Tools Used:
- Pattern Paper
- French Curve
- Pencil
- Eraser
- Clear Ruler
Directions:
1. Mark Line A-B as your HPS to Waist measurement
2. From Point A create Line A-C using Shoulder Length measurement + ½”
3. From Point C drop 2” to create line C-D
4. Line D-E will be your Shoulder Length + ½”
5. From Point B create Point F as length of Center Back measurement
6. Square ½” out at Point F
7. Joining Point F to Point E using Hip Curve create back neckline
8. Point G is the midpoint measurement of Line F-B, drop an additional 1-1/4” down and mark as G
9. From Point G create Line G-H using half your Back Bust measurement + ½”
10. Point I is midpoint of Line F-G
11. From Point I create line I-J using across back measurement minus ½”
12. From Point G create Point K at using ½ across back measurement
13. From Point K draw ½” line on diagonal to create Point L
14. Use Hip Curve to create armhole by connecting Point D to Point J to Point L to Point H
15. From Point B using ½ Back Waist measurement plus 1-3/4” create Line B-M
16. Point N is at midpoint of Line G-K
17. Meaure Line G-N and subtract ¾” to create Point O which is your first dart leg closest to Point B
18. Point P is 1-1/2” away from Point O
19. Join Point H to Point M for Side Length, if your Side Length measurement is longer, extend Point M and blend new Side Length Point M to Point P using Hip Curve
20. Create Dart Legs by connecting Point P to Point N and Point O to Point N
21. Find midpoint of Shoulder Length Line D-E join this mark to Point N, from shoulder midpoint extend that mark 1/2” up, join midpoint of Line D-E to Point N using your ruler
22. Create Shoulder Dart marking 3” below new Shoulder center point extension, to create Vanishing Point of Dart
23. Out ¼” on either side of center point of dart draw extension
24. Join each Dart Leg to the Vanishing Point
25. Draw new shoulder seam line by connecting Point D to dart leg and Point E to corresponding dart leg
26. Add seam allowances
7 comments
I’m finding Line F-E seems really short and oddly shaped. It is almost diagonal. What could I be doing wrong?
Should Line A-C should be half of the across back measurement + 1/2″? not shoulder length? (similar to Front Bodice where Line A-C will be half of your across chest measurement +3/8”)
Perfectly explained back bodice sloper tutorial! I’m new to pattern drafting and I can easily understand this tutorial! Thank you so much Helen!
#11 – Isn’t that supposed to be half of the cross back measurement, plus 1/2″? (newbie here)
THIS IS WRONG: 2. From Point A create Line A-C using Shoulder Length measurement + ½”
There is no way that line A-C is from the SHOULDER LENGTH! What should it actually be? The pattern is wrong from this point on, and it’s only #2!
THIS is incorrect as well: 11. From Point I create line I-J using across back measurement minus ½” – because that line would be way way too long.
There are a few mistakes in this post as other commenter’s have pointed out but by looking at the pictures and using some logic I had no trouble figuring out the correct measurements. Step 2 is not shoulder length but rather the across shoulder measurement (my shoulder length is 3.75 in and my across shoulders/end of one shoulder to far end of other is closer to 15in. Divide by half because you’re only drafting for one side of your body)… For step 11, use the across back measurement divided by two. I’m not positive if it means to then subtract a half inch (not sure what the purpose would be) or if that is supposed to say to subtract half of the measurement, but even a perfectly drafted sloper is still probably gonna need a couple tweaks to fit your body perfectly so I wasn’t worried about being perfectly accurate on the one measurement.
I haven’t sewed up my sloper yet but this was the first drafting method that actually got me a pattern that even remotely works… I kept doing one on a different website that had the end of my shoulder come out to more than an inch HIGHER than my HPS, like as if my shoulders sloped upwards instead of down lol. So I’m pleased to see that this at least looks like a human body. Looking forward to seeing how it sews up