the saleswoman at your nearest Vogue
pattern department. She will be glad to help you.


A VOGUE PATTERN IS A FASHION GUIDE
YOU NEED ONLY FOL-
LOW INSTRUCTIONS
CUCCESS in dressmaking depends on following instructions.
Read every word, study every picture, and then carry out
the letter of the law. When you get your Vogue pattern, you
know that it is absolutely right, if you carry out your part in
doing what Vogue recommends. Each pattern is a perfect design
in itself, balanced as to line and detail, so that no changes should
be made—they spoil the harmony of Vogue patterns. First
of all comes the pattern envelope, which has complete in-
structions for the amount of material you should purchase for
your size, in any particular width. Be sure to choose one of the
fabrics recommended on the envelope and to buy the exact
amount stated. Vogue patterns are laid out economically. Not to
buy enough means failure and disappointment.
Lay out the pattern exact-
ly as the directions advise
Study the cutting charts with attention. All the pieces of the
pattern are illustrated, with each notch and perforation care-
fully marked. If the pattern offers a choice of details, discard any
pieces that you won't require. The straight of the goods is indi-
cated, and you will find that all the necessary marks of identi-
fication are clearly designated on each piece of the pattern.
Next, fit the pieces of the pattern to you, pinning them carefully
together and trying them on to be sure that you can avoid alter-
ations in the material. If you have to adjust the pattern, follow
the directions that are given. A detailed story of alterations will
be found on pages 54 to 6l, which will prove helpful to the
woman who does not have exactly average proportions.
It is a very good idea to
keep the work on a table
Now, you are ready to cut out your material. On the chart, you
will see sketches of the way the pattern should be laid on the
material you are using. Each size is shown, each width of suit-
able fabric, so the possibility of erring is left entirely to you. We
will have nothing to do with mistakes!
Pin on each piece of pattern exactly as it should be, taking care
that the fabric is perfectly straight and smooth, with no wrinkles
or bulges. Mark on the fabric all the notches and perforations,
carefully, according to the pattern and instructions. When you
have cut out each piece and have checked to be sure that you
have each one, you are ready to sew. Be sure to read the various
steps in dressmaking, which are augmented by diagrams. It is
not enough just to look at the diagram or just to read the de.
scription. It is the two together that complete the story, and both
should be followed from the first basting to the last pressing.
Then you will know that your frock is made and finished in the
best possible way, that it contains exactly the lines, the details,
and the finish that are found in the very smartest of frocks.
Pattern instructions often
call for a machine finish


EQUIPMENT FOR HOME SEWING
GOOD TOOLS ARE NECESSARY
AN amateur may easily be frightened by the
A length of the list of tools and appliances,
but she may be assured that successful things
have been made with the equipment reduced to
the very lowest terms: scissors that will cut clean
lines; an adequate cutting surface; a Vogue
pattern of simple design; the iron; and the con-
tents of an ordinary sewing basket.
slightly undersize and padded out with layers
of wadding or fabric. In working on a skirt, have
the dress-form lifted to a table or stand; do not
weary yourself with stooping. And be sure that
there is space for you to stand back and survey
the work from time to time. There is usually a
certain amount of work that can be done better
with the dress on a form, such as tacking a loose
panel or overlay. The lightness of touch so essen.
tial to successful work is more easily acquired
when you are working on the figure rather than
on a flat surface. Let the panels or drapery fall
naturally-be on your guard against dragging
or straining or any touch of heavy-handedness.
The difference between complete success and
near-success may lie merely in the handling of
the fabric, after it is cut.
As she gains in confidence, she collects other
helps. She assembles the tools that certain fab-
rics call for, such as a needle-board for pile
fabrics. She selects a dress-form when she de-
cides on a Vogue design that calls for drapery
or circular treatment. She gets buttonhole scis-
sors (that may be set with a screw to ensure
uniformity) when she essays a frock with a
number of buttonholes. She will eventually, per-
haps, attain the ideal sewing room, with all tools.
In this room, there will be the machine and
the electric iron, the ironing stand, and the
sleeve-board, and a full-length mirror. There
will be shears for cutting and scissors for snip-
ping threads (a thread should never be broken,
always cut); tape measure and yardstick of
tested accuracy, tailors' chalk, tracing-wheel,
emery, and wax. Thimbles, pins, and needles are
a foregone conclusion, but should be carefully
chosen. A rough thimble will roughen the thread,
poor points on pins will mark delicate fabrics.
Steel pins have good points, but may leave rust
marks if left in the work for any length of time.
French chalk, fullers' earth, or a block of magne.
sia should be at hand, in case of a spot of oil
from the machine. Cover the spot well and leave
the powder on for twenty-four hours.
In addition to the dress-form, a sleeve form may
be prepared, cut from muslin by a fitted sleeve
pattern, stitched, and filled with shredded paper
or with curled hair. This may be pinned to the
dress-form, but need not be permanently at-
tached. It may be in your way when you are
adjusting a skirt if not easily detachable.
The equipment of the sewing room may include
a skirt marker, with a gauge and a holder for
chalk, a pinking machine, and a machine for
covering buttons, if work is done on a large
scale. Plenty of hangers should be on hand.
Once an amateur has worked on a dress-form,
she will never be satisfied without one. There are
adjustable forms that may be adapted to different
figures. Very good proportions may now be
found in non-adjustable forms. Trilling varia.
tions may be taken care of by the use of a per-
fectly fitted lining put over a dress-form that is
Plenty of press cloths are part of the sewing.
room equipment. They should be of clean mus-
lin, free of starch or sizing. Detachable covers
for the ironing board and a sleeve-board are also
in order. An ironing board cover that has ab-
sorbed dye from a coloured fabric should never
be used for white or delicately tinted fabrics. A
tailors' cushion for curved seams is another of the
additions to the perfectly appointed sewing room.
Above all, be sure that you work in a good light.


CHARACTERISTICS OF FABRICS
QUALITY AND TEXTURES TO CONSIDER
WHEN YOU ARE BUYING MATERIALS
L
E LL-CHOSEN material is essential to a
V V successful frock. If your first thought is of
a model that you would like to copy, your second
thought must be of an appropriate fabric. If your
first thought is of the fabric that you prefer, your
second thought must be of a model adapted to
the characteristics of that fabric. Keep yourself
posted by reading the fabric articles which ap-
pear from time to time in Vogue and in Vogue
pattern periodicals.
The grain of the fabric is important. In all ma-
t erials, the true bias is elastic to a greater or less
degree according to the firmness of the weave.
In nearly all fabrics, there is a noticeable dif.
ference in the depth of colour between the cross
and the up-and-down of the fabric. In satin, this
may be quite pronounced, and cross-cut inserts,
trimming bands, or even whole sections may be
called for in a given model. There are also inter-
esting uses of both surfaces of a double-faced
fabric. All this, of course, is worked out in the
original Vogue model from which the pattern was
cut, and it must be carefully considered if you
think of using any other fabric.
Be sure to read the fashion reports and study
the descriptions of model gowns under the
sketches in each issue of Vogue. If a novelty
fabric raises any question in your mind, do not
buy it until you have checked up its correctness
in Vogue. If you wish to use a Vogue model for
an unfamiliar fabric, consult the expert in the
Vogue department at your favourite shop. There
will be a large choice of models for each and
every smart material, and the proper layout chart
for the individual size and width of the fabric.
Pile fabrics, notably velvet, have a distinct dif-
ference in shading, even on the straight grain. Re.
member this fact when buying the fabric. It is
possible that you will need more yardage. Fig.
ured fabrics that have a distinct up-and-down in
the pattern require the same consideration; it
will not do to have parts of the design upside
down. Horizontal stripes should be matched as
nearly as possible on the seams, but it is not
necessary to spoil the line of a slanting seam to
get an absolute match. Irregular plaids must be
cut so that the horizontal stripe of a given colour
is not broken by a seam or by the opening of a
coat. One must count on a certain amount of
waste at the beginning.
Be on your guard against accepting rules of yes-
terday for the mode of to-day. Nowadays, many
barriers are removed, many inhibitions forgotten,
and the fashion field is larger than ever before. It
used to be said that a particular fabric was the
only one suited to a particular type of model-
now, often, the only rule is that, in choosing a
certain model for a certain fabric, you must con-
sider the characteristics of that fabric. For in-
stance; is the goods sheer or semi-sheer? It may
be a piquant choice of the mode to use sheer
goods for a severe tailored frock, setting aside
all old inhibitions. So you may choose a tailored
model for sheer crêpe, but always remember the
delicacy of the fabric. Remember that it can not
be shrunken under the iron, nor fitted so tautly as
to pull open at the seams. Machine stitching—if
called for by the model-may require basting the
material to soft paper, stitching through both,
and then tearing the paper away afterward.
The so-called “draping quality” of fabric must be
reckoned with. It controls the success of the type
of gown in which uncut breadths are used as far
as possible. In combining one material with an-
other, keep your ideas up to the last minute by
reading Vogue regularly. If you hear of an un-
usual combination, be sure that it is sponsored
by Vogue. Buy material that is worth the time and
work that you will expend in making the frock.
It need not be the most expensive, but it must
be the best of its kind in texture and fast in colour.


IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER
VOGUE SHOWS THE WAY TO
SUCCESS FOR THE BEGINNER
Many a beginner has been known to make the
fatal error of disregarding Vogue’s directions
about the width of the seams—taking a seam
either much narrower or much wider than indi-
cated. Ill-fitting results are certain to follow.
CUCCESS waits upon the veriest tyro in dress-
making, if a few all-important points are
borne in mind. Cut is the thing in any model,
and the first point to be remembered is to retain
every line of the original model from which the
pattern was cut. In other words, one must give
punctilious attention to the chart and to the grain
of the goods. A beginner has been known to
wonder why a sleeve twists on the arm, why a
skirt hangs awry, without realizing that she has
disregarded the line of perforations that indi-
cates the straight of the goods on the pattern.
Watch the grain of the goods !
The juncture of the sleeve and the frock has
been known to puzzle another beginner. She
blithely disregarded the important fact that the
pattern called for fabric eased at the top of the
sleeve-easing that is quite imperceptible when
well handled. Instead of holding the sleeve to-
wards her and distributing the slight fulness, she
basted the gown to the sleeve and cut the surplus
of the sleeve away, with disastrous results.
A beginner has been known to be puzzled by
the set of a shoulder, the shaping of an armhole,
not realizing that she has recklessly cut away
the superfluous fabric when the shoulder seam
did not come out even. As a matter of fact, the
well-cut original model had just the right amount
of ease where the back was joined to the front,
no more and no less than required to give the
right set. Instead of altering the line of the arm-
hole by ill-inspired cutting, she should have
ripped the shoulder seam very carefully, snip-
ping the threads at intervals to avoid pulling
the fabric, and then rebasted the seam with the
back section held towards her. You must retain
the correct lines in basting!
Another tyro has been heard bewailing the
fact that her seams looked puckered, in spite of
the most assiduous pressing. Unconsciously, she
may have eased one section to the other as she
basted. The tendency always is towards greater
fulness in the portion that is held towards one, a
tendency that can be overcome by pinning the
seam for its entire length before basting. An.
other cause of puckering is carelessness in re-
moving basting threads, which should be clipped,
never pulled. Puckering also results when a
slightly bias edge is mishandled and stretched
in pinning, basting, or sewing.
A pitfall a novice often falls into is that of cut.
ting two sleeves, both for the same arm—an error
that may occur when the layout shows each sleeve
cut separately. Study the chart with great attention
before cutting any of the parts marked "cut two”.
When your material is not alike on both sides,
you must not forget to turn the pattern over
before cutting out the opposite half.
The uneven effect of a bias binding was the
complaint of another beginner. Perhaps, she had
not cut it with care, so that it was just a trifle off
the exact bias, or she may have cut it correctly,
but stretched it in one place and pulled it in
another. Maintain an even touch in handling.
Be careful not to pull or stretch the fabric.


EXPERTNESS IN CUTTING OUT A DRESS
USE SHARP SHEARS AND
KEEP AN EVEN MOTION
V EEN, true shears are requisites in the successful
cutting out of a garment, and a perfectly flat
solid surface is equally important. Amateur dress-
makers have been known to attempt cutting on the
yielding surface of a bed or sofa or on a table so
small that the fabric slipped under the shears. If
makeshifts are necessary, lay clean paper on the floor
and spread the fabric there. Keep the material per-
fectly flat, with selvages parallel. The placing of the
sections of the pattern on the fabric is also important.
One should follow the layout chart very carefully.
When the chart indicates that a section of a pattern
is to be placed on a fold, take care to pin through
both thicknesses of fabric.
If one uses the dining-table, the surface should be pro-
tected with sheets of paper, because the shears should
slide along the surface, with the fabric lifted as lit-
tle as possible. It is important to keep an even mo.
tion while cutting and to avoid a jerky series of snips.
And it is still more important not to deviate from the
pattern. A professional dressmaker always cuts with
the middle of the blades. The hand of a professional
is sketched, with shears in the right position. One
should always be sure that the blades are sharp.
The third sketch shows the trick of basting down the
centre front and back of a frock or blouse immedi.
ately after cutting and before unfolding the material.
Use coloured thread for this purpose and take loose
basting stitches. Blue or yellow thread is the best
choice. You will find neither colour will crock.
Never start to work upon serge, cloth, or twill unless
it has been sponged and shrunk. French dressmakers
shrink wool crêpes once in hot and once in cold water
before cutting them. As a result, they become more
pliable and yet hold their shape without clinging or
stretching and without pulling under the iron.


IMPORTANT STITCHES
are shown on this page
in greatly enlarged sketches
Running-stitches should be of uniform size
on both sides (19). Take three or four even
stitches on needle before pulling thread.
Sketch No. 20 shows the first stitch in back.
stitching. After the needle is drawn through,
it is carried back and put in the goods
where the thread has gone in the fabric.
Sketch 21 shows how to baste on the right
side when you are matching stripes, plaids,
etc. Crease the seam allowance on the upper
section and slip-stitch it to the under section.
/11
A quick way to overcast on a pliable fabric
(sketch 22) is to take several stitches at
once, before pulling the needle through.
Overcasting (sketch 23) may be done from
left to right, or right to left, over both edges
of a closed seam, or on each edge of a seam
that has been pressed flat open.
Fine workmanship shows in rolling and
whipping the edges of all sheer fabrics
(see sketch 24). Work from either side or
in either direction. Keep the stitches even.
Catch-stitch (sketch 25) may finish an edge
or hold a hem. Work in either direction,
but keep an even slant.
24
Blanket-stitch (sketch 26) may be worked
from left to right or from right to left.
Practice keeps the purl exactly on the edge.
26
25 X
X
Y


25
CORDING AND PIPING
a few diversified methods of application
Macam
106
To sew straight or bias fabric over a cord, use a close
running-stitch (106). The thicker the fabric, the heavier
the cord. For piping, the cord is joined to the rest of the
material by stitching it like a binding or by slip-stitch.
ing it from the right side (107). Trim one edge of the
piping to reduce the bulk at the back and catch-stitch
it or leave it free.
Cord piping may be set into a seam (108). After sewing
the fabric over the cord, the four edges are held to-
gether and sewed with a running-stitch.
107
When covering a cable cord, sew the cord and the bias-
cut fabric temporarily to a fine tape (109A). The fabric is
then stitched so as to encase the tape (109B). The tape is
pulled gently through from the inside and the material work-
ed over the cord (109C). Guard against twisting the seam.
Covered loops (110) used in place of buttonholes may be
sewed separately to extend beyond the edges of a closing.
Ravel out the cord at the end, for flatness, after sewing it to
the fabric. Another method (111) is to sew the cord, on the
inside, to the fabric, forming a series of loops.
108
Loops of fabric-covered.cord may be made with the ends
turned in invisibly (112, 113). They are used to hold belts
that tie on the inside or as frog-like fasteners. When there is
no strain on the loops, the cord may be omitted. Instead,
leave a seam allowance twice as wide as the stitched por.
tion. This additional material will serve as a filling. Use
fine and well-matched silk or cotton in attaching the loops.
109A
reach
109B
TOIT....
1090
11011
III
19
112
113


NECESSARY INFORMATION ABOUT PLEATS
methods of laying and basting
Don't try to save material by making shallow pleats that
will not hang well. Bring the edge of the fold accurately
to the line of the tailors' tacks marking the depth (134).
E
134
Baste a box pleat through three thicknesses of fabric (135).
Tailors' tacks then should be pulled out. If the basting
threads mark the material, press, after they are out, with a
damp cloth.
135
An inverted box pleat as a seam should have the seam at its
edge (136). Do not press the seam open in the pleat, ex-
cept at the hem. Slip-stitch the pleat at the top.
Pleats released below machine-stitching (137) are folded
and basted and marked where the stitching ends. The threads
are fastened off immediately after stitching each pleat.
In arranging a group of pleats, keep them even, retaining
the depth of each pleat (138). One should always baste
firmly before pressing the pleats in place.
136
Machine pleats (139) are basted to hold the inner parts in
position. Stitch through each pleat, with an occasional
back-stitch, for firmness. Keep the work on a table.
The fold of a side pleat at a seam (140) must be parallel
for the seam to retain the crease of the pleat. Guard against
displacing the seam in the pressing of it.
Stitching in rows across pleats (141) may be done with a
fine cord or with heavy silk in the bobbin of the machine,
working from the back. Always be sure the pleats are
basted flat and in position before attempting to stitch them.
137
138
140
141
139
1