This is an age of good ready made clothes and it is also an age of clever amateur dressmaking. With excellent patterns which may be easily handled there is no reason why the woman who can sew should not make her own clothes, and have smart clothes at a reasonable price—that is, provided she has the time to give to sewing.

Before starting a dress—even before buying—make a tour of the shops and see for yourself what is being worn with a keen eye for the little details which lift a gown from the home made to the professional class. If you live far from town and can not go to the shops look through the magazines which make a feature of dress and study what is best suited to your particular style and requirements. Study materials and buy economically, which means paying a little more if necessary rather than have shoddy goods.

Good patterns are essential and these usually have full directions as to the manner of using. It is a very good plan to have a pattern drafted to your own measure but if you have not this take some finished garment which is satisfactory (unless there is someone at hand to take the measures that a person cannot very well take for herself) and measure the lengths in different places such as front, back and under lengths on a blouse and the width across both back and front where it is broadest. Write these down and proceed to take the same measures on the pattern to be used. In taking measures be sure to take a correct position or it will be impossible to get correct measures and you cannot hope for success if this—the initial step—is taken wrongly. For instance, stand erect with the chest raised and the abdomen held in and you will find in taking the width measures across to where the arms and body join the armhole will be straight and even looking instead of pointing in and out in places.

Make sure of your measures before starting to apply your pattern to the cloth. A careful study of this will save many irreparable mistakes later.