The aim of this module is to develop a strong

foundation in draping. This module will also

contribute in acquiring design skills through
draping techniques. We will learn Flat drawings
and the basic skills of design interpretation
in three-dimensional realization in form of a
garment. This module focuses on the concept of
added fullness and creative drapes through
manipulations of taught aspects. A few focused
points are to exhibit an understanding of the
principles of draping, developing technical
specifications as per the industry need,
analyze & apply appropriate techniques of
draping for the chosen design relevant in
relation to chosen materials while also showing
peer learning, work ethics and professional
presentation skills.
• We use muslin as it
is cheap, unfinished
and raw form of
fabric while being
easily available and
has different Varity,
density, texture and
look.
• There are 3 grain
lines – straight,
cross & bias.
• Cross grain is vertical line on body, this
falls stiffly and away from the body. Does
not contour the body shape. It has a bit of
stretch and a bit strong.

• Straight grain is horizontal on body, this

falls naturally and close on body. Contours
and fits perfectly. It is the strongest
grainline.

• Bias grain is 45 degrees on body, this

falls close to the body then transitions
away. It is a mix of straight and cross
grain and is the most stretchy.

• For draping usually only cross and straight

grains are used.
• The grain lines are aligned to the centre
front (CF) in order to get a particular fit
and fall of the fabric.
• The pattern is put on a particular grain to
make the garment fit a particular way.
• Style tapes act as a cross grain line and
are placed on the widest parts of body –
bust, back and around hip.
• Selvedge becomes the style tape usually and
is pinned on the body form.

• Front Bodice :
➢ Put parallelly at the
bust
➢ Start from 1st apex
point
➢ Then move to 2nd apex
point
➢ Reach the side seams
➢ Pin at the finished
edge
➢ Cut extra tape.

• Back Bodice :
➢ Place at maximum
movement area
➢ Across back area pin
till side armhole
seams
➢ Pin at princess line
intersection
➢ Measure back nape
till waist and divide
by 4 (inches)
➢ Cross grain (put a
pin) line at 2 inches
below nape.
• Blocking is when we cut the fabric in exact 90
degrees from all four sides.
• The cross and straight grain are always
perpendicular in a block.
• Blocking helps to keep the fabric and the
garment on grain.

• Skirt :
➢ For skirt it is
always at hip level
– for full scale
body form it is 7
inches from waist
while for half scale
body form it is 3
inches.
➢ Back and front is
same in skirt for
style tape hence, it
is continuous.
➢ Start from 3 inches
below waist at CF
➢ Mark it using pin
and go to centre
back (CB) and mark
the same
➢ Start style tape
from CF and pin it
➢ Move it around the
hip and pin at CB
➢ Put pins at the
princess line
intersection
➢ Cut the extra tape.
• Start with measuring the bodice starting from
nape of the front neck.
• Let the measure tape pass above the style tape
and measure till waist to measure the length
of the bodice.
• For width, start from the side seam and go
till CF over the style tape itself.
• For skirt, measurement starts from waist CF
and goes till desired length of the skirt.
• For skirt width first go from side seam to CF
for front width and go from side seam to CB
for back width.
• While cutting block, always leave 4 inches
extra from all side to make it easy to work.
• Measure on the fabric and then snip and tear
the block to remain on grain.
• Mark the respective pieces and iron them flat.
• Mark 1 cm away length wise for ½ scale , for
full scale, leave 1 inch from the edge from
front and back. This becomes the grain line to
be aligned with CB & CF.
• Cross grain marking – divide the length by 2
and mark the cross grain for back 1 inch from
above then 2 inches.
• To mark apex ( after
marking grain lines,
measure apex from CF
on style tape body
form then measure same
from CF to cross grain
on the fabric block
and mark.
• Bodice Front :
• Align the CF of fabric with the CF of body
form.
• The cross grain should be aligned with the top
edge of the style tape. Similarly, the apex
point should be pinned and aligned with a pin.
• Start by pinning the apex in X manner.
• Then pin at the nape of the neck.
• Let the fabric fall over the style tape
without pull or tuck & pin at the waist.
• Pin at the start and end of the bust curve at
CF.
• Pivot the dress form and align the rest of the
cross grain with style tape and mark ½ cm away
from side seam for ease.
• For waist dart let the fabric fall
perpendicular to waistline and pin at waist.
Pull the extra fabric from CF to side and make
a triangle form and pin on either side at
waist. Slash at below if any pull happens.
• Measure 1.5 cm from nape above and cut a
rectangle from CF.
• Push the fabric back and pin at high shoulder
point (HSP).
• For shoulder dart pull the side fabric
straight up and pin at low shoulder point
(LSP) then pull the extra fabric on princess
line to form a triangle. Pin at either side.
• For armhole slash the centre of it.
• Marking of block – start from neck and crease
the neck line with finger, mark a notch at CF
neck and then mark dots along the neck line.
For shoulders, start from HSP by making two
notches – one at HSP & one at neck then crease
and mark.
• For dart make a notch L shaped at either side
of it then continue to mark using dots.
• Armhole only needs five points – 1. LSP
2. armpit 3. centre 4. between centre and LSP
5. between centre and armpit.
• Side seam is marked by going at waist and
marking a notch at side & one at waist.
• Now the block is removed from the body form.
• The dots are connected using French curve and
Pattern Master.
• The darts are marked by taking their centre
point and their length is always 1 cm away
from apex point.
• Back Bodice:
• The 1st notch on the block is aligned at the
nape and 2nd is aligned at the style tape.
• Measure CB to side seam on style tape and mark
on the block with ½ cm extra for ease.
• Pin the intersection of CB & style tape cross
grain.
• Pin the ease notch at side seam, add a pin
between while adjusting the fabric equally on
both sides of it.
• Flatten the fabric from CB to princess line on
waist & pin it.
• For back waist dart width measurement is fixed
– full form = 3 cm ; half form = 1.5 cm.
• Measure 1.5 cm from princess line, pin to side
seam & mark then pinch the fabric to form a
dart. Pull the fabric towards side seam while
smoothing everything, pin & slash if tension.
• For shoulder the steps are same as front
however the dart width is fixed – full = 1.25
cm ; half = 0.6 cm. measure and mark.
• Pin the dart at princess line & mark LSP.
• The marking is same as front.
• Remove the block from body form.
• Final Marking:
• For front dart their length 1 cm from apex
point then divide by two for width and mark
legs to meet at the point marked.
• For armhole go 1 cm down and out from the
original notch to add ease and movement.
• Length of shoulder dart at back is always 4 cm
towards the cross grain at princess line.
• Length of back waist dart is always 9 cm.
• Back armpit is same as front.
• Check is side seams are equal then freeze this
block and cut around it with 1 cm of
allowance.
• Pinning, Closing & Fitting:
• fold the waist dart and then pin with three
pins equally spaced, taking as tiny fabric as
possible.
• Pin all the dart equally in similar fashion.
• After pinning all the darts, make sure side
seam and shoulder seam is equal on both the
pieces.
• Crease and lay the back side seam over front
and check if they are equal and fit. To
correct unequal seam measure the seam on body
form 1 cm below armpit and correct the same.
• Crease and pin the side and shoulder seams
together.
• Put it on dress form and pin at CF waist &
nape and CB nape & waist to check fit.
• If there are no changes, trace it on the
paper.
• Basic Skirt:
• Start by marking straight grain line as same
way as for bodice.
• For cross grain, since it is a continuous
line, it is done in one go by keeping front
and back together symmetrically.
• place them at equal level from waist, mark 2
cm from edge on both for waist point. From
that waist point go 3 inches low to mark the
hip line.
• To mark side seam measure from side seam to
hip line and add ½ cm for ease and mark a line
at both pieces. these lines make the final
seam.
• To shape the skirt from waist, go in 0.75 cm
from side seam and mark a line from hip line
to above edge on both pieces.
• After marking, align the CF point and cross
grain point and pin.
• Then pin the top waist point and side seam.
• Pin the cross grain point between side seam
and CF.
• Pin the side waist seam with side seam.
• Pull the extra fabric into a dart and pin.
• Drape the back block using same steps as
above.
• Marking:
• Mark waist line with dots and mark the L notch
at darts.
• Dart length – half dress form = 4.5 cm (front)
; full dress form = 9 cm.
• After making darts put dart in place and use
pattern master to curve the waist a bit.
• Back darts the length – half form = 7 cm ;
full form = 14 cm.
• Repeat same steps for marking back block as
well.
• After marking, pin the darts and side seams
and put on body form.
• Pin the CF waist point, CB waist point and the
side seams.
• If fits well, take it off from dress form and
chop the extra fabric off leaving 1 cm
allowance.
• Crease back side seam and align cross grain
line and pin from cross grain to waist.
• Drape on body form and just pin on CF waist
point and CB waist point. If fits well, take
off and trace on paper.
Sewing ruching is simply a way of gathering,
pleating, or the folding of extra fabric. A
French word for ‘strip of cloth’, it is part
of the French couture that can be used to
make our garments fancier. Ruching is a
technique used to gather and create volume,
texture and interest in skirts, sleeves, and
bodices. It is created by gathering and
pleating excess fabric and can be symmetrical
or asymmetrical in design. Ruching is
especially popular on wedding gowns and gives
the bride an opportunity to show off a bit of
extra frill and fancy.
Designers are more than wise to this fact. In
recent seasons (read: since Spring 2017),
ruching has undergone something of a
renaissance. The ripple effect began with
Donatella Versace, Consuelo Castiglioni,
Simon Porte Jacquemus, Phillip Lim,
Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran and
more industry notables
 Three rectangle
pieces were cut ,
two for front and
one for back taking
extra fabric in
order to make it
easy while making
gathers.

The stitches were made

at middle and both sides
on front two pieces to
make volume and texture,
for back piece only
stitch was made on
sides. The front two
pieces were then inter
locked to make a loop
and back was made and
used to cover side
seams.
The initial process
of cutting rectangle
and sewing at middle
and either sides was
same as before
however, the two
pieces were the
length from back
waistline to front
waistline and a
third waist band was
cut to hold and hide
the stitch lines.
 WITH FLASH WITHOUT FLASH

Fabric used – Cotton modal ( Italian )

WITH FLASH WITHOUT FLASH
 WITH FLASH

Fabric used – Cotton modal ( Italian )

Cascading is a draping method in which zig-
zag shaped pieces of fabric falls gradually
like a waterfall from top to bottom. This
method is also called an ascot or jabot
depending upon the shape and pleat pattern
used to create a certain effect. To create
the cascade ruffle ,make an inner circle. The
circumference of the circle is the length
that the ruffle will be (un-gathered). One
can always gather the inner circle and then
make it any length, the ruffle will just be
fuller.
At Preen they were certainly flattering, not
to mention fluttering, imbuing shoulders,
waists and shins with an waifishness that
rendered the already airy models sylph-like.
At Simone Rocha, the designer subverted their
childlike associations via an ominous
soundtrack and satirical proportions.
 For the green
bodice, three
different sizes of
circles were cut
and slit at the
radius then placed
in a manner to form
the back & sleeve
and the front. The
front is placed as
a rose petal
layering manner to
give more depth and
grace to it.

For the grey garment,

same size of circles
were cut and slit at
the radius and then
arranged on a thin
band running diagonal
from one bust to
back. They were
arranged in a way
that it looks like
flowers cascading
from back to bust
over the shoulder.
 WITH FLASH WITHOUT FLASH

Fabric used – Cotton modal ( Italian )

WITH FLASH WITHOUT FLASH
 WITH FLASH WITHOUT FLASH

Fabric used – Cotton modal ( Italian )

WITH FLASH WITHOUT FLASH
Fluting was done by cutting bias strips
of fabric and putting them on the dress
form. The art of fluting is seen a lot
of times in haute couture garments and
it is a much favored technique among
designers. The strips are placed on
equal distances which create this kind
of effect.
Usually this technique is used in haute
couture and exclusive luxury pieces
that are exceptionally delicately
structured while also being flowy.
 For both the garments,
bias strips were cut
and ironed to have a
crisp folded edge and
then arranged in a
particular way to form
the bodice. Both have
waist bands as well
that was cut on
straight grain.

For green, it was

placed in a linear
and asymmetrical
way to form the
bodice at one
shoulder with a
waist band. For the
grey one it was
curved around each
bust in opposite
way to form bustier
and the same strips
were used to
overlap and form
the back.
 WITH FLASH WITHOUT FLASH

Fabric used – Cotton modal ( Italian )

WITHOUT FLASH
 WITH FLASH WITHOUT FLASH

Fabric used – Cotton modal ( Italian )

WITH FLASH WITHOUT FLASH