Pattern Making, Drafting and Grading
Overview
Pattern making, drafting and grading test whether you can turn body measurements into an accurate, cuttable pattern and then scale it across sizes.
Rules that carry marks
Take measurements over light clothing; record bust/chest, waist, hip, shoulder, back length and sleeve length. Add wearing ease and design ease before drafting; add seam allowance only when the block is finalised. Mark grainline parallel to centre front/back, place notches, label pattern pieces, size and cut quantity. True darts and seams so adjoining edges match; walk seams to check lengths. A basic bodice, skirt and sleeve block are drafted from a measurement chart, not guessed.
Drafting sequence
For a bodice front: draw a rectangle using half bust plus ease for width and back length for depth; mark neckline, shoulder slope, armscye, bust point, waist dart and side seam. Waist dart intake equals block waist width minus half waist plus ease. Keep dart legs equal.
Worked example
Bust 88 cm, waist 72 cm, ease 4 cm total. Half bust plus half ease = 44 + 2 = 46 cm block width. Half waist plus half ease = 36 + 2 = 38 cm. Dart intake = 46 − 38 = 8 cm. If 2 cm is taken at the side seam, 6 cm remains for the waist dart. The reasoning keeps ease separate from dart intake; mixing them produces a tight or distorted bodice.
Traps
Forgetting seam allowance at cutting, drawing grainline off-grain, unequal dart legs, grading every point by the same amount, and ignoring ease are common. Do not grade seam allowances; grade body dimensions.