Bodice Front Style 22

The bodice of this garment has a diamond-shape panel piece in the CF.  The design line on the half-block runs from the CF neck to the bust point, and the bust point to the CF waist. There are no darts; the darts have been incorporated into the style-line. This style will have 2 pattern pieces for the front bodice.

Example: Outcome

Figure B shows the block being used on the left (2-Dart Block), and the pattern that will be created (Style 22) on the right.  This dart manipulation required is; the waist dart moved into the CF waist, and the side seam dart moved into the CF neck.

The focus of these instructions is covering the theory and practice of manipulating darts and the exercise finishes after the dart manipulation has been done. For production ready patterns you would need to take further steps to add seam allowance, pattern labels, pattern piece numbers, the grainline, etc.

Instructions (Style-22) - Figure 1

In these images I have used color for emphasis only. Use a hard pencil (4H-6H) when hand drafting patterns.

• Draw the first design line from the CF Neck (point A on the image) to the Bust Point.
• Draw the second design line from the CF Waist (point B on the image) to the Bust Point.

I have marked the points A, B, C, D, E & F on the block to assist in the instructions.  You do not have to write these on your block.  Note that A, B, C, D,  E & F relate to the points where the dart leg meets the edge of the block, as shown by the arrow tips.

Instructions (Style-22) - Figure 2

• Mark the Bust Point by putting your pencil tip through the BP hole.
• Extend the dart leg lines D and E out past the block. To make sure the lines are true, use a ruler to line up the Bust Point and the dart leg on the edge of the block, and continue that line beyond the block onto the paper (as indicated by the red arrows in the image).

Instructions (Style-22) - Figure 3

• Trace the Block from dart leg D to dart leg E.

Instructions (Style-22) - Figure 4

• Holding the block down at the Bust Point, pivot the block anti-clockwise until the side seam dart is closed. (Dart leg F reaches the extended line you drew in the last step - the red arrow in the image).
• Continue tracing the block from dart leg F to the new design line A.

Instructions (Style-22) - Figure 5

• Holding down the block at the Bust Point again, pivot the block in a clockwise direction until the waist dart is closed; that is, when dart leg C meets the red arrow in the waistline.
• Trace from C to B.
• You can lift up the block (see Figure 6).

Instructions (Style-22) - Figure 6

• Draw lines from the BP to the edges of the traced block at the CF neck and the CF waist.

This is pattern piece # 1, so we need to now make pattern piece #2.  We need to leave some room in-between them for seam allowance.

Instructions (Style-22) - Figure 7

• Put the block back down some distance away from PP#1, so that it won't overlap PP#1 AND so there is room for seam allowance for both pieces.
• Trace the Center Front line from point A to B.
• Mark the Bust Point.
• You can lift up the block (see Figure 8).

Instructions (Style-22) - Figure 8

• Draw lines from the BP (of the second pattern piece) to the edge of the block at the shoulder, and from the BP to the edge of the block at the side seam.

Instructions (Style-22) - Figure 9

This is the outcome of the dart manipulation; 2 pattern pieces.

If this was a production ready pattern, you would need to add seam allowance, label the pattern pieces, add cutting instructions and the grainline, note the pattern piece number and the total number of pattern pieces.