The Art of the Lingère - Chapter I: Measuring

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FIRST CHAPTER

The Ell and its fractions in feet, inches, and twelfths of an inch.

The ell, the scissors, the needle, and the thimble are the only instruments of the lingère. The ell is an instrument only used to measure the quantity of linen required or judged necessary for this or that garment in any category. The measure is expressed in ells or in parts of an ell (the Paris ell is used here), language which is mysterious to a number of people; whereas the King's foot containing twelve inches and its division into inches and lines, which every measurement can be reduced to, are familiar to nearly everyone. That is why, to interpret the obscure language of the ell, we explain it here in feet, inches, and lines, and even in part-lines.

The Paris ell is fixed at three feet, seven inches, and eight lines. It is generally measured with a wooden ruler an inch wide and half an inch thick. The two sides are divided up: on one side into four quarters, the last quarter into two eighths, the last eighth into two sixteenths; on the opposite side, it is divided into thirds, the last third into sixths, the last sixth into two twelfths.

Each division is generally marked with gold studs, and the tips are trimmed with iron or leather, to protect them from wear.

The Paris Ell (one inch equals one foot).


The ruler on top is divided in quarters and ends with sixteenths; the one on the bottom in thirds and ends with twelfths.

Division of the Ell in feet, inches, and lines (twelfths of an inch).

Feet.
Inches.
Lines.
Ell
3
7
8
Half-Ell
1
9
10
Third
1
2
6 2/3
Two-thirds
2
5
1 1/2
Quarter

10
11
Three-quarters
2
8
9
Five-quarters
4
6
7
Sixth

7
3 1/3
Three-sixths
1
9
10
Five-sixths
3

4 2/3
Seven-sixths
4
2
11 2/3
Eighth

5
5 1/2
Three-eighths
1
4
4 1/2
Five-eighths
2
3
3 1/2
Seven-eighths
3
2
2 1/2
Nine-eighths
4
1
1 1/2
Twelfth

3
7 2/3
Five-twelfths
1
6
2 1/3
Seven-twelfths
2
1
5 2/3
Eleven-twelfths
3
4
1/3
Sixteenth

2
8 3/4
Three-sixteenths

8
2 1/4
Five-sixteenths
1
1
7 3/4
Seven-sixteenths
1
7
1 1/4
Nine-sixteenths
2

6 3/4
Fifteen-sixteenths
3
4
11 1/4
Twentieth

2
2 1/5
Thirty-second

1
4 3/8

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