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Translating drawing to block
How to mark the block
The translation of a design drawing to pattern requires an eye trained for proportions. Most design drawings are sketched on a figure with distorted proportions. The legs and neck are too long and the figure too slender. These sketches are often inspiring and wonderful to look at but unfortunately give a false image of the human body and it is a key task of the pattern cutter to address this.
It is essential when cutting a block or a pattern that the correct information is supplied. A bodice block, for example, has to show the horizontal lines of the bust-, waist- and hiplines. Parts of the block such as the waist and bust points should be notched or punch marked (holes and notches indicate where the separate pieces of fabric will be attached to one another) and the grain line must be indicated. This will clearly show the position in which the pattern should be placed on the fabric. Additional information must be written clearly in the centre of the block, including whether it is a front or back piece, a tight- or loose-fitted bodice block and the sample size, preferably with the measurements and any allowances to be made when constructing the block.
Once the pattern has been constructed the seam allowance can be added. Seam allowance can vary in size from a narrow 0.5cm for a neckline (to avoid having to clip or trim the seam) to 2.5cm in the centre back of trousers (to be able to let some out if the waist gets too tight). Seams that are to be joined together should always be the same width. Mark the width of the seam allowance on the block. Usually, the block ends up being divided into further pattern pieces. At this point, therefore, the information should be reconsidered accordingly, except the grain line and front or back information, which are always transferred to the new pieces.
How to read a design drawing > Dart manipulation
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