Part 2 - How To Drape Your Design Onto A Dress Form, a run through.

The second part of this tutorial is designed to show you precisely the movements needed to "smoothe out the fabric" over the dress forms "hills" and "mounds" aka bust, waist, buttocks, etc, ...

When draping, we always start with a freshly ironed 20x 20 inch piece of fabric (stretchy fabric in this case).

As you start pinning from the Center Front (CF) of the mannequin, you will then "smooth the fabric out" towards the edges. You achieve this by slightly pinning the fabric in place as you pull gently to smoothe out the creases that are not in the design, ei, darts.

Working on the Right* side of the dress form, place your first pin at the Center Neck (CN).

Then smooth the fabric across the dress forms chest and shoulders over to the arm. Pin. Cut and notch fabric around armhole to release tension.

Smooth out the fabric around and out to the waist seam. Pin. Notch fabric to release tension, and re- pin to hold.

Repeat for the hip area and pin.

Cut out the fabric, tracing your design lines. (Hint: If you're using a design tape with texture, or a see-through fabric for draping, you can trace the lines with dress makers chalk, and then cut on those lines.

To release fabric tension in any area, remeber to snip notches into the fabric, taking care to not cut through the seam line. Grade down. Snip notches again if necesary.

*(Please note that I've draped this design on the Left side of the mannequin, because I had a crick in my back, which made it painful for me to work on the other side).