Teach Yourself Stitch Craft and Dressmaking

Table of Contents

Introduction
Drafting
Tips While Drafting
Pattern Markings
Knowing More about Scale Measurements
Table for Different Scale Measurements
Method of Scale Calculation
18 – 28 inches
25 – 28 inches
29 inches – 36 inches
More Than 36 Inches Chest Measurement
Special Tips
Common Terms Used In Drafting
Drafting of Upper Body Garments
Drafting for Lower Body Garments
Front Part of the Bodice
Back Part of the Bodice
Sleeves
Author Bio
Publisher

Introduction

The first two books in our series have given you information about the basics of stitch craft, and how you are going to measure the figure properly so that you can start setting out your drafting pattern.

Drafting is the method with which you are going to draw the pattern of a garment, a given measurement on a piece of paper. Proper drafting is a systematic method which involves a number of steps. Some of the measurements are going to be lengthwise and some of them are going to be widthwise.

Proper drafting is going to depend on three important factors. The first is of course the proper layout, proper pattern making and after that, the cutting of the cloth properly.

So if you do not know the basics of proper drafting, and the layout of the design, you are going to have great trouble making up the pattern with just haphazard and topsy-turvy knowledge. When I was a child, I used to see plenty of experienced tailors who just took a couple of measurements, with their inch tape and with their eyes. After that they did some mathematical calculations in the air with their fingers, and noted down some numbers on a piece of paper. After that, it was fascinating the way they just picked up a pair of heavy shears, folded the cloth so that the lower part was facing towards them.

And then they picked up a piece of tailor’s chalk, held down the cloth with something heavy so that it did not wrinkle up, took their tape measurements, and measured out the cloth properly. After that they did the cutting and then they gave the stitching work to their underlings.

Hopefully, after we read this book, I and you are going to be so proficient in the basics of grafting, that we are going to understand each and every line on a drafting pattern and exactly what it means.

For this, of course, we will need to know all about proper drafting, the proper layout of the cloth, and making patterns.

So let us start with drafting.

What is the difference between drafting and laying out the pattern? Drafting is the drawing out of the pattern on a piece of paper. Laying out the pattern is cutting out the pieces of paper, according to the drafted design and then laying out the different pieces of paper properly on the cloth. After that we are going to cut the cloth, according to the pattern.