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|
1880 Shirt
==========
.. figure:: gri_33125012088023-773.svg
:align: center
A gentleman's shirt based on the instructions on `Beeton's housewife's
treasury of domestic information
<https://archive.org/details/gri_33125012088023/page/718/mode/2up>`_
from 1880.
While assembling the shirt is a relatively easy project, the pattern
instructions are from a vintage book (and not one of the best, either),
so it will require more adjustments to fit the target body than usual
for a modern pattern.
Before making this shirt in expensive fabric
This pattern is probably good for a relatively wide range of dates: I've
seen on the internet grainy scans of ads from the 1860 that seem to use
a pattern like this one, and it should work up to the Edwardian era, but
you will have to do some research on the appropriate shapes of the front
opening and especially collar and cuffs for each era.
I believe that the original instructions assumed that this shirt would
be hand sewn in the home, but by the 1880s sewing machines in the home
were most definitely a thing.
If you want to use a machine, your options are to sew by machine
everywhere the instructions say to backstitch and handsew everything
else, or to sew by machine the backstitched seams and topstitch every
time the instructions say to hemstitch something; buttonholes should
probably still be done by hand, however.
Materials
---------
Fabric
^^^^^^
* About 2 m of linen or cotton shirting fabric.
Notions
^^^^^^^
* sewing thread to match the fabric;
* buttonhole thread to match the fabric;
Pattern
-------
Measurements
^^^^^^^^^^^^
You need to take the following measurements:
``height_neck_back_to_knee`` (A18)
;
``neck_circ`` (G02)
;
``bust_circ`` (G04)
;
``neck_front_to_waist_f`` (H01)
;
``neck_side_to_waist_f`` (H05)
;
``neck_back_to_waist_b`` (H19)
;
``shoulder_length`` (I01)
;
``shoulder_tip_to_shoulder_tip_b`` (I07)
;
``arm_shoulder_tip_to_wrist_bent`` (L01)
;
``arm_wrist_circ`` (L15)
;
the file :download:`shirt.vit` is used by default by the pattern file
and has the list of needed measurements.
Pattern
^^^^^^^
Get the valentina file for the pattern, :download:`1880_shirt.val`.
You also need to decide the following measurements and set them in the
table of variables in Valentina; most defaults in the file are sensible,
but you probably want to change the ``shirt_width`` so that it fits
nicely on your fabric with as little waste as possible:
``shirt_length_back``
usually equals ``height_neck_back_to_knee``;
``shirt_length_front``
a bit shorter (8-10 cm) than the back;
``shirt_width``
the flat width of the shirt: historically this would have been the
width of the fabric (something like 90 - 100 cm would be typical);
``front_slit_length``
the length of the slit (and pleated part) in front: this can easily
be as long as the ``neck_front_to_waist_f`` measurement
``button_placket_width``
the finished width of the button placket; 2.5 cm or to taste;
``ease``
the total ease around the chest, used to calculate the following two
variables;
``front_slit_width``
the width that is cut in the front for the slit: this should be at
least 15 cm wide for a 2.5 cm button placket and the rest will be
pleated;
``front_gathers_width``
the final width to which the material in the front slit is gathered:
at least the width of the button placket;
``front_band_height``
the band that covers the pleats and gathers in the front: 4 cm, or to
taste;
``yoke_depth``
from the nape of the neck to where the yoke ends, to taste;
``cuff_length``
length of the cuff: 9 cm or to taste;
``sleeve_length``
length of the sleeve: ``arm_shoulder_tip_to_wrist_bent`` minus half
the cuff, or to taste according to how puffed you want the sleeve to
be;
``sleeve_width``
the basic width of the sleeve, before dealing with the gussets: this
is often half the ``shirt_width``;
``sleeve_wrist_circumference``
the desired circumference of the sleeve at the wrist, before
gathering it into the cuff;
``collar_band_height``
the height of the collar band, to be used with a detachable collar: 2
cm is usually fine;
``sewing_allowance``
the default sewing allowance, as small as you can manage, remembering
that many seams are sewn and felled, so the fabric will have to be
cut with double this allowance on one side: for hand sewing on thin
fabric 4-6 mm, machine sewing and thicker fabric will require a bit
more.
The valentina file also has a few more intermediate variables that are
used to calculate the ``front_slit_width`` and ``front_gathers_width``
from the given ``bust_circ``, ``shirt_width`` and ``ease``: you can
ignore them.
The file is set up not to print the front, back and sleeves details, as
those are mostly big rectangles: you can get their measurements in Draw
mode as follows:
back:
a rectangle as wide as ``shirt_width`` (A – A2) and as high as
``shirt_length_back`` (A – A1);
front:
a rectangle as wide as ``shirt_width`` (A – A9) and as high as
``shirt_lenght_front`` (A — A8);
sleeves:
the final sleeve shape is an isosceles trapezium with and height of
``sleeve_length`` (A – A25), a short base of
``sleeve_wrist_circumference`` (A28 – A29) and a long base that adds
to ``sleeve_width`` the same amount that has been taken away by the
other base (A30 – A31): the most efficient way however is to cut a
rectangle that is as high as ``sleeve_length`` and twice as wide as
``sleeve_width``, and adjust the sides with gussets as explained
below.
This pattern also includes just a collar band, which is used with
detached collars; you can of course add a full collar from any other
source. There is however a choice between a straight collar band (as
used in the book) and a more fitted curved collar band.
Instructions
------------
Pattern adjustments
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Print the shoulder piece pattern and try it on; make any adjustments to
it so that it lies nicely, the neck curve follows the base of the neck
and arrives almost, but not quite, to the neck base in front, leaving
the space for the button placket.
You may also want to make a fabric mockup for these checks, and then
bring the changes back to the pattern to cut the final pieces.
Cutting
^^^^^^^
Cut the full rectangles for the front and back.
.. figure:: gri_33125012088023-770.svg
:align: center
If the fabric is non-directional and has no right and wrong side, the
best way to cut the sleeves is as described on the book: fold the
rectangle in such a way that the sides will meet precisely in the center
and bast them together, then fold them in such a way that the distance a
– g and h – g is the desired width at the cuff, and cut all layers of
fabric along the fold.
.. figure:: sleeve_cutting_pattern.svg
:align: center
After re-opening the fabric, you will get the shape in figure, and you
will have to attach the small gusset to one side of the sleeve to
complete the trapezium. Note that because of the sewing allowances this
won't be a precise match, but the tolerance in this pattern is enough
for it not to be a problem.
Cut four of the shoulder pieces, two of the front bands, two of each
collar piece and four of each cuff piece.
Front
^^^^^
Back
^^^^
Assembly of the body
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sleeves
^^^^^^^
Finishing
^^^^^^^^^
|
