A Complete Course in Dressmaking/Lesson 4/Blouse trimmings

by Isabel De Nyse Conover

BLOUSE TRIMMINGS

Pointed Edges: One of the popular trimmings for tailored waists is pointed edges. The points are made of folds of material, sometimes to match the blouse and, in other cases, in contrasting colors or goods.

Fig. (6) Folding the material for pointed trimming

Both silk and cotton waists are finished in this way. There is really nothing smarter for a dimity blouse than white organdie points on the collar and front closing. Or, a white dimity waist might have the points of a gay checked gingham. White organdie blouses often have the points in a contrasting color, as light blue, light green or rose colored organdie points on a white organdie blouse. Crepe silk waists usually have the

Fig. (7) The material creased to form point

points of the same color and material.

Fig. (8) The lining stitched over the pointed trimming

To make the points, cut a straight fold of goods as shown in Fig. 6. Fold it lengthwise through the center and press it. Then, fold over the ends as shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. (9) An edge finished with the pointed trimming

In joining the folds to the edge of a collar, place each point, with the pointed end in, on the right side of the goods. Then, lay the lining on top of the folds and stitch, as shown in Fig. 8. When the collar is turned right side out, it will appear as in Fig. 9. If desired, stitch around the collar again about one-eighth of an inch from the edge.

The size of the points can be varied by cutting the folds wider or narrower.

Gathered Scallops: Another smart trimming for a tailored blouse is gathered scallops. They are used in about the same way as the points, just described.

Fig. (10) The two steps in making scalloped trimming

To make one of the scallops, cut a piece of material which is straight across one side and curving on the other. Hem the straight edge and run a gather thread across the curving edge, as shown in Fig. 10 (a). When the gather thread is drawn up the edge which was cut straight will oval into a pretty curve. (See Fig. 10(b).)

Fig. (11) Dots marked for honeycomb smocking

The advantage in cutting the outer edge of the scallop straight is gained in hemming. It's so easy to hem the straight edge. It would be practically impossible to hem a curved edge neatly.

The scallops are put on in the same way as the points.

Honeycomb Smocking: Sports overblouses often have a touch of smocking. Voile waists, in what is known as Peasant styles, also are smocked. These really come under the class of lingerie waists. They are usually tuck-in-the-skirt styles and are smocked around the neck, at the center-front or on the sleeves. On the so-called Peasant blouses, bright colored mercerized stranded cotton is used for the work.

Fig. (12)  The position of the needles in working honeycomb smocking

To do honeycombed smockings mark the goods in squares, making a dot in each corner of the square, as shown in Fig. 11. In taking the stitches, knot the thread and bring it out at the first dot in the upper row, take a stitch at the second dot in the upper row and bring the two dots together. Fasten them with an over and over stitch, bringing the needle out at the third dot in the upper row. Bring every other dot together as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 11. Fig. 12 shows the position of the needle in taking the stitches and Fig. 13 the honeycomb smocking finished.

Stroked Smocking: This particular kind of smocking is really easier to work than the honeycomb smocking. Perhaps, you will Fig. (13) The honeycomb smocking completed understand it better, if I tell you why it is called stroked. Gather threads are run into the material at even spaces and drawn up, which throw the goods into little folds. Creasing these folds is called stroking because back in the days when grandmother smocked, she used to crease the folds by stroking the needle over them. Once the folds are creased, any design can be worked on top of them in fancy stitches.

Run in the gather threads, placing the stitches in the lower thread directly below the stitches in the upper thread. (See Fig. 14.) When drawn up they will form folds as shown in Fig. 15. In working out a pointed design, take the stitches in each fold as shown in Fig. 16. Cross stitches, as in Fig. 17, are also effective, worked over the folds.

Fig. 18 shows a design finished. You can vary the embroidery making the diamonds smaller or using two rows of zigzag design with a row of cross stitching in between. Sometimes, simple little flowers are worked here and there on the folds.

Fig. 14 The shirr threads run in for stroked smocking

Wool Embroidery: If you want your sports blouse to have a distinctive touch, embroider it with wool yarn. It works up very quickly. Just a few long stitches will cover a design, such as shown in Fig. 19 (a).

You need a large open design for wool embroidery. Circles for flowers are especially good looking. The circles can be worked with a buttonhole stitch as shown in Fig. 19(b) with two or three over and over stitches added at the center. All the leaves need are a running stitch, as shown in Fig. 20.

Fig. (15) The shirt threads drawn up for stroked smoking

A white charmeuse or crepe de chine overblouse is smart, wool embroidered in lavender and purple. Two or three tones of the same color are often used for the embroidery. Sometimes bright shades are intermingled as yellow, blue and green.

Drawn Work Insertion: It's easy to gain an elaborate effect in a lingerie blouse Fig. (16) Working a fancy design on the gathered folds Fig. (17) Cross stitches worked on the stroked folds

with drawn work insertion. The insertion comes one-eighth inch and one-quarter inch wide and looks like wide hand hemstitching.

Fig. (18) A Simple design that can be worked in stroked smocking It's a pretty addition to a voile or batiste blouse, placed either side of the front closing or between tucks at the side-front of the waist.

In sewing it in, French seam either side of the insertion to the waist, taking very narrow French seams. (See fig. 21.)

Fig. (19) A design for wool embroidery and a detail sketch of position of the needle in working one of the flowers

Running Stitch Embroidery: Just running stitches make effective embroidery for a georgette or crepe de chine blouse, when worked with mercerized embroidery cotton. (See Fig. 22.) Filling in the flower or leaf with parallel rows of the running stitches gives an elaborate appearance with a very little work.

Any fairly large design can be worked up in this way.

Cross-Stitching An Edge: A touch of hand work on a batiste, organdie or voile blouse will lift it out of the ordinary class. For instance, the edges of a frill for the collar and front closing might be rolled and cross-stitched with a contrasting color of mercerized embroidery cotton. Fig. (20) Position of needle in working running stitch embroidery Fig. (21) Beading that resembles hand hemstitching Cross stitches in medium or light blue, yellow, rose, light green or red are pretty on a white blouse. If the waist happens to be a delicate shade of blue, yellow or rose, make the cross stitches black.

Fig. (22) Floral design worked in darning stitch

Roll the edge, as shown in Fig. 23 and whip it with diagonal stitches. Then, start at the opposite end and whip it with stitches, slanting the other way, crossing each one of the first stitches. (See Fig. 24.)

Frilled Edges: Narrow frills of the material, which are picot edged or cross-stitched as described above, make an interesting finish for collars, cuffs and front closing of batiste, organdie and voile blouses. It’s economical, too, for nearly always there is material enough left to make the frills.

Fig. (23) Rolling and whipping an edge

After the frill is gathered, lay it on the right side of the piece it is to join, with the gathered edge of the frill next to the outer edge of the piece.

Fig. (24) Reversing the slant of the stitches to give a cross-stitched effect

Fig. (25) Sewing a frill to an edge Cover with a bias facing piece and stitch, as shown in Fig. 25. Turn the frill into its finished position which rolls the facing onto the wrong side of the garment. Fig. (26) The facing stitched on the wrong Side of the garment Turn under the raw edge of the facing and stitch a second time, as shown in Fig. 26.

Fig. 27 shows a frill basted to a collar ready for the facing or lining.

Fig. (27) A frill basted to a collar ready to line or face

Running Stitch Embroidery: Running stitch is often used in effective designs on chiffon blouses. The Fig. 28 shows a design suitable for running stitch. Wool, heavy silkfloss or mercerized embroidery cotton is suitable for the work.

Fig. (28) A design suitable for running stitch embroidery

Fig. (29) Loops of the thread to take the place of a buttonhole

Hand Worked Loops Instead of Button-holes: Very fine lingerie blouses are the daintier for having hand-worked loops at the closing instead of buttonholes. Of course, in this case, the buttons used ought to be very small—either small pearl buttons or those which are crocheted.

Fig. (30) Finishing the loop To work a loop along an edge, take several over and overstitches loosely, allowing enough space in the loop to accommodate the button it is to slip over.(See Fig. 29.) Then, cover the loop with buttonhole stitches. (See Fig. 30.)

Layout 2