FASHION AND APPAREL MODULE

(FA 113 Pattern Making month of November and Dec.)

(BIT)
First Sem. 2023-2024
Name and Section

Prof. EVA B. CORDOVERO, MAIED

Course Facilitator
Basic sleeve pattern:
In Figure-3, AD is on fold and is equal to sleeve length. AB = 1/4 bust – 1/4″ (for adults, this was 1/4 bust
– 1½″). Mark BE = 1/2 AB and DF = 1/2 lower arm + 1/4″. Connect AE. Divide it into four equal parts and
mark a, b, c. Mark CG = 1/2″, BF = 1/4″, AE = 1/4″ and AD – 1/2″. Connect AGFE (back armscye line) and
AGBDE (front armscye line).

Figure-3: Pattern drafting of sleeve

Pattern Draping:
Pattern draping is otherwise known as toiling or modelling. Pattern draping is the manipulation of two-
dimensional fabrics on a three-dimensional torso or body form to get a perfect fit. The dress form
generally used for draping is a muslin padded dress form, positioned in an adjustable stand that
duplicates the human body structure. The dress form should be firm, yet resilient and should not resist
pins. A range of dress forms exist in standard sizes for children’s and men’s figures. The steps for the
preparation of a dress form are given below.

The dummy should be checked for both bust and hip measurement.
It should be padded to get the required measurement by using high density foam. The foam is adjusted
in such a way that it assumes the shape of the human breast.
A square piece of quilt batting is pinned onto the formed breast. While pinning the batting, care is taken
to see that it is slightly larger than the required size at the sides. When it is covered with muslin, it gets
compressed to the right size and looks more natural.
1. Batting should be done equally on both sides.
Flat Pattern Technique:
The flat pattern technique is a method of manipulating the pattern while the pattern is laid flat on the
table. Pattern manipulation is a common word applied to the act of slashing and spreading or pivoting a
pattern section to alter its original shape. Darts play an important role in the flat pattern technique.

The darts can be shifted to any location around the pattern’s outline from the pivot point without
affecting the size and fit of the garment. There are three methods of flat pattern technique, which are as
follows:

 Pivot method: By this method, darts can be moved from one point to another. For this, a
thick cardboard, which is firm and sturdy, is required. Seam allowance is not added.
 Slash and spread method: In this method, darts are shifted by cutting and spreading the
pattern along the dart to the desired position. This is a relatively easy method provided the slashes
are made correctly. Care is taken to see that the cuts are not made through the pivot point.
 Measurement method: This method is commonly used when the darts have to remain in the
same seam line and the width of the darts can be divided into two or three darts.
In all three methods, the darts on the bodice play an important role in creating the different patterns.

Types of Darts:
A dart is a wedge-shaped cut out in a pattern used as a means of controlling the fit of the garment. A
dart is a fold of a fabric stitched to taper gradually to a point. The location, length and width at the base
vary according to the style. Wider darts provide better shape to the garment. These are used as the
basic pattern in all positions where a bulge or hollow occurs in the figure. Darts can be single pointed or
double pointed (Figure-4). Single pointed darts are mostly used for saree blouses and plain skirts to give
shape and fit. Double pointed darts are mostly used for tops and long blouses, cholies and kameezes to
give shape at the waist.

Figure-4: Types of dart

There are two terms that are used in relation to darts – fitting darts and decorative darts. Decorative
darts do not have any functional purpose in a garment and are used only for decorative purposes. Fitting
darts are functional darts, which are triangular folds in a cloth making the flat fabric fit to the curves of
the body.

Locating the dart point:

The basic of the flat pattern work is locating the pivotal or the dart point. The dart point, also called
pivotal or apex point of the front bodice, is a place on the pattern from which the darts radiate. Two
darts – one near the shoulder and another at the waistline – could be found in the back bodice. Each of
these darts has its own pivot point.

Method of locating the dart point in the back bodice:

In the back bodice there is no well-defined location for the common pivot point to be located. The pivot
point is at about 11/2″ away from the tip of the dart. Figure-5 shows the position of the pivot point in
the back bodice.

Figure-5: Pivot points in the back bodice

Method of locating the dart point in the front bodice:
This method is used for the pattern having two darts in the front bodice. The two darts are the bust
fitting dart and the waist fitting dart. The bust fitting dart originates from the side seam and moves
toward the bust point. The waist fitting dart originates from the waistline and moves toward the bust
point.

Figure-6: Pivot point in the front bodice

For locating the dart point, a line has to be drawn from the middle of both bust and waist fitting darts
and it is extended until they intersect. The point of juncture of these lines is the dart point in the front
bodice. In Figure-6, point A and B are the centre line of the waist fitting dart and bust fitting dart,
respectively. The lines are extended and the intersecting point C is labelled as the pivot point. The other
vital aspect is the drawing of bust circle, which encloses the bust area in the pattern. The bust circle is
generally drawn around the bust point with varying radius, which depends upon different sizes. For
instance, 1 1/2″ of radius is used to draw the bust circle for sizes 8, 10 and 12, and 2″ radius is used to
draw the bust circle for the sizes above 12.

Figure-7: Shows the pattern with the bust circle.

Rules for dart location:

1. Minimum length of the darts – The fitting darts of the front bodice must extend to the bust
circle. This is the minimum length.
2. Maximum length of the darts – All the fitting darts must extend to the bust circle but should
not lengthen outside the bust point. This is considered the maximum length of the darts. In some of
the patterns, there would be one larger dart that would be extended until the bust point for proper
fitting.
3. If both fitting darts are equal in size, both darts will end at the bust circle.
4. Darts may point away from the bust point for certain design effects but they must not point
outside the bust circle.
5. A decorative dart, which does not help in fitting, does not point toward the bust circle. It
should be kept small in angle so it does not create a ‘bulge’.
Pivot Method:
The pivotal point is the designated point on the pattern that is used as a basis for the slash and spread
method and the pivot method. The pivot point on the front pattern is the bust.

Front Bodice: The example of shifting of the waistline dart to the neckline dart using the pivot point
method is shown in Figure-8.
 Figure-8: Pivot point method for front bodice
 The dart leg AB has to be marked on the front bodice pattern.
 The new position of dart C has to be marked as indicated in the figure, at the neckline to
which the dart needs to be shifted.
 Tracing of the pattern from point C to point A has to be done so that the dart can be moved
as shown in the figure.
 Thumbtack the pattern at the bust point and slowly the pattern has to be moved from point B
to A, thus closing the dart at the waistline.
 Tracing of the pattern from point B to point C has to be continued and then the block bodice
can be removed. Now an opening at the neckline can be observed, which can be marked as DE. This
is the new dart located at the neckline.
 Label the pivot point. This would be a guide for locating the new dart.
 The midpoint of ED should be marked and a dotted line is drawn until the bust point.
 The dart legs are drawn by joining E and D to the bust point.
  Point F is located at 1/2″ above the bust point and the dart legs are completed as shown in
the figure.
Back Bodice: The back bodice has two darts, namely, shoulder dart and the waistline dart. The
shoulder dart is often used in creating new designs at the back. The steps followed are shown in
Figure-9.

Figure-9: Pivot point method for back bodice

 Take the back bodice block with the pivot points located on it.
 Mark the dart legs as AB and CD as shown in Figure-9.
 Mark the location of the new dart E on the neckline.
 Starting from point E, trace the pattern toward the center back, then to the waistline. Trace
the dart AB at the waistline and proceed to tracing the side seam, armhole and the shoulder until
point D as shown in the figure. The dotted line shows the traced pattern.
 Thumbtack the pivot point corresponding to the shoulder dart and pivot the pattern thus
closing the dart.
 Remove the pattern. You would notice the dart opening at the neckline. Mark the new dart
opening as FG.
 Locate the center point of the dart opening FG and mark the point H.
 The length of the dart is the same as the length of the shoulder dart. Measure the shoulder
dart. Draw a line from point H parallel to the centre back line or slanted slightly away from the
centre back.
 Measure the length of the shoulder dart and mark the point on the line drawn from H. Draw
the dart legs and complete the dart.
Slash and spread method:
The sloper or block pattern has to be traced on a separate paper for moving the darts in front and the
back bodice using the slash and spread method and the pivot points on the back bodice have to be
marked as well. The factors that need to be considered during the slash and spread method are given
below.
  The slash should always be made along the lower line of the horizontal darts.
 For vertical darts, the slash needs to be made along the line nearer to the centre front or
centre back.
 Make all the slashes go to but not through the pivot point.
Front Bodice: The steps involved in creation of a dart in the front bodice using the slash and spread
method are shown in Figure-10.

Figure-11: Slash and spread method for back bodice.

 The shoulder dart of the bodice back may be shifted.
 The back bodice paper pattern is prepared and the pivot point is marked.
 Mark the dart legs at the waistline as AB and at the shoulder as CD – the dart to be moved.
 Mark the position to which the dart needs to be shifted as point E at the neckline.
 A line is drawn at the point E to indicate the full length of the new dart. The line is extended
to the pivot point and indicated as a dotted line.
 Cuts are made from the shoulder dart to the pivot point and along the new dart line to the
pivot point.
 The shoulder dart is closed and pinned. The neck line opening is filled for the new dart by
pinning the pattern to another piece of pattern.
 A dotted line is drawn to indicate the centre of the new dart. The new dart can be parallel to
the centre back or it could be a slant line from the centre.
 The new dart lines, that is, GH is drawn in such a way that the length of the new dart
coincides with the original shoulder dart.
Measurement Method:
This method is commonly used when the darts have to remain in the same seam line and the width of
the darts can be divided into two or three darts. The method of shifting the darts is described wherein
the darts at the waistline are manipulated.

 The front bodice pattern is traced onto a new paper leaving the space of the dart which is to
be divided as shown in Figure-12.
 Measure the gap left for the dart and divide into two halves by using dressmaker’s tape.
Dressmaker’s tape is a strip of paper folded to give a firm, straight edge.
 The two halves would give the dart space on each dart.
 Locate the position for two darts on the waistline.
 Now, keep the section between the dart and the center front of the original sloper
unchanged. This part is called the center panel or center section.
 The two dart points need to be located so that the distance between the two darts is 1″.
  Draw the guidelines for darts as indicated by a dotted line toward the bust circle.
 The tips of the darts are located toward the bust circle. Draw the dart legs and complete the
dart on the pattern.

Figure-12: Measurement method

Pattern Grading:
Grading is a technique used either to maximise or minimise the size of a pattern. This becomes
necessary when large numbers of different sized garments have to be produced in a relatively shorter
time as is done in the garment industry. If we define pattern grading, then we can say it is a process of
enlarging or diminishing a style pattern, making it possible to obtain proper fit for all sizes without
changing the title for a given compilation of anthropometric measurements that are suitable for a
person whose body measurements lie within certain tolerance limits of the garment size measurements.
The different terms associated with grading are as follows:
1. Suppression grading: The controlling features of the garment like darts, pleats and gathers
when decreased in size undergo suppression. To suppress the girth measurement, of say No 28″
size in relation to the girth of 26″ waist size, only a tuck has to be placed at the waist. This has
nothing to do with styling.
2. Three-dimensional grading: This technique is commonly used for tight fitting and knitted
garments. This involves not only suppression, but also the changes in girth and height.
3. Two-dimensional grading: In this simple and easy method, only girth and height
measurements are changed without altering the shape.
4. Cardinal points: The points where the grading increments are applied are called cardinal
points.
5. Balance: This refers to the perfect relationship between the units as explained earlier. It
explains that when the increase is done in the front, then care should be taken to increase at the
back also.
6. Nested or stacked grading: In this method, the difference in the increase in size is made
visible by superimposing one size to another. The progression of sizes can be more noticeable.
Types of Grading Systems:
There are two types of grading systems commonly used.
1. Two-dimensional grading
2. Three-dimensional grading
Two-dimensional grading:
The two-dimensional grading could be done using two techniques:
1. Draft technique: This involves the increments being applied to the actual pattern draft. For example,
if you are grading for one size up at the front bodice, the sloper is taken and the measurements to be
added at the different cardinal points like shoulder, armscye, center front, etc. are added
simultaneously.
2. Track technique: This involves applying grade increments to individual pieces of pattern by moving
the base pattern piece along predetermined tracks. In this method, the pattern is altered section by
section along the predetermined tracks. Let us take the example of grading the pattern for one size up at
the shoulder, neckline, centre front, etc. The tracks are drawn on a separate sheet of paper and the
pattern is moved as follows:

 Shoulder: The pattern is moved along the track for grading the shoulder, and then returned to
the original track.
 Neckline: From the original track, again the pattern is moved for grading the neckline, then
again returned to the original track. The process is continued until all the sections of the pattern are
graded.
Three-dimensional grading:
Three-dimensional grading is used not only to increase a pattern for size, but also to increase or
decrease suppression in the following areas:

1. Bust to shoulder
2. Hip to waist
3. Elbow to wrist

Exercises:
Directions: In a separate sheet draw the different dart position. Follow steps from figure 5, 6,
7, 8, 9, 11 and 12 .

View: Dart manipulation Techniques: The Pivot method( step by Step )

Youtube> The Creative Curator

References:

www.thecreativecurator.com>dart-manipulation

www.pinterest.com>tolutayo>darts-manipulation

www.theshapeoffabric.com>2018/02/28>dart-manipulation

fashion2apparel.blogspot.com>Pattern