Pattern drafting, fitting and garment construction techniques
Measuring and blocks
Take measurements over light clothing: bust, waist, hip, back nape-to-waist, sleeve length and shoulder. Add wearing ease (about 2–4 cm at the bust) and design ease for the style. School or commercial blocks are adapted rather than invented; drafting follows a logical order (back, front, sleeve, collar) and every piece is trued so seams match.
Dart manipulation
Darts move excess fabric to shape the body. Pivot method: mark the bust point, cut from the new dart position to the point, and rotate the block, closing the old dart. Slash and spread opens the block. Darts can become gathers, tucks or seams.
Pattern marking
Include grainline parallel to centre front/back, notches, fold lines, seam allowances (1 cm on seams, 1.5 cm on curved or fraying edges, 3–5 cm hems), balance marks and the pattern label.
Fitting
Toiles in calico reveal problems. Horizontal drags mean too tight; vertical drags too loose; diagonal drags indicate bust or shoulder imbalance. Alter the pattern, not just the toile.
Worked example: moving a bust dart to a shoulder seam - trace the front block, mark the bust point, draw a line from the shoulder to that point, cut and pivot the side section until the original dart closes, then true the shoulder line and add seam allowance.
Traps: forgetting seam allowance on facings; a grainline drawn parallel to the side seam; over-fitting so the wearer cannot move; not truing after dart rotation.