I’ve started with the waist of the conic block ending in line with the waist of the chemise. I can pivot the block against the center front of the pattern I’m drawing to get a guide on the armscye (so I don’t draw one that’s too small!). You can do the same with your princess line pattern – line up the center front piece with the center front line of your draft, and pivot the side front at the bust like we did when we made the original chemise. Also, I can use it as a visual guide to make sure I don’t draw a waist that’s too small. Remember, this pattern isn’t going to fit the body as tightly as the conic block or the princess line patterns do, so give yourself a little more than the block/pattern you’re using as a guide shows. The guide is just there to show you the shape of the body, so we can draw a pattern that will fit around it!
“About like this”?!? Seriously, missa? Ahem. Ok, this pattern isn’t exactly rocket surgery – it lacks that level of precision (and risk). Because the final garment only loosely fits the body, we get to play a little fast and loose with our angles. All we need is to make sure that we have room for the hip before the garment actually hits the fullness of the hip. Fabric has the marvelous quality of being all flopsey-drapesy, so if the hip line is above the hip, so what? It’ll just drape, which is fine, because this isn’t a fitted garment. On the other hand, if the fullness isn’t provided before it’s needed, the garment will bunch up around the hips. That’s never good! If you’ve got a full princess line sloper (or your princess line pattern, sans seam allowances), you can check to make sure this line hits above the curve of the hip. Or, you can do what I did, and eyeball it based on the angle in the Kohler sketch. Err on the side of caution (higher, rather than lower, in this case). Clear as mud?
Next…. The Hem, Neckline, and Back