[Ansteorra] fitting gores and gussets

Susan catmafia at hughes.net
Sun Sep 24 11:00:40 PDT 2006


Thank you so much Talana,

These have always intimidated me and I have avoided them as opposed to 
taking chance of doing them wrong.  I remember bits and pieces of what 
you've told me through the years, and will remember to try to the starch 
and use a stay stich in doing this linen.

Thanks so much,
Susan

Jennifer Carlson wrote:

>Lady Susan was asking about inserting gores.
>
>In clothing construction language, a gore is a piece inserted into a seam; a 
>godet is a piece inserted into a slit.  Godets can be tricky, and require 
>practice to get them to work right.
>
>The most difficult aspect of getting gores and godets to behave is that you 
>are working with bias edges - cuts that go diagonally across the grain.  
>Bias edges want to behave like the edge of a leaf of lettuce - they go all 
>wavy, they stretch, and don't want to behave.
>
>There are some tricks that will counteract this:
>
>1)  If the cloth is cotton or linen, starch the heck out of it before you 
>cut out the garment.  It's always a good idea to starch linen before 
>cutting, if you're going to have any diagonal or curved cuts, because linen 
>threads are not social creatures, and the first hint they get that the 
>imposed order of the fabric's weave has been compromised, they'll start 
>misbehaving.
>
>2) After cutting the pieces, take them straight from the cutting board to 
>the sewing machine and run a line of stay stitching about 1/2" from the 
>edge.  The stitching will keep the bias edge from stretching and rippling.
>
>Someone mentioned the importance of placing the top of the gore - she's 
>right, and Susan, this is probably the root of your problem in getting a 
>good fit.
>
>There's something called the "swing point" or "flare point" in shaping a 
>garment over a body curve.  If it's too high, you get a pucker or pleat form 
>where the excess fabric finds a home when you wear it.  If it's too low, you 
>get an unpleasant-looking strained point, and you will probably pull out the 
>stitching at the top of the gore/godet.  So, how do you locate the proper 
>point?
>
>Think of a basketball with a piece of fabric draped over it.  The exact 
>point where the fabric ceases to lie on the curve of the ball's surface and 
>hangs into space instead is the flare point.  That corresponding point on 
>your hips is where the very tip of the gore/godet should go.  Once you 
>master judging where the flare point is, you'll find the concept helpful in 
>making better sleeves and fitting over the bust, as well.
>
>Hope this helps,
>
>Talana
>
>
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