Beginners Pattern Drafting Info, design and pattern cutting

Fabric Grain Explained

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Fabric Grain – A Detailed Explanation.

You may already know about fabric grain, or perhaps you may not! I have encountered students on the second year of their degree in fashion, who did not know about the grain of fabric!

Hopefully those of you that know a little may still learn something here!

Grain refers to placement of threads in a woven fabric, knowledge and understanding of fabric grain is really important when designing, drafting patterns and making any garment.

WARP-WEFT-BIAS

The WARP threads run parallel to the selvedge (the finished edge of your fabric), the WEFT threads run at right angles to the warp, i.e. from selvedge to selvedge (the cut edge). The WARP thread is the stronger of the two.

The WEFT threads should run around the garment, i.e. horizontally, this provides greater elasticity in wear.

The BIAS grain runs at 45 degrees to the warp and weft and provides the greatest amount of natural stretch. The BIAS grain is ideal for draped or softly moulded garments, as garments cut on the bias are more fluid and mould to the body closely.

When making a full circle skirt some sections will unavoidably be cut on the bias, this will result in these sections dropping more at the hem line, therefore it is essential to hang bias cut garments for at least 24 hours and revisit the hem line to make alterations.

If you take a look at my post on circular skirts, you will see how you can achieve different looks by cutting the skirt in different ways!

Grain is important as it effects the whole balance of the garment, garment sections cut off grain will twist on the body, you may well have noticed a pair of trousers you have that twist around the leg, this will be because the trouser pattern section has been cut off grain, this is often seen in cheaper garments as cutting off grain allows the manufacturer to fit more pattern sections on the fabric and save money!

Grain strongly influences how pattern sections are placed on the fabric, therefore garment pattern sections should be placed with the WARP threads running parallel to the center front (CF) and center back (CB) etc. This means that the WARP threads run vertically through the garment.

 

Unfortunately once a garment has been cut off grain there is no possibility of redemption, the signs of a garment having been cut off grain are listed below and should be taken into consideration when you are assessing the fit of a garment.

The material in the leg of a trouser appears to twist slightly to the left or the right and does not lie correctly on the inside leg, unfortunately this may not be spotted until the garment has been washed and dried.

A skirt that is intended to have an even hem line has dropped in one area of the hem.

One side of a neckline appears not to lie flat against the body, or appears to behave differently to the other side of the neckline, for example a cowl neck may hang heavier on one side than the other.

Badly cut garments that have incorrect grain that are produced in a patterned or check fabric can distort the appearance of the fabric.

All of the above are common faults found in cheaper garments, where the manufacturer has tried to save money by tilting the pattern pieces, when cutting the garment out.

Grain Lines on Basic Blocks

Strictly speaking a basic block should have a grain line with no arrows at the ends. Arrows on both ends of a grain line indicate that the pattern piece can be cut facing in either direction, arrows just on one end indicate that the pattern pieces should all be cut facing one way. Fabrics with a nap or pile such as velvet need to be cut in one direction only. Fabrics with a nap should be cut with the ‘pile’ lying as your hair would grow – downwards.

 

Grain lines, if cutting on the straight of grain, are always parallel to the CF or CB. Grain lines on trousers and sleeves run down the center line. A grain line on the center of a trouser is also referred to as a crease line.

Pattern sections to be cut on the bias grain have grain lines marked at 45 degrees to the straight grain.

 Also take note that –

When pattern sections are traced from a master pattern, measure carefully from the original grain lines to place new grain lines on any traced sections, where the original grain line may not be present.

Hopefully you now have all the information you will need on grain and grain lines!

Happy pattern drafting!

Nicola

 

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Making A Toile – For the skirt block – sloper- draft.

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A follow on post from the bespoke skirt draft.

If you have drafted the skirt block using my method in yesterdays post, or if you have used your own method, or you are using a ready drafted skirt block, the following information will be useful for you!

Let’s adopt good working practice here and do it properly! I have a few rules I always follow and they have served me well over time.

I never cut up a pattern draft, even if I think I won’t need it again, I always take the time to trace the size I need, particularly if there is more than one size on the pattern sheet.

It’s also a good idea to arrange your patterns on your paper in a logical way, usually this would be in the position they were originally drafted, so for the skirt, this would be with the hip level aligned and the side seams placed a short distance apart.

The next step is to create a basic pattern for a ‘toile’ so we can test and fit the block. A ‘toile’ is a common term in pattern cutting and just means a test garment.

Strictly speaking a toile does not need seam allowance on any hem lines, so we don’t need to pop seam allowance on the waist or hem. This means we can see exactly how the block sits and fits.

Therefore we only need SA (seam allowance) on the side seams and CB (center back).

We also need some sewing notches and some balance notches.

Sewing Notches

Let’s place a notch at the hip levels, notches at the end of the dart legs and the center of each dart, and a notch between the hip line and the hem line to aid sewing and matching the side seam. Also a notch should be placed 20 cm (7 7/8″) down from the waist at CB.

Balance Notches

Balance notches let us see that the garment is ‘balanced’ and is sitting on the body and hanging correctly. Place balance notches at the CF and CB

Drill Holes

Drill holes are markers that let us know that the dart is coming to the end and a mark is normally placed around 1.5 cm (9/16″) before the dart apex (end of the dart).

Make sure the grain line is marked on the pattern and also the hip line. Place a fold line or an instruction to mirror the front skirt on the center front and also place an instruction to cut 2 back skirts as a pair.

Take special care when marking in the darts, particularly if you have followed my instructions to contour the darts to the shape of the body.

 

Here is a brief order of assembly for sewing your skirt toile

  1. Sew up the CB seam to the zip notch – tempted to press it open now? if you want to be a proficient sewer you can wait until you have more to do at the pressing table!
  2. Sew all darts – I have a special way to sew darts that avoids nasty bumps at the end of the dart. Darts should not be visible once sewn and should like flat.

I like to compare the sewing of a dart to landing a plane. You would not want the pilot to land the plane at a steep angle! You want the approach to be smooth and almost flat, with a gentle touch down and the plane should keep on travelling.

When you come to the drill hole you know you only have 1.5 cm left to ‘land’ your dart. Sew as close to the fold of the center of the dart as possible, so that when you come to the ‘apex’ i.e. the end of the dart, you can just sew off and carry on sewing. This forms what I call a piggy’s tail! Do not back tack at the end of a dart.

If you sew your darts like this they will look flat and sit well on the body. Now you can give the seams a press!

3. Sew the skirt side seams.

You are ready to have a fitting.

Remember that you do have some ease at the waist, this ease is there to allow you to move in the garment, and is also there to be eased into the waistband, so allow for this excess. You do not want the waist too tight.

I am happy with the fit at the back, but would like to take a little extra out in the darts at the front waist. Here I can choose to either add an extra dart or make the existing dart a little larger.

Any changes you choose to make should be marked on the original pattern and noted.

It’s worth taking a little time to perfect the fit, as this is now your base for all skirt style developments. Keep posted and subscribe to be updated with future posts and learn to make lots of different styles from this basic block!

Happy pattern drafting,

Nicola x

 

 

 

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Beginners Pattern Drafting Info

Updating My Bodice Workbook

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I try to produce workbooks for all the main blocks I draft and grade. I want my customers to make the most of my blocks! I also want beginners to have a good start to their learning.

I have recently updated my darts workbook where I cover darts, there really is a lot to know!

I have just updated by bodice workbook and that is now available on my website.

Click this link to go straight there!

The workbook will give you are great start to using your bodice block.

I never stop learning!

Nicola x

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Contouring and Perfecting Darts -To fit your curves!

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Perfecting your skirt or trouser waist darts

On most patterns and blocks darts are drawn in as straight lines, this is also a common practice on industrial patterns where the factories want the darts to be easy to mark and sew.

Those of us sewing at home, producing our own tailor made garments, have the time to enhance our darts and make them fit properly to the curves of the body. After all a body is curved not straight! This post will show you how to achieve a more shapely dart.

If you are making for a client or yourself you also have the great advantage of being able to have a fit session and try the garment on. When you try a garment on a body, slight fit adjustments can be made through the darts, but remember to spread these adjustments around the body and not focus them in just one place. For example if a waist is too large, in that case, a couple of millimeters can be taken from each dart and also each side seam (which are also darts) to fit the waist.

Also visually if looks better if a dart is slanted. particularly darts close to a side seam.

A Large back skirt or trouser dart looks much better if it is shaped differently at the top and the bottom believe it or not.

Remember that after any change you make to a dart you will need to make sure that the dart legs are still the same length and that when the darts are folded in, that the waist still runs smoothly.

Have you tried following my skirt block drafting method in the previous post – if not why not give it a try.

Lets take a look at the back darts

If you are interested in contoured darts, you may want to take a look at my contour fitted dress block!

Happy pattern drafting.

Nicola x

 

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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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design and pattern cutting, Pattern Cutting Techniques

Understanding Circular Skirts – Be More Creative!

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Circular Skirts – Making the most of your pattern

Circular skirts are wonderful garments, quite simple in one way, but quite complex in others. The simplicity of the final garment and its wonderful folds of fullness at the hem disguise the mathematical calculations of Pi and the complexities of dealing with the varying behaviours of the fabric grain.

The garment utilises all the advantages and disadvantages of the warp, weft and bias grain, each fabric you choose will give you a different silhouette and form different folds.

Whether you have drafted your own circular skirt pattern, or whether you have one of my patterns sheets, the information below will help you understand and make the most of your skirt.

A PDF instant download of my full circle skirt and a fully illustrated sew along can be found here:

Full Circle Skirt PDF Version

Physical Full Circle Skirt Block Sheet Size  ( There is also an option for a half circle version in this listing)

I also offer a bespoke made to measure circle skirt service if you would like a skirt pattern made to your own waist measurement for just ten pounds per draft! The skirt will be e-mailed to you as a PDF file for you to print at home.

GRAIN LINE EXPLANATION:

Due to the nature of a circular skirt pattern piece, the pattern section encompasses all the grains within the fabric, that is the straight grain, the cross grain and the bias grain.

The three alternative grainlines illustrated below will each give the skirt a different appearance in terms of where the folds of fullness appear.

  • GRAINLINE 1 – has two major points of fullness, one to the side of
    the center front and one at the side seam in each quarter section.
  • GRAINLINE 2- one main area of fullness between center front and
    side seam in each quarter section
  • GRAINLINE 3-has three points of fullness, at the front, the middle
    and the side in each quarter section.

I hope this has helped you understand and also make the most of your circular skirt!

Nicola x

Please feel free to ask me any questions!

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Lengthening and Shortening Lines on a Pattern or Block

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What should you do if you are shorter or taller than the pattern or block measurements?

We are not all the same size or shape, even bodies with the same girth measurements can be completely different shapes.

If you need to adjust a pattern or block to fit your own height (vertical measurements) then please follow the directions below, in order to maintain the correct shape.

  1. Measure yourself between the shoulder and the bust point. If your measurements are greatly different to the block or pattern you are using then you can make adjustments by cutting along the upper purple line illustrated below. Either add or subtract the quantity you need. The same must be done at the front, back and sleeve.
  2. The second area you may feel you need to make a change is the nape to waist length. This is quite a common adjustment to make. For example most patterns are drafted for an average height of 5 feet and 2 inches. I am 5 feet and ¼ inch tall; therefore I always need to make a change here if I am drafting a block or pattern to a standard set of measurements.
  3. The next area you may need to make an adjustment is the waist to hip level; again this is quite a common one if you are tall or short!
  4. Hip to hem is really not a critical measurement in terms of fit, as there is very little fitting in a basic block below the hip level, however personal preference may influence your decision here.

The sleeve pattern or block will need to be adjusted in line with the bodice or dress block at the center of the sleeve head. If you are adding length between the shoulder and bust level then you will also need to add length through the armhole.

There are 2 other possible areas that you may need to make adjustments on the sleeve pattern or block.

  • Between the sleeve head and the elbow, it is important to remember, when changes are made to the length of the sleeve, the elbow must remains in the correct place.
  • Also between the elbow and the hem.

These changes can be made by carefully measuring the body and carefully measuring the block or pattern, however the assessment of the fit can only be made when the garment is sewn. This is why most pattern cutters make a ‘toile’ (a trail garment). This way fit can be perfected at the toile stage.

The purple lines on the illustration provided show the recommended areas where fit adjustments should be made.

I plan to write a post on how to adjust the trouser block to suit a shorter or taller body, make sure you are subscribed to keep up with all my pattern making and sewing posts!

Nicola x

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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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