Pattern Drafting is such a!!!

So who knew the most tedious thing ever wouldn't be making the garment but drafting the pattern! If you have all your tools it makes it a little easier but you gotta remember, if the draft is not right, the garment won't be right.

Speaking of tools - here are some essentials:

1. Fashion Ruler
2. Dressmaker's Square
3. Dressmaker's Chalk
4. Sharp Scissors
5. Measuring Tape
   
6. Needles / Pins
7. Pin cushion
8. Tracing Wheel
9. Drafting Paper and Soft HB2 pencil
   

There are more, that's obviously why I said some essentials. Here are steps to drafting.
Step 1: Record your measurements! You really shouldn't screw up your measurements too much because that would just mean you have to go back and alter your garment and that's just a lot of work.

Measurements you need for a skirt -
1. Waist
2. Hip
3. Waist to Hip (the length between them)
4. Bust point to point (measure distance
from left nipple to right nipple)
5. Skirt Length
That's the easy one. Once you have your measurements you can begin drafting. For the waist be sure to measure the smallest part of your waist, and for the hips the fullest part of your bum.

Drafting
Once you have your measurements you can begin drafting. Here's a little something you need to know - when drafting you absolutely must factor in ease. When we sit our hips spread, our bum expands and if we don't add ease to our skirt then tough luck you'll be very uncomfortable or rip the garment. Remember hips have 1/2" ease and waist has 1/4" ease.

1. Find a quarter of your waist and hip measurements. Using my actual measurements as an example I'll show you how - My waist is 25 1/2 " so quarter measurement would be 6 3/8"; so too my hips are an astonishing 38" so a quarter of that would be 9 1/2". (Sounds like a lot of work? It isn't really - not after you do it the first time).
2. Add the 1/4" ease to this new measurement for the waist and 1/2" to the hip
3. Find half of your bust point to point measurement - mine is 7" normally so 1/2 of that would be 3 1/2". The purpose of this measurement in a skirt - cause I'm sure like me you're wondering what the busts have to do with a skirt - is for the placement of the darts.
4. Now that we have these measurements we can begin drafting - You will need drafting paper, square, fashion ruler, pencil, eraser, measuring tape.

• Draw a block on your drafting paper to half hip measurement plus ease eg. if quarter plus ease - 9 1/2 + 1/2 = 10; then half = 20"; and length of skirt
• Measure waist - hip measurement and square a parallel line to top.
• Bisect box into two down the length and establish which is centre front and which is centre back
  
• Measure from both ends on top bust point to point - e.g. mark 3 1/2" from both ends at top. (Standard measurements - front darts 3 1/2" long, 1/2" wide and back 5 1/2" long and 3/4" wide)
  
• Contour waistline (use fashion ruler) 1/2" above and 1/2" below both front and back of skirt
  
• Contour from hip to waist using fashion ruler

This is the end of your basic skirt draft. Don't worry I won't leave you hanging to figure things out on your own - I'm posting diagrams right now!!!! Just look below