1

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2
First of all, draw a vertical
line down the left hand side
of the paper, about 5cm (2)
from the edge.
See? Were going to go
really slowly and make it as
easy as possible. Lets go to
the next step.
3
Mark a point on the
line about 5cm (2)
from the top of the
paper, and call that
point 1.
4
Put your set square (or
a big book) on the line
with the corner at point
1.
Draw a line out from 1,
about halfway across
the paper.
The book or square has
helped you make an
exact right angle at 1.
As we go on, youll be
asked to do this again.
When I say something
like
square across from 1
this is what Ill
mean.
5
Measure 1.5cm (5/8)
below point 1.
Mark this point on the
line and name it A.
6
Take your armscye
depth measurement and
add 0.5cm (1/4).
Measure this distance
below A and make a
mark.
Call this point B.
7
Now square across
from B.
In other words, put
your square (or book)
on the line with a
corner at B and draw a
line out across the
paper.
This time, extend this
line all the way across
the paper.
8
Now mark point C:
From B to C is half
your bust measurement
plus 5cm (2).
So if your bust is 40,
measure 26 from B
and mark C.
9
Square up and down
from C, as shown in the
diagram.
Do this in the same
way as squaring
across, putting the
square or book at C
along the line with the
corner at C and
drawing up and away
from C.
Then extend the line
with a ruler to run
straight and vertical
over the whole length
of the paper.
Label this the centre
front line.
10
Mark point D, above C.
If your bust size is less
than 97cm (38), the
distance from C to D is
the same as the
distance from 1 to B.
If your bust size is 97-
107cm (38-42), the
distance from C to D is
the same as the
distance from 1 to B
plus 0.3cm (1/8).
If your bust size is over
42, the distance from
C to D is the same as
the distance from 1 to
B plus 0.8cm (3/8).
11
Mark point E:
From A down to E is
the same as your nape-
to-waist measurement.
Then square across
from E.
Mark point F where
this new line meets the
centre front line.
This line from E to F is
the waistline.
12
Mark point G:
From E to G is the
same as your waist-to-
hip measurement.
Square across from G
to the centre front line.
Mark H where the two
lines cross.
13
Well done!
Youve just completed the basic
framework for the whole pattern!
Now well move on to make
the back section of the pattern,
on the left hand side of the paper.
Keep going, youre doing great
14
Work out your neck
size divided by 5. Then
take away 0.2cm
(1/16).
So if your neck size is
40cm, the answers
7.8cm.
Measure out this far
from 1 and mark point
J.
(We wont use letter I because it
looks too much like number 1.)
Draw in a shallow
curve from A to J. (It
may help if you start
the curve with a right
angle straight out from
A.)
Well perfect this curve
later, so dont worry
about it too much now.
15
Work out your armscye
depth measurement
divided by 5. Then take
away 0.7cm (1/4).
Measure down this far
from A to find point K.
Square across from K,
extending the line
about halfway across
the paper.
16
Now youll draw in a line
from J to the next new
point, L.
The distance from J to L is
going to be your shoulder
measurement plus 1cm
(3/8). So if your shoulder
is 13cm, J to L will be
14cm.
Put this measurement on
your ruler at J (the 14cm
mark, in our example) and
swing the other end of the
ruler until the zero mark on
the ruler hits the line
coming out from K. Mark L
at the point where they
meet.
17
Mark point M, exactly
halfway between J and L.
Use the horizontal line from
K to L and your square or
book to draw a line coming
straight down from M, 5cm
(2) long.
Square across from the end
of it to make a line 1cm
(3/8) long. Call the point at
the end of this line N.
Join N to M.
18
The line from M to N
was the important part
of that last step. The
other two little lines
helped you get it at the
correct angle.
So now you can erase
the other two little
lines, just leaving the
line M-N.
19
On the line from J to L
make two little marks, one
each side of M, half a
centimetre (3/16) away
from M.
Join both of these little
marks to N.
20
Now you dont need the
line from M to N any
more, so you can erase
that too.
Measure the sides of the
dart they need to be
exactly the same length.
You might have to extend
the length of one side and
join the end of the line to
L or J to make a new
shoulder line.
This little dart at the back
of the shoulder helps
close-fitting tops to fit
there properly.
21
Mark point O along the
line from B to C.
The distance from B to O
is half of your back width
measurement, plus 0.5cm
(3/16).
So if your back width is
14, B to O is 7 plus
3/16.
Square up from O to find
point P on the K-L line.
22
Mark point Q, exactly
halfway from O to P.
23
Mark point R, exactly
halfway between B and
O.
Square down all the
way to the bottom of
the paper with a dotted
line.
Mark points S and T as
shown.
24
Well done!
Youve just completed the main steps to
form the back of the pattern!
Now well move on to the front,
on the right hand side of the paper.
Keep going, youre doing great
25
Find D on the top right
hand corner of the paper.
Square across, extending
the line about halfway
across the paper.
26
Take your neck size
and divide it by 5. Then
take away 0.7cm
(1/4).
So if your neck size is
15, divide by 5 and
get 3, then take away
to get an answer of
2.
Measure this distance
across from D and
mark U.
27
Take your neck size
and divide it by 5. Then
take away 0.2cm
(1/16).
So if your neck size is
35cm, divide by 5 and
get 7cm, then take
away 0.2cm to get an
answer of 6.8cm.
Measure this distance
down from D and mark
V.
28
Draw in a smooth
curve from U to V to
form the front neckline.
Hint 1: Draw the curve
with your hand on the
same side of the curve
as D its always
easier to do it with your
hand on the inside of
the curve.
Hint 2: Start by
squaring out a little
way from V.
Again, dont obsess
over your curve; youll
have a chance to
perfect it later.
29
Take half your chest
measurement and half
the dart measurement
and add them together.
So if your chest is
34cm and the dart on
your list of
measurements is 8cm,
halve them both to get
17 and 4.
Then add them together
to get 21cm.
This is the distance
from C to new point W.
30
Mark X, exactly
halfway between C and
W.
31
Square down from X to
the bottom of the paper
with a dotted line.
Mark Y and Z as
shown.
Now that weve run out
of letters, well start
again at A but this
time, well use lower
case letters. So our next
new point will be a.
32
Point a is on the dotted
line, 2.5cm (1) below
X.
33
Join a to U.
34
Mark point b.
The distance from U to
b is the same as the
dart in your list of
measurements.
35
Join a to b.
36
Well done!
Youve just completed the main steps to
form the front of the pattern!
Now well move on to the armhole,
in the middle of the paper.
Keep going, youre doing great
37
Square down a little
way from L.
Mark point c, 1.5cm
(5/8) below L.
38
Square across from c.
Mark point d, 10cm
(4) from c.
39
Now youll draw in the
line b-e, which will be
the same length as your
shoulder measurement.
If your shoulder
measurement is 14cm,
for example, this will
also be the length of
the line b-e.
Put your shoulder
measurement (the
14cm mark, in our
example) on your ruler
at b and swing the
other end until the zero
mark is exactly on the
line
c-d.
Draw in the line and
mark e where the two
lines meet.
40
Square up from W.
Measure the distance
from C to V.
Divide this distance by
3.
This is the distance
from W to new point f.
41
Mark point g, exactly
halfway between O and
W.
42
Square down from g to
the bottom of the paper
with a dotted line.
Mark h and i as shown
on the waist and hip
lines.
This is the side seam.
43
Now youll need to draw in
the curve of the armhole, or
armscye.
On the way around, it needs
to touch points e, f, g, Q and
L, as you can see on the
diagram.
Draw lightly and dont
forget to keep your hand on
the inside of the curve!
Itll help to mark how far
the curve should be from
points O and W, shown with
small arrows in the diagram.
Refer to the table on the
next page to find out how
long the arrows should be
for your size.
44
Bust size Length of arrow from O Length of arrow from W
Less than 94cm (37) 2.5cm (1) 2cm (3/4)
94cm (37) 109cm (43) 3cm (1) 2.5cm (1)
109cm (43) 122cm (48) 3.5cm (1+3/8) 3cm (1)
More than 122cm (48) 4cm (1+5/8) 3.5cm (1+3/8)
45
Youve probably
worked out by now that
the lines J-L and b-e
will form the shoulder
seam in the finished
block.
When they are sewn
together, the curves at
each end of the seam
the neck curve and the
armhole will need to
be smooth curves.
To check that theyll be
smooth, take a piece of
tracing paper and trace
the corner at e.
46
Turn the paper around
(turn it, dont flip it)
and place the corner
over L, fitting the lines
of the shoulder seam
together to simulate the
way that the pattern
pieces will fit together.
Does the armhole curve
continue smoothly
through from one piece
to the other?
If not, adjust the curves
until they do.
47
Now youll need to do
the same with the neck
curve.
Theres a big dart in
the front (marked by
the V shape b-a-U), so
well have to draw the
front neck curve in two
stages.
First of all, trace the
corner at b.
48
Shift the paper across
to U, as if you were
closing the dart.
Place the corner on U
and the right-hand line
that you traced from
line a-b over the line a-
U.
Then you can trace the
neck curve.
49
Turn the paper around
(turn, dont flip) so that
the corner lies on point
J and the traced
shoulder seam b-e lies
over J-L.
Does the neck curve
continue smoothly
from the front through
to the back?
If not, adjust the front
and/or back curve until
youre happy.
Youll know when
theyre right because
theyll look a little like
the commercial dress
patterns youre used to!
50
Well done!
Youve just completed the armscye!
I know that was pretty complex, and the
curves arent easy. But the last part of
making the pattern much easier.
All we need to do now is to shape the
waist and hip area and most of it
involves straight lines!
Keep going, youre doing great
51
Your pattern is finished above the bust, but if you imagine making this pattern up, you can see that
below the waist it would just fall like a tube. We need to fit it into your waist and hips.
Well do this by shaping the side seam and making darts at the front and back, along the dotted
lines.
52
On a fitted garment the
waist needs to be dropped a
little at the front for a good
fit.
Mark point j, 1cm (3/8)
below F.
Join j to E with a gently
curving line this will be
the waistline of the finished
block.
53
Add the three new points
shown:
k is 7cm (2) above T.
l is 5cm (2) above Z.
m is 3cm (1+1/8) below a.
54
Now add four more points.
All of them lie on the new
waistline you just drew.
n is 2cm (3/4) along the
new waistline to the left of
the vertical line S-T.
o is 1.5cm (5/8) to the right
of it.
p is 2 cm (7/8) to the left
of the vertical line Y-Z.
q is the same distance to the
right of it.
55
Join the following points
with straight lines:
R to n
n to k
k to o
o to R
m to p
p to l
l to q
q to m
These form your front and
back darts.
56
Almost there!
Now, four more points:
r is 1.5cm (5/8) along the
new waistline to the left of
the vertical line h-i.
s is 2.5cm (1) to its right.
t is 1cm (3/8) to the left of
i along the line G-i.
u is 1.5cm (5/8) to the right
of i.
57
Join r to g and g to s with
straight lines.
Join r to u and s to t, as
shown, with gently curving
lines.
This forms your shaped side
seam.
and completes your first
pattern draft!
58
Well done!
Youre all done drafting this pattern!
Now read on to find out the next step
59
Even though weve used your unique measurements to draft the pattern, we still cannot
guarantee that this pattern will fit perfectly first time.
The few measurements weve used dont give a complete picture of your body shape. So
before you can use your draft as a failsafe basic pattern youll need to cut it out and sew it
together in cheap calico or old scraps to have any chance of perfecting it.
60
`t~|z {x wty | t tx
Trace the front and back pieces onto new sheets of pattern paper, including darts, and add
your preferred seam allowance around the edges a border of between 1-1.5cm (3/8-5/8)
is usual.
You need to do this because the patterns overlap on the original draft. Also, youll want to
refer to your draft again. Keeping your draft complete and uncut is vital.
Use your traced pattern pieces to make the block into a mock-up garment in the same way as
usual using calico, muslin, old scraps of fabric or old sheets. Leave the centre front seam
open and pin it closed when you put it on.
Make adjustments as you wish - fitting is a BIG subject that well address another day!
In the meantime I would love to hear your comments and hear about any issues or questions
you have at [email protected]!
Do please drop us an email and let me know how your pattern came out, so that we can
discuss ways to improve and refine it. Also, do let me know whether I should make any part
of the process slower or simpler!
61
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Well done and best wishes,
Cathy Hay
December 2007