Jane 1790's Shift: Cutting Instructions

The best way to get a truly straight line for all the straight seams in Jane is to pull a thread. This is done by snipping into the fabric at the right measurement and then carefully pulling on the single thread that the cut exposes. Once pulled all the way out of the fabric it creates a void that is easily followed to cut a straight line.

There are two different ways to cut Jane, with or without a shoulder seam. The pattern doesn’t include a back and front to save on paper.

If you are cutting Jane with a shoulder seam you:

• Cut 1 body part with front neckline
• Cut 1 body part with back neckline
• Cut gore line in front and back parts
• Repeat on the other side of the front and back parts
• Cut 2 sleeve parts
• Cut 2 sleeve gusset parts

If you want to cut Jane without a shoulder seam you:

• Cut 1 body part on the fold as indicated on the pattern
• Cut the neckline on the body part
• With the body part folded at the fold line, cut the side gores
• Repeat on the other side of the body part
• Cut 2 sleeve parts
• Cut 2 sleeve gusset parts

Cutting out without a pattern

In the past shifts were generally cut without a paper pattern. If you want to cut without a pattern as well you can use the following instructions:

Cut a rectangle double the body length and the body width. You can cut the side gores all in one go. To do this you fold your fabric at the shoulder line and then mark the halfway point down the length.

Then you mark your shoulder width (the distance from the shoulder to the beginning of the dotted line). And mark the side gore by tracing a line from the point marked to the midpoint of the body length.

Then you fold the body in half widthwise. There should be 4 layers of fabric at the edge now. To cut the gore you now cut the line you just drew through all four layers.

Now cut the neckline, the sleeves and the sleeve gussets.