Welcome to part three of the Intro to Draping series! If you haven’t already, please visit the previous posts – Intro to Draping: Dress Form Basics & Markings and Intro to Draping: Measuring the Dress Form

OK! So now that we have the dress form basics, markings and measurements complete let’s move on to the very exciting part of draping the basic bodice!

Let’s get started!

Materials

– Taped Dress Form with Bust Bridge

– Muslin Fabric

– Straight Pins

– Straight Clear Ruler

– Mechanical Pencil

– Felt Tip Marker Red and Blue

– Fabric Shears

– Dress Form Measurement Chart

The materials needed are the Taped Dress Form, please refer to previous post – Intro to Draping: Dress Form Basics & Markings for style tape markings. The Bust Bridge that we created in the previous post – Intro to Draping: Measuring the Dress Form will also be utilized. Muslin Fabric preferably in a medium weight. Straight Pins thin enough to easily penetrate the muslin fabric and dress form. A Straight Clear Ruler at least 2″ X 18″. A Mechanical Pencil and Felt Tip Markers in red and blue to mark the muslin. A pair of Fabric Shears and lastly the Dress Form Measurement Chart to easily reference the measurements of the Dress Form from the previous post – Intro to Draping: Measuring the Dress Form.

Prepping the Muslin

The first step for draping the basic bodice is prepping the muslin with guidelines that will help keep the draping balanced.

Please note – we will be draping only one side of the dress form, it is industry standard to drape on the dress form’s right side (your left)

1. Cut two pieces of medium weight muslin 16″ X 22″ with 22″ being on the straight grain.

2. With the longest edge of the muslin placed vertical – mark 2″ away from the edge keeping the line parallel. This will be become the CF and CB Line. CF line will be on the right side of the muslin, CB line will be on the left side of the muslin

3. Mark 12″ down from top of CB/CB line and draw perpendicular line – this will become the Bust Line.

4. Now we are going to mark the Bust Point and Chest Width on the Bust Line.

To determine the bust point placement take the Bust Span measurement (13) and divide by two, mark from CF on Bust Line

To determine the chest width take the Chest Circumference (1) and add 2″ for ease. (Ease is added fullness in order to make the garment comfortable and wearable.) Then take that number and divide by four. If necessary round up or down to the nearest fraction of eights, fourths, or halves. Mark this measurement from CF and CB on the Bust Line.

5. Next mark the Across Front and Across Back Line on the muslin.

To determine the Across Front position, on the dress form measure the vertical distance between HPS and Bust Line, divide that number by two. On the muslin, mark up from Bust Line and draw perpendicular line from CF – this will become the Across Front Line.

To determine the Across Back position, on the dress form measure the vertical distance between CB Neck and Bust Line, divide that number by two. On muslin, mark up from the Bust Line and draw perpendicular line from CB – this will become the Across Back Line.

Now that the muslin is properly prepped let’s move onto draping the Front and Back Bodice on the dress form.

Draping the Front Bodice

1

Begin with aligning muslin CF Line with dress form CF Line while also aligning Bust Lines

Once perfectly aligned secure with pins at the following points:

a. Pin at CF Neck , mark with point

b. Pin at CF Waist, mark point

c. Align muslin Apex with dress form Apex position, pin and mark point with red marker

d. Align muslin Chest Width with dress form chest at side seam and pin, mark point

e. Smooth over top chest towards arm plate so Across FT Line is smooth and leveled, secure with pin to armhole edge, mark point

2

a. Cut away excess muslin from neckline and Clip Into Neckline following curve shape so muslin lays smooth and flat, mark along neckline

b. Pin at HPS , mark point

c. Pin at Shoulder Edge, mark point

d. Next take excess fabric at armhole between Across Front and Bust Line, gently fold upward to Create A Small Dart, secure with pin

3

a. Mark point 1″ Above Bust Line on muslin

b. Mark Front Armhole Shape along armhole edge connecting shoulder edge to 1″ above Bust Line

c. At Side Seam, smooth muslin straight down from Bust Line, excess fabric will naturally fall towards waist princess, place pin at waist, mark point

4

Cut away excess fabric at Shoulder, Armhole, Side Seam and Waist

a. Clip Into Waist following waist line so muslin lays smooth and flat

b. Take excess fabric at Waist between CF and Side Seam, and Create A Dart at Princess below Apex position, mark dart legs at Waist and mark dart end below Apex

Maintain slight ease at Waist, do not taut

c. Mark along Waist Line

Draping Back Bodice

1

Begin with aligning muslin CB Line with dress form CB Line while also aligning Bust Lines

Once perfectly aligned secure with pins at the following points:

a. Pin at CB Neck , mark with point

b. Pin at CB Across BK, mark point

c. Pin at CB Chest, mark point

d. Pin at CB Waist mark point

e. Align muslin Chest Width with dress form chest at side seam, pin at side seam matching front placement

2

a. Next Smooth Over Top Back towards arm plate so Across Back Line is smooth and leveled, Secure With Pin At Armhole Edge

b. With your palm, Smooth Up Muslin From Across Back Position To Shoulder Edge, excess fabric will go towards center shoulder and neck. Pin At Shoulder Edge and Mark matching with front placement, mark point

3

a. Cut away excess muslin from neckline and Clip Into Neckline following curve shape so muslin lays smooth and flat, mark along neckline

b. Pin at HPS matching with front placement , mark point

c. Excess fabric falls toward shoulder princess. Create Small Shoulder Dart, should be less than 3/8″-1/2″, mark darts legs and dart end

4

a. Mark point 1″ Above Bust Line on muslin, matching with front position

b. Mark Back Armhole Shape along armhole edge connecting shoulder edge to 1″ above Bust Line

Cut Away excess muslin at Armhole and Shoulder

5

a. At Side Seam, smooth muslin straight down from Bust Line, excess fabric will naturally fall towards waist princess, Place Pin at Waist matching with front position, mark point

b. Clip into muslin at waist so fabric lays smoothly against waist (Back Waist requires deeper cuts in order for fabric to lay flat)

c. Gather excess fabric at waist and create a dart near princess

There should be slight ease, waist should not be fitted, please allow at least 1/4″ of ease

Secure with pins, mark dart legs and dart end

d. Mark Waist and trim away excess fabric

And that’s it, the Front and Back Bodice is officially draped! Before removing the muslin from the dress form, make sure all markings are placed and that all Front and Back matched points at neckline, shoulder, and side seams are aligned. And ALSO! Don’t work about a pretty drape, in the next post we will true all the line and you will have a pretty muslin, this is an extremely rough draft.

If there are any questions please leave comments below! In the meantime continue the series of Intro to Draping by moving on to the next post – Intro to Draping: Truing the Front & Back Bodice Drape, hope to see you there!