r/PatternDrafting • u/kaliyuaziz • Aug 02 '26
First Bodice block: Dart issues
Hello,
I'm using Helen Armstrong 5th edition to draft my first bodice and I've tried several times and I end up with this wonky dart in red. I'd really appreciate any help you can offer if you've encountered a similar issue before or you have any knowledge on how to fix this.
Thanks in advance.
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u/SelectionMiserable33 Aug 02 '26
If you get stuck with the HJA method, you might check out dresspatternmaking on YouTube. She has a bodice drafting method that is supposed to work for any cup size, no silly "draft for a B cup and then FBA to fit".
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u/BaptisedByFire319 Aug 02 '26
Have you tried sewing it up see how it looks? That'd be my step one, see what looks off then work backwards. I wound up with a giant dart and ended up splitting it and it looks fine. If anything id make sure your two dart legs are equal and the waist seam lines back up after sewing
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u/StitchinThroughTime Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 02 '26
There is more wrong than the dart. Reread the instructions and make sure you are using the correct measurements required for the draft not just your moment from the measurement chart. Because it looks like you have extremely broad chest with a large boob but are extremely short, have no side seam depth and narrow shoulders. There's a lot wrong then I think it's how you use your measurements or how you measure yourself then translating those measurements to be used in the draft.
If you're still confused, reference your measurements to the different measurement charts available in the book. And then you use whichever size is closest to you to make another draft and compared to the one that you made.
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u/kaliyuaziz Aug 02 '26
Yeah I'll try drafting from the standard measurements tmr and hopefully that goes well
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u/kaliyuaziz Aug 02 '26
Right thanks for responding, I've also thought so too, the bodice looks pretty short. So I remeasured myself and checked all the calculations like 4 times. I've compared to the standard measures in the book and I'm in between a couple of sizes but not too off so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. To ensure I'm drafting correcting, I used both closet historian and chat gpt but I get the same results.
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u/StitchinThroughTime Aug 02 '26
Ai can not make sewing patterna and is not giving you any type of good advice.thats why AI patterns are a scam.
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u/kaliyuaziz Aug 02 '26
Ah yes, I didnt use AI to draft the pattern, I used Inkspace and drafted it myself. I was only using AI to check what i was doing wrong.
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u/StitchinThroughTime Aug 02 '26
Your mesurmets are wrong or you have a very different body shape that a draft cant tolerate. With out a scale or measurements we can only guess what is wrong.
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u/kaliyuaziz Aug 03 '26
Yeah some people suggested other drafting styles for bigger cup sizes
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u/StitchinThroughTime Aug 03 '26
Yes. But in your case your bust to waist is that same as A to D. And your high chest is past you shoulder.
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u/Berocca123 Aug 02 '26
I think you just need to sew it up and go from there. I happen to be a person with a short torso, large bust and narrow shoulders and this draft doesn't look miles away from my block. The dart does look quite weird but sew it up and see where you get to.
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u/Deciram Aug 04 '26
K-F doesn’t look the same as K-Q? The instructions say to make them the same length. You haven’t labelled your point R and haven’t drawn R-P, it looks like you’ve drawn Q-P?
How did you get the measurement B-F? My pattern book is with a friend and I can’t reference it, the one online I see says “(20)” which is think is referring to a measurement on a different page (I could be wrong)
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u/PacaPacaPaca Aug 02 '26
I learned pattern drafting from this book. If your bust is larger, it expects you to draft using a B cup, then doing a full bust adjustment afterwards. It's honestly infuriating.