The workwoman's guide

Articles of clothing are measured by cloth measure.

All linens, calicoes, &c., to be washed before cut out.

All linens, including lawn, cambric, and Holland, should be cut by the thread.

All calicoes, muslins, and flannels will tear, though the former, unless very stout, pull a good deal awry.

All small articles, as gussets, should be cut, in preference to being torn.

Cutting out whole sets of things together often prevents much waste; hence it is better to cut out six or twelve shirts at once, than only one at a time.

Skirts, sleeves, wristbands, shoulder-straps, collars, waistbands, and every thing liable to be stretched in wearing, to be cut selvage-wise.

Frills, flounces, and pieces fulled between bands, are usually cut the width way.

Frills for caps are generally twice as long as the article they are to be frilled upon; three times is very full, and is sometimes used for neck frills.

Linings of hats, bonnets, fronts, and backs of gowns, tippets, most women’s collars, and every thing intended to set well and closely, of an irregular shape or surface, to be cut crosswise.

Pipings and linings to broad hems always to be cut crosswise.

In cutting crosswise, first fold the end of the piece like a half-handkerchief, so as to lay the raw edge evenly against the selvage side, and cut off the half square, from which cut the strips for piping, &c.

To cut off a yard crosswise, measure a yard along each of the selvage sides, (after the half square has been cut off) crease it slantingly across, and cut it.

Satins, velvets, and some silks, may be purchased cut the cross way, as well as the straight.