Dressmaking 
 
 
  Pinning.--Before basting a seam the tracings and cor- 
responding markings should be matched and the seam 
should be pinned its entire length. 
  Basting should always be on the traced seam-lines. The 
bastings should be removed after the seam is stitched and 
before any other finishing is done. In removing them 
the stitches should be cut at close intervals and the short 
threads pulled out. There is less chance of injury to the 
material if these directions are followed. 
  Stitching, by hand or machine, should be placed not 
on the basted line but as close to it as possible and just 
outside. This makes the removing of the bastings a sim- 
ple matter, and, as stitching is much firmer than basting, 
it does not change the size of the garment. 
  Pressing.-After a seam is stitched and the bastings are 
removed it is pressed. The exact manner of pressing de- 
pends on the kind of seam; some finishings require a flat, 
open seam, others a closed one. In pressing open a plain 
seam preparatory to certain kinds of finishings, if the seam 
is curved, it is often easier to manage if the seam-line is 
pressed over the curving edge of the ironing-board rather 
than, as is usual, on its flat surface. The pressing of 
curved seams is also much simplified if their edges are 
given more spring by notching. 
  The seams in general use in waists and skirts are: 
  (i) Plain Seam, which is made by hand or machine and 
is suitable for all materials. 
  This seam is more quickly made than any other, but 
additional time is required in the finishing of its raw edges. 
The method of making is very simple. The pinning, bast- 
ing, and stitching are done on the wrong side. The bast- 
ings are removed and the seam edges are cut Y2" or 34" in 
width. They are pressed either open or closed, as required 
by the finish. 
  If it is necessary to notch a seam because of its curve, 
the notches should be placed where the curve is greatest. 
They should not be too deep; if they are cut to within 3," 
of the stitching they usually give sufficient spring to the 
edges of the seam. The corners of the notches should be 
 
 
49.2