Beginners Pattern Drafting Info, Pattern Cutting Techniques

Making your own bespoke skirt pattern block pattern or sloper!

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Making your own made to measure skirt block pattern – and understanding the process!

If you are new to pattern drafting I always think a skirt is a good place to start. I have carried out a lot of research on block drafting, I have even published an academic paper on the subject! The draft I am going to show you here is a combination of all my research and a method I developed as a result of much experimentation and perfecting the skirt draft.

I also realised that most drafting books are very rigid and do not allow for any manoeuvring in the process. Many of us are not drafting blocks because we are a standard shape. Being an unusual shape may well have led us to this point. So my instructions give ranges and options!

This post is a long one, at this moment I have been working on it for 2 days and it will no doubt go into 3 days once I make a toile and take some photos. What I am trying to do as I go along, is to explain the drafting process. Most, if not all, block drafting instructions out there just give basic follow the dot instructions, with barely any reasoning behind them. I am the type of learner that can’t accept anything myself until I understand it. Hence my desire to go into much detail in my posts! By the end of this you will be an expert skirt bock drafter, I promise!

Gather together:

  • A tape measure
  • A small piece of paper and a pen for notes
  • A calculator (I use my phone)
  • A large piece of paper to draft on – even wrapping paper or wall paper will do
  • A long ruler and a set square
  • A pencil (3H)
  • A rubber – you will need one!

You will need some measurements too!

  • Waist – measured at the natural waist level, What do I mean by natural waist? Having come from an era where the waist was the waist, I found myself explaining to students where the waist actually was! This is because fashion has lowered the place where most garments sit on the body. For example most trousers are now designed to sit below the waist and those garments that do actually sit on the waist are often referred to as ‘high wasted’ when in fact the sit directly on the natural waist.
  • If you are a plus size then the waist measurement may be more difficult to take so take a piece of string and let it settle at the waist level where it wants to. Another way to identify where the natural waist is, is to bend over to the side and see where you crease. The natural waist is usually above the belly button.
  • Hip measurement. The hip is the fullest area over the hips and bottom. You may sometimes be asked for a high hip or top hip measurement and this is located above the full hip. For this draft you need the full hip measurement which is normally located between 21 to 22 cm (8 1/4 inches to 8 11/16) below the natural waist (depending on your size) the smaller the size normally the higher the hip. Again if you are a plus size then the hip may be lower and if your measurement around the thighs is the largest measurement then use this. The skirt must pull over your largest part, so make sure you take a moment to make sure you have this measurement correct. Again make sure the tape is level.
  • Take a note of your hip depth, as instructed above.

  • Skirt length. This is entirely up to you. For a basic block I recommend drafting to the knee. You can always lengthen or shorten the skirt later.

 

Now there are a couple of things we need to consider before selecting which draft to use. If you have a hip that is more than 12 cm (4 3/4″) larger than your waist, you will need to draft a skirt with 2 back skirt darts, as one back skirt dart will not fit you well at all. However we will solve that problem once we have drafted the basic block and I will show you how to add an extra back waist dart as part of the process below.

Jot down your measurements here

It’s always advisable to make a note of your measurements and calculations when you are drafting a block or pattern. I have filled in the chart below with the measurements I am planning to use for this example. You will find a blank Skirt drafting measurements log here. I work in centimeters but I am aware many people work in inches so I have supplied conversions throughout the post.

The drafting process

We will begin by drawing a rectangle – the length of the rectangle will be your selected skirt length and the width will be half of your hip plus ‘some’ ease.

How much ease should I add?

firstly, remember we are working on half a pattern here, this is normal for pattern cutting and drafting when the block or pattern is symmetrical. Ease is extra allowance for movement and is the extra you add to a block or pattern above the actual body measurement. Ease will allow you to breath, sit, bend and function in the garment. Older people and plus size ladies usually like more ease. Young people and those that have a preference for a snug fit would add less ease. ( Babies and children also need more ease).

Another consideration to the quantity of ease you add at the hip is that those of you with wider hips and smaller waists will have more to take out at the waist (suppress) in the form of darts (suppression) as there will be a larger difference between hips and waist. What I recommend is that if you have a small waist and large hips, you may want to go for a smaller quantity of ease at the hips. Hope that all makes sense.

But – it  all depends on your personal preference, I would recommend anywhere between 1 to 2 cm (3/8 inch to 13/16″) to be added to the half hip measurement (half of the total ease of  2 cm (13/16″) to 4 cm (1 9/16″) ease). Lets go with 1.5 cm ease for this example (that would be 3 cm (1 3/16″) total ease). But its really up to you. Don’t forget this is a basic block and you will use it to develop your patterns from, so adaptations can be made later to the styles you want.

Next lets mark in the hip line

This can be anywhere between 20 cm to 22 cm (7 7/8 inches to 8 11/16) or even lower for larger sizes. Here is a link to my size chart up to a size 30 UK ( 26 USA), if you want to check your measurements against this and see how hip depth relates to size with a free PDF guide.

Detailed size chart –Waist to Hip Depths uk and usa sizes

I have decided to use 21cm (8 1/4″) as my hip depth for this example.

Now find the center of the hip line. In my example the hip line is 53 cm (20 7/8″) across so I will measure 26.5 cm (10 7/16″) across. This is where the side seam is located. Remember all lines must be square so use a set square to check.

Now raise the side seam at the waist level by 1 cm (3/8″) and square out each side by about 4 cm (1 9/16″).

Now we are ready to adjust the waist line to fit by adding in the darts.

calculate half your waist and let’s decide how much ease we want at the waist line. The minimum we can add realistically is half the amount be added to the hip measurement, and the maximum is 4 cm (1 9/16) for you to be able to ease that amount into a waistband. I have decided to add 3 cm (1 3/16″) total ease to my waist, this means I need to add half of that to half my waist. It’s important to always remember we are working on half a pattern, so the measurements are halved.

My waist is 77 cm (30 5/16″) divided by 2 that is 38.5 cm (15 3/16″).

I am choosing to add 3 cm (1 3/16″) total ease to the waist – divided by 2 that is 1.5 cm (9/16″)

38.5 cm (15 3/16″) + 1.5 cm (9/16″)  = 40 cm ( 15 3/4″)

This measurement needs to be subtracted from the measurement of line B-C

This will give the amount you need to take out (suppress) at the waist, in the form of darts (suppression).

For my example, measurement of line B-C (which is half my hip and half my ease at hip) is 53 cm (20 7/8″). From this I need to subtract 40 cm (15 3/4″) – this leaves me with 13 cm (5 1/8″) to remove at the waist line.

My hip is more than 12 cm (4 3/4″) larger than my waist so I will get a much better fit with 2 darts in the back skirt. I want to avoid having a huge back dart and having all the suppression in one place.

The process is the same for adding one or two darts up to a point, so let’s carry on.

I am actually using my dress stand as ‘my’ measurements. I wish they were my measurements!

She is a size 10 USA and a size 14 UK, and was used  to make a dress for Beyonce once, I bought her privately from a tailor on Saville Row ,not knowing this, but its a nice thought. She is very curvy and suits my size charts.

Lets go on. My difference is 12cm (4 3/4″). You can take at least half from the side seam, plus an extra cm if you need to. Another 1.5 cm (9/16″) to 2.5 cm (1″) can be removed in the front dart and the surplus that is left is removed at the back.

Its not ideal to remove more than 3 to 4 cm ( 1 3/16″ to 1 9/16″) in a back dart. It can be stretched to 5 cm (2″) at the maximum but really this is too much.

In this case I will remove 6 cm (2 3/8″) at the side seam, this leaves 6 cm (2 3/8″) .

I will take 2 cm ( 13/16″) at the front and this leaves 4 cm (1 9/16″)

I will take 2 darts at the back to balance the suppression.

 

Step one

Remove the quantity you have calculated from the side seam, do this equally at each side.

In this case 3 cm (1 3/16″) each side – measure along the lines you extended out from the point where you raised the waist.

Draw a straight line from points 1 and 2 to the side seam at hip level and then softly curve the lines outwards to shape them, not too much as the hip will be too curved, up to 1 cm (3/8″) at the center of the line is about right, however this does depend on how curvy the hip of the wearer is. I chose to curve out 0.75 (5/16″) in my draft.

Planning the front and back darts

Draw in a guide line from point 1 to A and again from point 2 to +

Divide line 1 to A into thirds and drop a line parallel at a third along from the side seam down to the hip line. This is where the front dart will be placed.

Place half of the quantity you have calculated to be taken by the front dart either side of this line and connect to a point 9 cm (3 9/16″) down the line. In my example I am taking 2 cm (13/16″) in total so I will place 1 cm (3/8″) each side of the dart center line.

Now for some fine tuning. The dart legs must both be the same length. To ensure this we will make sure that both dart legs rise above the original horizontal waist line guide by 0.5 cm (3/16″). Use a rubber to erase the surplus on the right side.

Gently shape the rest of the waist making sure the center front is at a right angle for a short distance so it lies flat without a bump or a dip!

Now on to the back – if you have 4 cm (1 9/16″) or less then you can get away with one dart at the back. You can push it and get away with a 5 cm (2″) dart at the back if you are passionate about only having one dart. We will cover putting 2 darts in the back next.

Divide line 2 – + into half. Drop a perpendicular line parallel to the CB – from this point to the hip level. The dart will be planned each side of this line, with half the amount placed equally either side of the line. The dart can be a maximum of 15 cm (5 15/16″) long, I am choosing to have my dart 13 cm (5 1/8″) long. This dart as with the front needs perfecting and the dart legs should lie approximately 0.25 cm (1/8″) above the waist guide line. Measure and perfect the darts and the waist shaping as with the front.

I have 4 cm (1 9/16″) left so I will be placing 2 cm (13/16″) each side of the dart center line.

 

The block now needs to be cut out in paper and the darts folded in to achieve the correct shape. If you want to learn a technique for planning the shape of the darts without having to cut the block out in paper then see my technique on mirroring darts in my last post.

You also need to make sure that the waistline run is smooth once the darts are folded in. We will take a look at that shortly. Lets move on to planning for 2 darts at the back for us shapely ones!

2 darts in the back

At this point we have 4 cm (1 9/16″) or above that we want to pop into 2 darts at the back. This time instead of placing the first dart directly in the center of the waist guide line as we did for the example with the one dart back, we will move 3.5 cm (1 3/8″) along from this center line towards the center back. This dart can be up to 15 cm (5 15/16″) long. I prefer to use a length of 13 cm (5 1/8″)

The second dart will be placed half way between the remaining portion. The dart closest to the side seam needs to be shorter than the first dart by 2 cm (13/16″).

Place between 3 cm (1 3/16″) to 4 cm (1 9/16″) in the dart closest to the center back and the remaining quantity in the dart next to the side seam. Hopefully there shouldn’t be any more than 3 cm (1 3/16″) left to distribute, but if there is let me know as I have never come across this and would like to take a closer look.

 

 

Again the darts need perfecting and the dart legs need to be the same length. Make the dart legs 0.25 cm (1/8″) above the original waist level guide for the dart closest to CB and make the dart legs 0.5 (3/16″) cm above this line for the dart next to the side seam. Curve the waist gently.

 

At this point I need to stop myself, as I could go on forever about how to fit and adapt this bock, but I will save that for another post. I would love to hear from anyone that has followed my draft an any feedback is much appreciated! I will be making this draft soon and will post the pictures and some more tips for making the shape even better.

I will be adding to this theme with posts on how to make your skirt into a range of styles so keep posted and make sure you are subscribed!

If you have read all this and would love a bespoke skirt draft then please let me know as we offer a service to create a basic block to your measurements, but why not give it a go yourself!

Happy pattern drafting.

Nicola

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Beginners Pattern Drafting Info, design and pattern cutting, Pattern Cutting Techniques

Shaping darts on a draft without cutting out

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Mirroring Darts Technique

It’s time consuming to keep cutting and tracing a pattern you have drafted, but that’s what a lot of pattern cutter do to get the correct dart shape at the mouth of the dart. If the dart ‘top’ or mouth is not correctly shaped, this can lead to the garment pulling and tightening for a dart that has too little shaping, or the dart will bulge for darts that have too much fabric at the mouth shaping.

It is important that the upper edge of the dart is in line with the fabric on the side it is folded to.

I have worked with people that fold their darts both ways, for example towards side seams or towards center front or center back. I always fold my darts towards center front or center back.

Here is my method for planning the correct shape at the dart mouth without having to cut out the paper and fold the dart.

  1. Extend a mirror line up from the dart leg on the side you want to fold to – this line is simply a continuation of the dart ‘leg’ line.
  2. Use this line to mirror the curve or angle of the line of the pattern in the direction the dart is to be folded, the blue line in this example is a mirror of the shoulder line to the left.
  3. Draw a center line up the middle of the dart until it touches the mirrored line.
  4. Now draw in the rest of the dart shape at the mouth  by connecting the intersection of the mirror line to the right dart leg.

This technique can be used on any dart.

Want to know more about darts? I have a booklet just on dart theory!

Hope this saves your precious time!

Nicola

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Beginners Pattern Drafting Info, design and pattern cutting, Pattern Cutting Techniques

How do I Increase or Decrease Sleeve Head Ease?

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What is sleeve head ease?

Sleeve head ease is the difference between the armhole measurement and the sleeve itself. The sleeve can never be smaller than the armhole, it can be the same size and contain no ease at all, or it can be larger. The difference between the two is the quantity of sleeve head ease. Leather patterns require no ease at all while woven wool garments require a substantial quantity of ease in this area.

Do I need ease in my sleeve?

Firstly there is a lot of discussion out there about sleeve head or sleeve cap ease. Some ask the question – Is it needed at all?

Many believe that it is needed and that around 4 cm (almost 2 inches) ease in a sleeve head is required for a basic block (for a basic size 12 UK / 8 USA). For a regular woven loose fit shirt the ease in a sleeve head can be anything from no ease at all to up to 6 cm. Around 4.5 cm is usual on a fitted blouse (for a basic size 12 UK).

In an industrial setting minimal ease is added in order to make inserting the sleeve easier and faster but this does compromise the fit. The large the size the more ease you require to enable the sleeve to hang correctly and not be too tight over the bicep. Older people require more ease than younger people.

I have studied many a pattern and block pattern draft and the quantity of ease allowed varies widely from pattern to pattern and from block to block.

I was taught that ease in the sleeve head allows the sleeve to hang as a tube and improves the appearance of the sleeve around the bicep line. There are in fact many factors that influence the quantity of ease. Instead of discussing the ease or no ease debate, lets take a look at how to increase the quantity of ease there is in your sleeve head, or decrease the amount. You then have the skills to make your own choice! It is far better to start with more ease than you need and take out the extra than be in a position where you have too little ease and the sleeve is tight and has pull lines over the top of the arm.

Ease in a sleeve head should be planned over the crown of the sleeve, above the notches.

The sections from the underarm to the notches on the sleeve, usually 1 notch at the front and 2 at the back, should fit to the armhole perfectly as illustrated below. All the ease should be above the notches at the crown.

Increasing or decreasing the quantity of ease in the sleeve head.

The first step for both methods is the same – slash in across the bicep line and up the center line, keep attached at the underarm points. Either close out to reduce sleeve head ease by dropping the left and right sleeve head sections down slightly, or to increase sleeve head ease, open up the sections.

Now trace the new sleeve shape, check and transfer the notches to the new sleeve.

There are other methods of doing this, but I have found this one works the best for me. This method allows the width of the sleeve to remain the same, whilst reducing the ease through the crown height.

Keep posted for my upcoming post on the best way to ease the sleeve into the armhole.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

I hope this has helped.

Happy pattern drafting,

Nicola x

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Beginners Pattern Drafting Info, Pattern Cutting Techniques

Making a Basic Shirt or Casual Dress Block From the Fitted Bodice Block

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Today we are going to take a look at how to make a basic blouse block or a casual dress block, from a basic bodice bock. The dress block would be suitable for unstructured and looser shirt style dresses. If you are looking for a fitted dress then I would recommend using a dedicated fitted dress block.

Step One – Prepare the front bodice block

We need to adapt the front bodice a little before we begin the draft. The basic bodice has a great deal of suppression (dart) at the front shoulder, to accommodate the bust. As we are producing a looser, casual block we can eliminate some of that dart.

  1.  First measure the amount of suppression in the back shoulder blade dart, make a note of this.
  2. Mark in a new dart position at the front armhole – about 4 cm along from the underarm point as shown.
  3. Slash along this line and close out the front shoulder dart, leave the same quantity you measured in the back shoulder blade dart or just over 1 cm (3/8″). This dart can be left as ease at the shoulder and ignored.

 

4. Place the front and back bodice blocks on a sheet of paper side by side – line up at the underarm points.

 

5. Drop a straight line from the center front 21 cm (8 1/4″) to form a new hip line – square across and up to the center back.

6. Drop each armhole point by 1 cm and extend out by 1 cm. Drop vertical lines parallel to CF and CB from these new points to touch the hip line. Draw in new armhole curves.

At this point you can decide if you would like to keep the front armhole dart, for a more fitted look, or if you would like to allow the dart to be absorbed into the armhole shaping to create a looser style.

7. Measure up from the hip line 21 cm (8 1/4″) and square out each side of this point. Measure in from the vertical side seam – Purple line- 2.5 cm each side. Create the new side seam shape as shown with the orange line. Curve gently at the side seam so the shape is not so severe.

8. To create the fish darts, drop a line from the bust point, and extend this line 10 cm below the waist level. Make the dart 2.5 cm wide at the waist level and complete the shape of the dart.

9. For the back fish dart extend a line 13 cm below the waist level and make this dart 2 cm wide at the waist. Join the lines to form the fish dart.

10. Trace off each block from the main draft and transfer all the pattern marking and notches.

Now on to the sleeve…

  1. Trace your sleeve block and measure the sleeve head – assess the front and back measurements.
  2. Also measure your new armholes. If you chose to leave the dart as ease in the armhole then the front armhole will be larger. In this example I have chosen to still sew the dart in to gain a little more shaping over the bust so I will not measure the dart mouth.

At this point in the draft it all depends how much ease there was originally in your sleeve head and if you are sewing in the armhole dart at the front or leaving it as ease.

What we need to achieve here is a sleeve head that fits into the armhole. If the sleeve head is slightly bigger than the armhole then this is fine as the excess can be eased in over the sleeve head.

If the sleeve is smaller than the armhole then there are a couple of adaptations we can make to add in the extra.

We can extend the sleeve out at the scye line, as demonstrated below to add in some extra.

The notches will need to be re-positioned if you do this. From the underarm point on the bodice front (red line) to the single notch must match the underarm point on the sleeve to the first notch exactly. Ease is not added here. At the back the green portions must match also – up to the double notch. All ease is inserted over the crown on the sleeve.

If you need to add more ease into the sleeve again and want a flatter sleeve head the following method is also suitable, particularly if you have chosen not to sew in the armhole dart in the front bodice.

Slash up the center of the sleeve and across to each underarm point, spread the sleeve put and allow the crown to collapse down as shown. Trace the new sleeve shape, measuring the notches as previously shown.

Making this draft into a dress

If you want to use this draft as a shirt style dress then its quite simple – just add a rectangle below the hip line on both the front and back!

When I get a moment I will make up this draft as a toile and pop the photos on.

I hope this helps you make the very most of your bodice block!

Nicola x

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Beginners Pattern Drafting Info, Pattern Cutting Techniques

Fitting Lines & Button Stands

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Understanding Fitting Lines

Firstly – what is a fitting line? A fitting line is anywhere where a pattern closes, with a closure, for example a zip, or a button stand. It is very important to maintain the fit of the garment, when adding a zip or button stand or any other type of closure. For example the center front of the pattern must still close to the opposite center front line. Fitting lines can be anywhere on a garment, the most common place is center front or center back and sleeve cuff openings, but they can be placed anywhere at all on a garment.

A common mistake that pattern cutters and sewers make in that they apply a zip or button stand and don’t take note of the exact fitting line.

Let’s look at an example:

An open ended zip inserted into the center front skirt –

The skirt must end up being the same width it is when placed as shown below with the CF to the CF after the zip or button stand has been added.

If the finished zip width, for example 0.5 cm (3/16″), is not subtracted from the pattern at the center front, then the skirt will be that width bigger and will not fit perfectly.

It may seem obvious, but it’s a mistake I have seen many times.

Let’s look at a shirt example…

A shirt may have a button stand added to the center front to close the garment. When a pattern cutter adds a button stand, it is important that the center front of the garment still meets, so center front still needs to close to center front.

Button stands need a little planning and thought. The button ideally will need to be measured before the button stand is planned. Also a decision as to which way the button holes will be placed on the button stand needs to be made, that is will they be vertical or horizontal. Horizontal button holes are stronger, however the design of the garment may call for vertical button holes for example plackets have vertical button holes.

Buttons are also required at stress points, so for example over the bust, it’s quite common to see a blouse where the front gapes on the wearer, this is due to poor planning of button locations, or the blouse is too small! Buttons are also placed at the waistline of a garment.

Buttons should always be placed a buttons width down from the neckline of a garment to begin with.

Buttons will always sit in the last 3 millimetres (1/8th of an inch) of a button hole.

To calculate the size of the button hole required for a particular button

Measure the button and add 3 mm (1/8th inch) for a button of normal depth. Increase this for thicker buttons. Always make a test button hole on a scrap of fabric to test the size first before sewing the button holes on the garment.

Wrapping Directions

Ladies garments have the buttons on the left side and the button holes on the right side. Men have the opposite.

Ladies wrap RIGHT over LEFT.

It can be a little confusing with jeans as some brands have ladies zips wrapping in the wrong direction, this is because they have their production set up to make both men’s and ladies jeans and they don’t change their machinery.

Let’s look at a button stand close up…

Important points:

  • The first button hole is a buttons width down from the neck
  • The button stand is the same width as the button used
  • Button Holes are planned 3 mm over the center front as the button will sit in the last 3 mm
  • Buttons are sewn directly to the center front
  • Button stands require fusible interfacing for strength

Place a cross where the button sits ( in the last 3 mm of the button hole) The button hole is marked as a line with a bar at each end. The button placement cross’s are marked directly on the center front line.

As you can see the right and left side of the pattern are exactly the same. The only difference is the placement of the markings for button holes on the right hand side and the placement of the cross marks for the button placement on the left hand side of the pattern.

I could write a book on this topic, but I have to stop somewhere, I hope this little bit of clarification helps. I will be adding more information on this topic in the form of different methods for buttons stands and plackets and how to construct the patterns.

Happy Pattern Making!

Nicola

 

 

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Beginners Pattern Drafting Info

Making The Most of Your Bodice Block

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Moving Your Bodice Darts – Example 1

This is the first in a series of posts that will demonstrate the method of moving darts around the bodice block to different locations. This post is aimed at beginners.

Moving both darts to the waistline is very easy. Lets look at the slashing method.

  1. Trace the bodice block marking in all the darts, the bust point and all other block markings such as notches.
  2. If your darts are not connected at the bust point then connect them before you begin, all changes to bust dart locations must happen through the bust point (BP)
  3. Slash up the center of the bust waist dart, right up to the bust point.
  4. Fold in the shoulder bust dart and watch the waist bust dart open up to become a larger dart. Now the 2 darts are combined at the waist.
  5. Trace around the new shape, marking in the new dart. Take the apex of the dart (point of the dart) back by 1.5 cm for sewing. If you sew a dart right up to the bust point it will look very pointy!
  6. To complete the pattern shape, fold in the dart and cut the pattern with the dart folded in as it would be sewn to get the right shape at the dart mouth.

If you want to know more about darts, this detailed workbook will give you everything you need to know!

If you don’t already have my basic bodice block you can find it here:

Modeliste Creative – basic bodice  

Or if you would like a larger size range  we also have a couple of other bodice block options we recommend.

The regular Design Cut & Wear Bodice block, or the Bodice Block with the shoulder dart removed, or the Japanese Style Bunka Bodice Block

Or maybe the plus size bodice block. They are all suitable for this technique.

Hope this helps and I will be back soon with another technique.

Happy Pattern Making.

Nicola x

 

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Beginners Pattern Drafting Info, design and pattern cutting, Pattern Cutting Techniques

Work Flow for creating a pattern from a basic block

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New pattern cutters have the advantage of adopting good working practices right from the start. If you can adapt to follow this process your work flow will be smooth and you will save time.

  1. Trace the relevant block onto your pattern paper – use plain white tracing paper or spot and cross paper  Follow the links for a supplier that will post starter pattern cutting paper packs all over the world !
  2. Transfer all grain lines and construction lines such as hip line, dart lines, notches etc.
  3. Make any changes to the shape of the basic block first, for example adding more flare or moving darts. More paper can always be taped on to extend the first draft.
  4. Plan any new seam lines on the draft. Take care not to plan seam lines unevenly over darts. You can move darts to a temporary position if they are in the way, or measure carefully across the dart as shown in the images below.
  5. Mark each pattern section on the draft with a grain line, add balance marks and notches and any special instructions.
  6. Plan and draft button stands, now draft any off parts such as collars and cuffs.
  7. Plan facing lines, facings are best produced from the final pattern sections but they can be planned now.
  8. Trace each pattern piece off the main draft- never cut the main draft up!
  9. Add seam allowance – only when you are certain you have completed your pattern, adding seam allowance is the last thing you do. See my post on suggested seam allowance quantities.
  10. Label the pattern, see my post on labelling your pattern.
  11. Finally cut out your first pattern – you are ready to test your pattern with a toile.

If you plan across without measuring, the pattern piece you trace off will not be correct, as illustrated below. This is a common mistake people make and it results in an ill fitting pattern.

Planning across a dart results in a jagged pattern piece!

I hope this helps.

Happy pattern drafting,

Nicola

 

 

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Beginners Pattern Drafting Info, Pattern Cutting Techniques

Pattern Language – Abbreviations you may come across

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As with any hobby or subject area, patterns have their own language and abbreviations.

This post is one I will add to as time goes on and I think of other things to add, but lets start today by listing the main abbreviations you may come across and what they mean.

  • CB – Center Back
  • CF – Center Front
  • CBF- Center Back Fold
  • CFF- Center Front Fold
  • CH – Crown Height ( on a sleeve)
  • RS – Right Side
  • RDS – Right Side Down
  • WS – Wrong Side
  • WSD – Wrong Side Down
  • SS – Side Seam
  • SA – Seam Allowance
  • RHSAW – Right Hand Side As Worn
  • LHSAW – Left Hand Side As Worn
  • OL – Overlock (serge)
  • GL – Grainline
  • RST – Right Sides Together
  • WST – Wrong Sides Together
  • WL – Waistline
  • ZZ – Zigzag Stitch
  • S/F – Side Front
  • S/B – Side Back
  • W/L – Waist Line
  • B/L – Bust Line
  • B/P – Bust Point
  • H/L – Hip Line
  • E/L – Elbow Line
  • K/L – Knee Line
  • A/H – Armhole
  • CBL – Cross Back Line
  • U/L Underarm Line
  • SHLDR or SH – Shoulder
  • NCK – Neck
  • SLV – Sleeve
  • FCNG –Facing
  • W/BAND  – Waistband
  • CLR – Collar
  • TR – Trousers
  • TP – Top (blouses, shirts and t-shirts any upper body section)
  • SK – Skirt
  • JKT – Jacket (coats)
  • DRS – Dress

It is useful for pattern cutters to have a consistent way of labelling and saving pattern pieces. I use a number of CAD systems and I find that consistent accurate labelling saves me a great deal of time.

If you can think of any more abbreviations then please let me know and the list can grow!

Happy pattern making

Nicola

 

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Beginners Pattern Drafting Info, Pattern Cutting Techniques

Good Working Practice – For a Pattern Cutter.

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Developing good working practice and good habits saves time.

As a professional pattern cutter, you soon learn that if you don’t have a good working practice, it costs you time, and time is something you rarely have in the fashion industry. If you are a self employed designer/pattern cutter, it also costs you money!

I worked with a wonderful Japanese designer many years ago in Copenhagen. He could only speak Japanese and unfortunately I could only speak a few words to him but he left a lasting impression on me. The reason I still remember him so well over 26 years later is because his working methods and his patterns were faultless and I do mean faultless. In fact it became a daily ritual that we would check his patterns, and see if we could spot any mistake he had made, and we never could, ever, not even once!

He also produced all his designs with the wooden end of a paintbrush, not the brush end, and they were beautiful!

Back to the topic in hand!

This is  broadly the way he worked –

He always used a 4H pencil.

He also only used a set square, no fancy pattern rulers, just a set square and a meter rule.

Pattern Labelling…

When pattern sections are traced from a draft pattern all information needs to be transferred too.

For example:

  • All pattern markings, sewing notches and balance notches. I wonder if you are thinking ” I know what sewing notches are (notches to help you match pieces when you sew) but what are balance notches. Balance notches on a pattern are there to help you ‘balance’ the pattern. For example a notch at center front and also at center back, lets you know that the garment is sitting correctly on the stand when you assess the fit of the pattern.
  • Fold lines or indications where a pattern is to be mirrored – please take note that ‘cut on fold’ is not a practice adopted in the industry. Pattern sections are mirrored and cut flat and open as a whole piece.
  • Grain lines, size of pattern, name of pattern piece, style number if required, the number of pieces to be cut and in which fabric, for example main fabric, lining, fusing, a note of the quantity of seam allowance added to the pattern, indicate the CF (center front) and CB (center back), name of cutter, small sketch or technical sketch of the garment, button and button hole positions, pocket positions, and any other important design or construction detail, for example areas you need to gather and how much to gather back to.
  • There are also a range of pattern symbols you need to know

Buttons and button holes

A solid line with a dash at each end is used to mark a button hole position

Large X’s mark button positions (I intend to do a blog post on button stands very soon and there will be a lot of information on button hole and button placement in the post)

Drill Holes – are sometimes indicated by a + but can also be marked as a circle, they can be filled or empty.

Drill holes are used in industry to indicate pocket placement positions and also indicate where to taper the dart, they are placed a set distance from the end of the dart i.e. the dart apex  (1.5 cm is a good distance).

In an industrial setting drill holes are an actual hole, a small one, but still a hole, a home sewer will mark the point with a fabric pen or a pin.

 

A place on fold or cut on fold symbol is indicated as illustrated below –

Grain lines are placed on pattern pieces to indicate the way a pattern piece should be placed on the fabric. Strictly speaking blocks should not have grain lines placed on them, if they do then the line should not have arrows on the ends.

The arrows on a grain line have meaning. An arrow indicates which direction the pattern piece should be placed on the fabric in relation to the ‘selvedge’ i.e. the finished edge of the fabric.

Knit pattern piece should be labelled with a grain line with an arrow on one end only as knit garment sections should be cut all facing one way. This is also the case with fabrics that have a nap, for example velvet. If velvet is cut with pattern sections facing different ways then the garment will look as though it has been made from different colour fabrics for each panel, as the light hits the pieces in different ways.

Grain lines can also be placed at 45 degrees and this indicates the pattern pieces should be cut on the bias grain.

DOGS

Stretch pattern pieces may need to be labelled with an instruction to cut the pattern piece in the direction of greatest stretch, particularly important with all in one garments and swim suits. This again is a topic in itself and a particular area of interest for me and I will be covering this in detail soon.

You may also need to use the following abbreviations, particularly for A-symmetrical pattern pieces.

RSU – Right Side Up

This is an instruction to cut the pattern piece with the right side up, so the cutter knows not to flip the pattern piece in an attempt to save fabric.

The opposite of RSU is RSD – Right Side Down.

Good Working Practice…

  • Use the edge of your tape measure when measuring curves
  • Sketchy lines are not acceptable in pattern drafting, use at least a 2H sharp pencil
  • Notches are very important, particularly on long or curved seams. Notches should always be marked at 90 degrees to the seam line.
  • Grain lines are marked parallel to center front and center back. A sleeve has the grain line marked down the center, a trouser has the grain line marked down the crease line (center line).
  • When you draft a pattern on a piece of pattern paper, never cut it up. Trace the pattern sections off the main draft. Do not add seam allowance until the very end of the process!
  • Check the draft pattern for the following –
  • Seam lines and lengths match
  • Grain lines have been placed on all pattern pieces.
  • Facing patterns are best cut from a final pattern
  • Check all notches match – particularly sleeve and armhole notches
  • Fitting lines such as button stands and button and button hole placement are accurate.
  • Seams meet at the correct angles – these should be 90 degrees if you want a straight line.

  • Gathers, tucks etc are clearly marked, with measurements indicated.
  • Directions in which to fold pleats are clearly marked.

I think that’s it!! There may be things I have missed, please let me know if you can think of anything at all.

I could go on forever explain all the associated information that goes with certain topics, such as notches, as there is a lot to cover there, in time I will cover these topic so please subscribe to keep up to date.

You may also find my Pattern Language Post – interesting. This covers abbreviations you may come across when using patterns.

Happy Pattern Making!

Nicola x

 

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Beginners Pattern Drafting Info, design and pattern cutting, Pattern Cutting Techniques

Making 1 dart into 2 darts- Ideal for Skirts & Trousers

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What if my block or pattern has 1 dart and I want 2 darts!

I am often asked what to do if a block or pattern has 1 dart and the designer wants 2 darts, in the skirt or trouser style they are working on. It really isn’t that difficult to amend a block and reduce or even increase the number of darts, as long as you follow a few rules.

Measure the 1/4 waist and divide into thirds.

The first third of the waist is close to the hip and there is already shaping there so in order to keep a good fit and spread the suppression around the waist line, it is best not to plan the new dart in that area.

Mark lines where you want the darts, they do not need to be vertical lines, you can angle them gently if you want to.

Cut down these lines and along, to the apex of the dart you want to remove, keep the paper attached by a couple of millimetres – don’t worry if you do cut it accidentally , it just needs to be pivoted from the apex position ( tip of the old dart).

Fold out the old dart and balance the suppression equally between the two new darts.

The darts can be taken down as low as the hip line, but they are best at about 9 cm (3 9/16″ in length.

Here is my half scale pattern pictured above, The darts are folded in as they would be sewn and the waist now needs to be reshaped as the waist level. Where the old dart was positioned has risen slightly as the new darts were opened. This means we need to reshape the waist line run to keep a nice smooth shape.

Remove the excess and this completes the process, take a look at my 1/2 scale pattern on my much loved 1/2 scale stand!

In the background you can see an upcoming blog post in the making! If you have a dress stand I am going to demonstrate a wonderful technique for creating fitted patterns. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss the post!

If you have any questions or comments please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

If you want to know more about darts check out this great dart workbook.

If you need 1/4 and half scale blocks to practice you can find them here.

Nicola x

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