Don McCunn's Blog

Period Patternmaking

The history of patternmaking is an interesting field which I have only explored minimally. From the research I have done, the early patternmaking techniques use detailed instructions to create patterns from measurements for specific garments. These instructions must be followed by rote.

To show you what I mean, below I am including an illustration and instructions from the Cutters’ Practical Guide: Gentlemen’s Garments for making Jodhpurs. To the best of my knowledge the copyright of this book has expired so sharing this page is not a violation of anyone’s rights to this material. The written instructions are exactly as they appear in the book.

JODHPURS.

Diagram 6.

Measures. 32 waist, 38 seat, 13½ to knee, 30 full length, 42 sideseam, 14 knee, 12½ small, 14 calf. Bottom measure to taste. Scale equals half seat 19.
1 from O equals the bodyrise, 12ins. 2 from 1 equals 2ins. 3 from 1 equals ½in. 4 from 0 equals half-scale. 5 from 4 equals 1½ins. 6 from 2 equals one-fourth waist plus ½in. Spring out ¼in. to 7. 8 from 0 equals one-sixth scale plus 1in. 9 from 8 equals 1in. 10 from 9 equals length to knee. 11 from 9 equals length to small, 2½ins. below. 12 from 11 equals 3½ins. 13 from 9 equals full leg length plus a seam. 14 from 10 equals 1in. square down to 15, 16 and 17. 18 from 10 equals one-fourth of knee. Square down from 18 to 19 and 20. 21 from 18 equals half knee. 22 from 19 equals half small. 23 from 20 equals half calf. 24 from 17 equals ½in. less than 23 to 16. 25 from 0 equals one-sixth of scale. 26 from 14 equals 1½ins. Join 26 to 5 and add 3ins. of round to the sideseam.
The Undersides. 27 from 0 equals one-third of scale plus 1in. Draw the seat angle from 25 through 27 to 28. 28 from the waistline equals 4ins. Hollow the seat seam 3/8in. at 29. Measure from 2 to 6 and apply by half waist measure from 29 to 30 plus 2ins. for seams and waist dart. Spring out 1/4in. to 31. 32 from 28 equals 2ins. 33 from 32 equals 1½ins. 34 from 25 equals 2½ins. 35, 36, 37 and 38 are each 1in. Measure from 21 to 14 and apply from 35 to 39, the knee measure plus 1½ins. for seams and ease. Measure from 22 to 15 and apply the small measure plus 1½ins. from 36 to 40. Measure from 23 to 16 and apply the calf measure plus 1½ins. from 37 to 41. 42 from 13 is ½in. less than 41 to 12. 43 from 39 equals ½in. 44 from 36 equals ½in. Shape the knee gore seam as shown to intersect at 45. 46 from 5 equals 2ins. Join 46 to 43 and shape sideseam,. 47 from 46 is ½in. less than from 5 to the knee tack, ½in. below 14. Shape 47, 45 and 44, making the seams equal in length. 48 from 31 equals 3½ins. Mark out ½in. dart as shown to 49 and 50. Add 4½ins. for permanent turn-up bottoms. When the pattern is cut, add seams to each of the gore seams from 43 to 44 and 47 to 44. Reduce to bottom measure by dart to calf line.

The reason I have not explored more of the history of patternmaking is that when I was developing my book How to Make Sewing Patterns, I wanted to understand the concept behind the patterns and how two-dimensional patterns related to the three-dimensional shapes of the body. I did not want to have instructions that had to be followed blindly. I find the instructions above rather intimidating but historically very interesting.

I would love to see a scholarly work that traces all the variations of patternmaking techniques through the centuries. I am afraid this is not a project I will undertake as I have enough to do with my own approach which continues to evolve as you can see by this blog.

Book Review: Chic Chicago

Chic Chicago is an exhibit catalog for garments from the couture collection at the Chicago History Museum. This exhibit runs from September 27, 2008 through July 26, 2009. An earlier version of the exhibit appeared at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York city in 2007 & 2008. If you live in the area or can get there before it closes, I would highly recommend it.

What I find interesting about this catalog and the exhibit is that it shows couture clothes from 1861 through 2008 in the social context of who was actually wearing these garments. When I see these elegant garments I can admire their aesthetic beauty. But this catalog also chronicles the women who purchased them, their social back ground, and where they wore them. For me this takes the appreciation of couture to an entirely new level.

The garments are featured in full color photographs from pages 14 through 133. These photographs feature both full length shots and beautiful closeups that show the immaculate sewing and detail that went into the garments. The photographs are followed by 6 pages that give photographs and brief bios of the 56 high society women who wore the gowns. The final 4 pages include brief descriptions of the 42 designers who created the garments.

Dear to my heart as a pattern maker for custom-fit clothes are the references to the fact that these women would travel 2 or 3 times from Chicago to Europe for fittings to ensure that the garments were correct for their specific bodies.

Amazingly the paper back book comes in a slip cover box that has an embossed sequin pattern from one of the gowns.

I would highly recommend you watch the video that describes how this exhibit came into existence from the curators who conceived it to the interns who worked on it, see the Behind the Scenes video.