1911 #4 Little Jacket -- Petite Vareuse

Here is an attractive fall or spring garment, because fortunately we do not have the extreme cold for much longer.

It needs six patterns: half of the devant [front], half of the dos [back], col [collar], revers [lapel], dessus de manche [sleeve upper], dessous de manche [underside of sleeve].

Trace and cut out the different patterns. Seams being included in the drawing, there is no need to add them. Important recommendation: when we will place the patterns on the fabric, place them exactly as they are on the gray background of the drawing. This gray background represents the fabric with straight-threads on the four sides, if you place your patterns any which way, you will change the cut and the fit of the garment would be poor. And you will say: this Aunt Jacqueline!

Not at all Aunt Jacqueline, but her careless niece who has neglected the first, the great, the essential principle of cutting which is to observe the position of the straight-thread and this point fixed to calmly spread the pattern on the fabric without worrying about making economy of the fabric. This would be a bad plan.

All the patterns for this jacket must be cut on the fabric folded double or on two pieces of fabric placed wrong side against wrong side, or right side against right side. Only, the back is a single piece which will be cut on the fabric folded double, by putting the dotted line of the pattern edge to edge with the fold of the fabric. And yet, if, in what you are given to make this little garment, you do not have pieces large enough to cut the back from a single piece, you will make it in two pieces with a seam on the straight-thread in the middle. You know that there is an agreement between us: never trouble the parents regarding the amusements that they have the goodness to give you.

The collar and sleeves offer a small difficulty that we will learn to overcome. They are made in wool layered with velvet.

You will copy the pattern of the collar which is found at the top right of the drawing and place it on the fabric folded double in a manner similar to where you see it placed on the gray background.

Then, you will cut the same from velvet. You place then the two collars the one on the other and keep them in place by a basting in the shape of a cross occupying the middle. This done, you will turn under all around and edge to edge, the wool and the velvet, and will hold it by a basting and make a topstitching.

In this way, your collar will be distinct one side from the other – this will allow you to raise the collar around the neck of the doll when it gets cold.

The end of the collar is simulated by the top of the front flap which is shawl pointed. See our patterns; this shaded part is that which is to tilt back. The poignets [cuffs] are prepared similarly.

Sleeve. – It is cut in two pieces, the top and the underside. Copy exactly, then cut out the two patterns that you will then place on the fabric folded double or on two pieces placed wrong side against wrong side or right side against right side. Without this precaution, you would have two sleeves for one arm and no sleeve for the other. This is a fashion which is not yet welcome.

Assembly. -- The two fronts meet with the back by two seams c f (under the arm) and b a (shoulder seam).

The collar is placed, the point d of the back, to point d of the neckline. If everything was done very scrupulously, the point g of the collar will fall at the notch g of the neckline. You sew it with a backstitch while taking only the wool of the collar with the wool of the garment, then you turn down the velvet by slip stitch on the inside of the jacket.

If you do not line the jacket, you will edge it with a braid placed astride the edge and topstitched. This braid goes from the notch g on one side of the front, will encircle all the jacket and will end at the corresponding notch on the other front.

The jacket is closed by hooks; one adorns it with two rows of velvet buttons in front and two buttons on each sleeve cuff.

The cuffs and the collar can be placed in another way, that-is-to-say by letting a little of the wool extend. A sketch of this kind of work is given to you with the patterns of the sleeve: the wool is folded back first, then the velvet also folded back is placed on the wool which is taller.