Libro Primo

Geometria Y Traça Para El Oficio De Los Sastres, para que sepan como an de cortar qualesquier generos de ropas, afsi de Seda, como de pano, Tela de oro y de Plata, Lanilla, y Rejeta batanda, y de otra qualquier tela, afsi para hombres, como para mugeres, Clerigos y frayles. Compuesto y tracado por Diago el Freyle natural de la ciudad de Granada, y vezino de la ciudad de Sevilla, examinado del dicho officio.

Geometry and tracing for the tailor's trade, so that they may know how to cut any kind of clothing, whether of silk or broadcloth, cloth of gold and silver, wool, and batting, and any other fabric, whether for men or women, clergy and friars. Composed and traced by Diago el Freyle, a native of the city of Granada and a resident of the city of Seville, examined in the said trade.

Diago el Freyle’s book is the second known published tailoring manual in Spain. From Juan de Alcega (1580) to Juan de Albayzeta (1720), Spanish master tailors penned treatises on their trade with the language and aesthetics of geometry coloring their manuals.

The patterns in the manual specify the number of varas (Phillip II declared the vara Spain's official standard of length in 1568. 1 vara = 32.9 inches or 0.84 meters) needed for each garment, helping tailors to buy the exact amount of fabric from merchants. Once the fabric was acquired, tailors could follow a pattern’s instructions and construct the garment.

Freyle also outlined best practices in the workshop. He urged master tailors to be truthful to their workers and avoid overworking them, otherwise quality might decreases and the client may refuse to pay for the product and frequent another shop out of dissatisfaction. As for workshop conduct, Freyle wrote that tailors should sit with their backs straight on a stool with a height of half a vara, push needles outwards away from their nose and cheek, and to refrain from telling stories.