Vincent The Cutter's Practical Guide, Part 3

Trouser, Breeches & Knickers
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-3-7693-3156-1
Verlag: BoD - Books on Demand
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, Band 3, 112 Seiten

Reihe: Cutter's Practical Guide

Once again we have written our ideas on Trouser Cutting. The system herein described is so simple that the veriest novice may learn it and cut smart-fitting garments by it after a few hours' study; but at the same time embracing problems so difficult that many of them still remain unsolved. We trust and believe this work will be found an advance on all our previous efforts. The Essay which won the Federation Prize was our first attempt, and of this the Secretary of the Federation wrote: - "The very exhaustive nature of the first part of this elaborate essay is in itself an excellent work upon Trouser Cutting in every shape and from; added to this, the elaborate treatment of objects with so many excellent diagrams completes a work upon cutting that has no rival." As edition after edition was sold out, we revised and enlarged upon the principals there laid down, and now, after a lapse of fourteen years, we have remodelled the system, greatly improving it in certain directions, simplifying it where possible, and illustrating its application to a large number of styles never before treated in this way. If the verdict of the trade on our first effort was a favourable one, we have little doubt it will be equally appreciative of this one, which not only contains the results of the research and experience of our younger years, but also the fruit of the maturer thought of added years and enlarged experience. This work, whilst being complete in itself, and thoroughly exhausting its own theme forms part of a series of books treating of every phase of a cutter's experience, by the aid of which we hope to place in the hands of the young man who aspires to a position in the cutting room, a book which will supply him with information of a practical and helpful character under every circumstance of his professional life.

W.D.F. Vincent began his career as an apprentice with Frederick Cooper in Yeovil. After completing his training, he briefly established his own businesses in Oxford and later in Maidenhead as a clothier and tailor, though neither venture was financially successful. While in Maidenhead, Vincent won an essay competition on tailoring, which was open to all members of the National Federation of Foremen Tailors, titled "The Great National Work on Trouser Cutting, or Defects in Trousers." He submitted his entry under the pseudonym "Oxonian" and won the first prize. This success led him to secure a position with The Tailor and Cutter magazine. In the early years, Vincent contributed numerous articles on tailoring methods and techniques to the magazine. However, due to the terms of his employment, these articles were published without attribution to him. By the 1890s, Vincent became a leading tailoring authority. His books, such as The Cutter's Practical Guide to the Cutting & Making of All Kinds of Trousers, became a standard reference work. By 1917, Vincent referred to himself as a journalist. The Tailor and Cutter magazine and academy were operated by John Williamson & Co Ltd. In the 1950s and 1960s, many tailors displayed their Tailor & Cutter Academy Diplomas, signed by W.D.F. Vincent, as the Chairman of Examiners, as a centerpiece in their shop windows. One such example can still be seen on display at the Museum of Welsh Life at St. Fagans in South Wales. Website: https://www.becomeatailor.com

Autoren/Hrsg.

Vincent, W. D. F.

Leseproben

Chapter II.

Drafting the System.

Diagrams 1 to 10.

It is the custom of most tailors to draft trousers with the top at the right hand, the bottoms at their left, the sideseam nearest to them, and the fork point and leg seam away from them. This is the plan we follow in this work, so we will assume the student is ready to begin his chalking, and with inch tape round his neck and pipe-clay in his hand he is ready to begin operations with his straight edge and square. It is best to practise on an old piece of cloth or some brown paper to start with, so we will assume this is spread out before him and he commences by drawing line 1, 2, 3, Diagram 1, which is simply a starting line for our further operations. On this mark the length of side from 1 to 3 and then from 3 to 2 the length of leg. We next draw a line at right angles to point 2, or in other words we place the square with the long arm on the line first drawn and the angle at point 2, and draw a line across by the other arm of the square as shown on Diagram 2. This gives us the fork line, and on this we have to locate the position of the centre line 4, the fly line 5, and the fork point 6. To do this involves a little calculation. From 2 to 4 is one-sixth of seat, so that for the 36 seat the distance between points 2 and 4 would be 6 inches. From 2 to 5 is one-fourth of the seat, or taking our 36 seat example, the distance from 2 to 5 would be nine inches. The next point to fix is 6, and this is made one-third of the seat from point 2, and in the case of a 36 seat this would be 12 inches, thus, the divisions in this line are — one-sixth, one-fourth, and one-third. These are some of the most important quantities, fitting the principal points in the system, and should be located with accuracy. There are some who find it difficult to make these calculations, and, happily, there are alternate arrangements, the one is the divisional tape which can be purchased at any trimming warehouse for about three pence, and the other plan is a set of graduated tapes; in this case you select a tape agreeing with the half seat measure. Mark off on this line from 2 to 4 six units, from 2 to 5 nine units, from 2 to 6 twelve units, the length of unit varying on each tape and will be found in each case to be the one-eighteenth of the size it is marked.

Suppose we wish to cut a pair of trousers for a gentleman measuring 40 seat, we select the tape marked 20, and placing the end on point 2 of the fork line we measure across 6, 9, 12, which, if tested by the inch-tape, will be 6?, 10, 13?, as nearly as possible. It is well, however, for the student to accustom himself to make the necessary calculations, as he is then independent of these aids, and so much the better qualified for quickness in the discharge of his duties.

Our next step is to draw the centre line down from point 4 by placing the square on the fork line and drawing line from 4 to 8. It is important that this line should be drawn at right angles, at least, that is so for the proportionate draft, and, happily, this can be easily tested, for if this line is drawn at right angles it will be found the same distance from 3 to 8 as it is from 2 to 4, and if in the draft this does not agree it will be necessary to test the square to see whether it is true. This can be done by drawing the two lines by the two sides of the square, say exactly 12 inches long; then draw a third line at right angles to one of these and make this also 12 inches long and from this point square another line at right angles, and if the square is accurate the fourth line will meet the first one exactly at the end, and all four sides of the square be the same length. If your square is accurate, then all you have to do is to use care and your lines will be correctly located.

Our next stage is reached by drawing a line at right angles to 5 7 to the level of point 1, which gives us the top of the trousers. We next locate the knee by measuring down from 4 to 9 tho half leg meusure, less 2 inches; thus, leg length 32, from 4 to 9, 14 inches. From 4 to 8 is the leg length. These points having been fixed draw lines at right angles to points 9 and 8 on either side of the line. This is the rule that should always be followed, the knee and bottom lines draw at right angles to the centre line.

Our next step is to locate the widths of waist, knee, and seat, and once again we have some calculations to make, and, unfortunately, the graduated tape does not help us much, though the divisional tape may. Line 10 11 is the waist level, usually about 1 inch more than one-fourth of seat above the fork level, say 10 units This is drawn at right angles to the fly line. From 10 to 11 is one-fourth waist plus ½ inch, this latter being allowed for two seams, and as we shall often have occasion to make prevision for seams it may be well for us state here that the usual size of seam recognised in the tailoring trade is a quarter inch wide, occasionally this has to be increased when garments are made from very ravelling material; but, as a rule, the quarter inch allowance will suffice, so that in the case of a waist measure of 30 the distance from 10 to 11 would be 8 inches.

We now mark the widths of the knee, making from 9 to 12 one-fourth of the knee measure, and from 9 to 13 the same quantity, so that for a knee of 18 the distance from 9 to 12 would be 4½ and 9 to 13 would be the same. If any one is puzzled with these calculations take the tape at 18, fold it over so that the end comes to 18, then take the double edge and fold it over again, and thus arrive at the exact width of the knee on either side of the centre line.

Coming to the bottom we proceed in the same way with the exception that 8, 15, is made ½ inch less than from 8 to 14, but in this case the division of the bottom measure is taken from 8 to 14, being one-fourth of the bottom, and 8 to 15, one-fourth of the bottom less ¼ inch, so that for a 17 bottom the distance from 8 to 14 is 4¼ inches, and 8 to 15 4 inches. We have now completed what may be termed the scaffolding of the system for the topsides, and we proceed to fill in the actual outlines, and for our guidance in this matter we have Diagram 6. It will be noticed the top of the sideseam sprung out above point 11, the body getting larger directly above the waist. Below point 11, the sideseam is rounded so that it meets the line drawn from 1 to 2 about 3 or 4 inches above point 2. From this point a line is drawn (either by the middle of the curved side of the trousers stick or by freehand) to 12 and this is continued to the bottom point 14, a most useful guide for this purpose being the flattened end of the curved side of the trouser stick, or it may of course be drawn freehand. We next draw the leg seam, and this is comparatively simple, for from 13 to 15 is straight; indeed, it is well to draw a line from 15 through 13 upwards, and then use the flattest end of the curved side of the trouser stick to connect the fork point 13 with this, so that from 13 to 6 is slightly curved. Our next stage is to complete the topside by drawing the bottom curve and the fly and fork curve as shown or Dia. 7. Let us take the latter first. Until the student has acquired a fair amount of proficiency it will be well for him to mark out from 5 to 17 half the quantity from 5 to 6 plus ¼ inch. With this point fixed, start the curve at about point 16 which is one-sixth of the seat above point 5, and continue by a nice curve through 17 to 6. A too hollow fork must at all times be avoided. Our last stage is the shaping of the curve of the bottom, and here it is difficult to lay down hard and fast rules. For the present size of bottom they should be hollowed from ¾ to 1 inch, making the hollowest part one inch to the side of the centre line. For owing to the outward turn of the feet the point that comes over the instep is for the proportionate figure 1 inch to the side of the centre line. This finishes the topsides, and the pattern is cut out exactly in these marks. We shall refer to the matter of inlays when dealing with cutting from the cloth. At this initial stage we are describing how to cut the pattern so that our readers may know exactly the shape of the trousers themselves. Having cut out the topsides we use them as the basis for drafting the undersides, and our first action is to mark up from 5 to 18 one-fourth of the seat, and to draw the seat line from 6 through 18 to 19, we are then ready to mark the fork points, which we do by measuring out from 5 to 20 one-eighth of the seat, which for the 36 seat is 4½, the entire distance from 2 to 20 being equal to ? of the seat measure. Point 20 is slightly below the level of 6, a very good plan being to sweep, using the knee as a pivot. The seat line 18 may now be curved in such a way as to form a continuous curve. Our next step is to draft the sideseam, and to do this we measure the width of the topside from point 21 to 22, and what this measures we place on point 23, and we measure across to point 24 the half-seat measure plus 2 inches, this allowance being made one inch for seams and one inch as allowance for ease; we shall have something more to say on this matter later, but for the present the reader may take this quantity as the amount required according to the dictates of practical experience. We next measure up the size of waist, measuring from 10 to 11, and whatever that indicates placing it on point 19, and measuring across to 25 as shown on Dia. 9 the half waist measure plus 2½ inches, this amount being allowed 1 inch for a fish and 1½ inches for seams, there being four seams consumed in sewing the top and undersides and two for the fish. The side seam is now drawn from 25...