I shall commence to explain the drafting of ladies’ garments by showing
first how a waist pattern is produced.
This being the covering for the body, from the neck down to the natural
waist its construction gives the principle on which all close-fitting
garments are based. Whatever the shape or measures used, the points are
all established on this principle; and this, therefore, will be the
foundation of all our drafts.
We shall use the following measures to draft by:
Back length to natural waist, 15 inches.
Front length to side of hip, 18½ „
The blade, or front of arm, 10 „
The height under the arm, 7½ „
Breast, 36 „
Waist, 24 „
Begin by drawing the line O B, and at a right angle with this draw the
line O F.
From O to 1 place ¾ inch. _This is always the same, whether the measure
is small or large._
From 1, which will be the top of back, apply the natural waist length,
which is 15 inches, giving point B.
Upward from B place the height under the arm, 7½ inches in this case,
giving point A. Now square lines across from A and B.
From B to C is ¹⁄₁₂ of the breast size. Draw a line from C to 1 at top
of back, and from where this line crosses the breast line at A1, apply
one-half the breast measure, 18 inches, to locate G.
From A1—the back-seam—measure out the “Front of Arm” measure to K. This
is 10 inches. At K square a line up and down, as shown to I and J.
_Now, on the long arm of the square, we find what size is given on the_
TWO-THIRDS _scale opposite the 10-inch (size of blade) point. Having
ascertained what it is—for this size it is 15, or ½ of 30_—we find on
the short arm 15 on the Scale of Fourths—3¾ inches—and this amount we
place back from K to obtain L, from where a line is drawn up to the top
line.
Divide the distance between the top—V—and the under-arm line in halves,
which gives point Z.
Point T is half-way between Z and the top line, point V.
In the middle, between T and Z, is point 3.
From O to 2 is ⅛ of the blade, 15, the amount found as explained above
in italics. Connect 2 with 3 by a straight line, and curve the top of
the back from 1 to 2.
O to 9 is ⅓ of the breast, 6 inches. Square a line down from 9. Opposite
Z is 8 on the line just drawn.
From X to C draw a straight guide line. Make the width of the bottom of
the back, C to D, 1½ inch and form the back.
[Illustration: DIA. 1]
Measure the distance G to K, and in the middle locate P, from which
point square up to E on the top line.
To locate the front length in accordance with the measure, apply the
tape 1 inch in front of J on the waist line, as at the dot, and measure
up to E, the front length, 18½ inches, _less the width of the top of
back_. This will place point E on the upper line in this case.
But this measure will vary for erect and stooping forms. For erect forms
it will reach above the upper line, as on Diagrams 6 and 7, and then a
line is drawn to the front as E to F, from which point the neck is
formed.
For stooping figures this measure is short and will not reach to the top
line, as seen on Diagram 8, where it is fully explained.
E is the front shoulder point. Now draw a straight line from E to T.
Place from E to F ⅙ of the breast measure, and to N the same from F
down.
Next draw a straight line for the run of the front from F down through
G, reaching H.
[Illustration: DIA. 2]