extending it to the notches in the lower edge of the fly pieces, including in the seam the seams of the fly pieces below the notches. Press this seam open and baste over it, flat on the inside, a piece of tape or a bias strip. Stitch from the outside a row on each side of the seam. Turn the end of the tape over and hem neatly down at the end of the fly stitching. On the outside, at the end of the fly opening, make a strong stay-stitch or bar, to keep it from tearing out.
THE TOP EDGE of the trousers is turned over a seam, and a strip of lining stitched to it, then basted down in a faced hem. A band, with the buttonholes worked in it with stout thread or twist, is basted over this faced hem, and from the right side stitched through both facing and band at the lower edge and the ends. A strong tack thread should catch the band and the facing between the buttonholes.
THE LOWER EDGE of each trousers leg is hemmed by hand with invisible stitches.
BLOUSES or the coats of suits vary considerably in style. It is best to rely on the Deltor or Illustrated Instructions for making and finishing.
A STRICTLY TAILORED COAT for a man or boy is made in very much the same way as a strictly tailored coat for women except that the effect is even more tailored. The best tailors in New York give a well-tailored and mannish look to a coat by the methods given below.
For this style of coat it is very important to know how to baste in the canvas, face the front of the coat and put in the lining before joining the shoulder seam. Not until this has been done should the collar be basted to the coat. These are the fine points of tailoring and should be followed closely in coat-making.
THE CANVAS IN THE COAT FRONT. In basting the canvas to the front of the coat, the canvas should not be basted from the canvas side, but the coat should be placed over the canvas and the two basted together from the outside of the coat. This is done to prevent making the canvas too short which would cause the coat to pucker.
THE CANVAS AND CLOTH IN THE LAPEL OF THE COAT ARE HELD TOGETHER by padding stitches. The method of making these padding stitches is shown in Chapter 12, page 59. Hold the lapel over the hand with the canvas side up and start the padding stitches a little back of the crease roll at the neck and gradually taper them to the crease roll at the front of the coat. The stitches are then worked outward to the edge of the lapel. The canvas in the front of the coat and the lapel is then trimmed off three-eighths of an inch from the edge.
TO PREVENT THE FRONT EDGES OF THE COAT AND LAPEL FROM STRETCHING use a narrow linen or cotton tape which has been thoroughly shrunken, placing it along the front edge of the coat and the lapel. (Page 60, Illustration 102.) Place the tape a good three-eighths of an inch from the edge, so that later when sewing on the facing the tape will not be caught in the facing sewing. Also sew a tape one-eighth of an inch in in back of the crease roll of the lapel, starting the tape about an inch from the front edge of the coat and extending it one inch above the neck edge. When a soft roll in the lapel is desired the tape along the crease roll is omitted. When the tape has been sewed on carefully the fronts are pressed and the lapels pressed back.
THE FACING—The method of putting on the facing is the same as for the ladies' coat. (Chapter 12, page 61.) Turn up the hem at the bottom of the coat and turn in the bottom of the facing even with the coat and baste. Baste the back edge of the facing to the canvas and catch-stitch it. Fell the lower edge to position.
THE SEAMS—When using a material which ravels easily the seams should be overcast if the coat is lined. (Chapter 16, page 82.) If the coat has a half or full skeleton lining the seams should be bound. (Chapter 17, page 88.) The back edge of the facing and the hem at bottom of the coat should also be bound.
