Weekly Chemawa American., August 03, 1906, Page 2, Image 2

2
THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
to take care of it, and the use of the dif
ferent attachments.
There are many things to learn in con
nection with sewing th at are very im
portant. One must learn the proper
position in sitting. A careless position
will cause cramped arms and hands and
otherwise be detrimental to health.
The position should be erect and free
and the work never nearer to the eye
than absolutely necessary. The better
our position the more interest will we
take in our work.
I will speak of the dress maker tools
next, and begin with the needle. Good
steel needles are necessary. If the steel
is not of the very best the needles are
not good, and poor needles try the user's
patience. To help the needle, we want
a good fitting thimble. The thimble wa
made first in Holland and in 1695 John
Loftinton went from Holland to England,
and manufactured thimbles. At that
time and for many years after thimbles
were made by hand and worn on the
thumb, and from its shape railed a
thumb sill.
It takes a beginner a long time to
thoroughly learn the necessary details
that are essential in saving time and
material. After tae different stitches
have been well learned by the pupil,
and she knows how to sew on buttons
and make button holes, then she is pro
moted to the next higher class and learn
how to operate a sewing machine.
We use our sewing machines here
everyday. We oil them three times i
week, and thoroughly clean them once
a week. Dear old Elias Howe! how
grateful we are to him for inventing the
sewing machine.
In this class pupils are taught com
mon sewing, and the cutting of simple
garments and trained to economize in
using material.
In the third or last class here, we are
taught cutting and fitting. Fitting is
very important. A badly fitting garment
is most unsightly and decidedly uncom
fortable. Hence great care must be
taken in fitting. Tn fitting a waist tin
arm holes should never be trimmed out
too large nor left too small, nor should
the shoulders be pulled up too much,
for the waist will not set pretty.
In making a shirt never pull it too
high in the back, for then the front will
never hang right. Experience in fitting
will teach better than anything else.
There are a great many different sys
tems in drafting patterns. In the Artistic
Ladies' Tailor System there are seven
measurements required. The bust meas
ure is the first. It is taken once th'-
prominent part of the bust and well
over the shoulder blades at the hack.
This measurement is not tight, and one
inch is added when drafting. The waist
measure is then taken around the smal
lest part of the waist and one inch is
deducted. M easn; e next from the collar
bone to the waist line in front and add
one inch. In the back measure from
the joint in the neck to the waist line.
The under arm men Hire is taken well
tinder the arm and down to the waist
line i inch less than the measure for
drafting. A neck measure is taken
around the bare neck easy. The arms
eye is measured snug around the ann
just over th front of the shoulder.
These are all the measurements using
the square ruler and the curve. The
complete instruction is given in the book
on the system. There a re four measures
taken for drafting a sleeve pattern, lint
T will not give them.
Cdii! 'nurd ni s