This session started with a question I have been asking myself for a while: where are the nice tops? Most of what is in the shops right now is either a t-shirt, a cropped piece, something very loose or something very tight and bodycon. So I brought a few designs I liked and we voted on which one to make first.

The winner was a jersey top with a gentle drape falling down one side while the other side runs straight and close to the body. It is not a twist, even though it can look like one. It is a drape built into the pattern, and that is the technique I wanted to show.

This is a hybrid of pattern making and fitting rather than draping on the form. I worked from my own knit top pattern, so you can follow along with a knit t-shirt block, a torso block, or a t-shirt you love the fit of that you have traced into a pattern.

What We Covered:

• Showed the shortlist of designs and explained what I liked in each: the one sided drape, a low waisted flowy top for wide leg trousers, a high neck with sleeves, and a bias cut top whose shoulder detail I want to come back to.
• Explained why the design suits a drapey jersey: one side falls in soft folds from under the bust, the other side stays straight, and the neckline and sleeve can change later once the body pattern works.
• Talked about how the weight of the jersey changes the result. A heavier knit pulls the drape down and starts the folds higher, a light jersey will not pull the same way.
• Started from a knit top pattern rather than a woven block, and noted that a woven block is a different size and would need adjusting first. The same method works in a woven if you prefer.
• Traced the pattern onto fresh paper close to the edge, longer than a top so it could become a short dress, and marked the centre front, bust, waist and hip lines.
• Used one pattern for the body front and back. Only the neckline and armhole need to come from the back block, everything below that is shared.
• Drew the drape lines from the side seam toward the opposite side, following where the folds sit on the design: starting under the bust and fanning down to below the waist.
• Transferred the side seam onto the paper underneath before cutting anything, so the original line is never lost once the pieces start to move.
• Slashed along each line up to, but not through, the straight side, then spread each slash to create a curve, pinning as I went so nothing shifted.
• Kept the spreads similar from one slash to the next. A big jump between neighbouring slashes gives an uneven drape.
• Explained where to stop the slashing for different figures. With a short torso, keep the drape low. With a long torso and a larger bust, avoid putting drape directly under the bust, because it draws the eye there.
• Joined the spread points into one smooth, consistent curve along the draped side, with the option of going out one or two centimetres for a more relaxed look.
• Pointed out that the ease comes from the pattern you start with. If your knit block is fitted and you want a relaxed top, add that ease to the whole pattern now, not just to the draped side.
• Cut the first sample with seam allowance only at the shoulders and side seams, leaving the neckline and armhole without it, because the first sample is only there to check the body and where the openings land.
• Drafted the back from the same pattern. If the drape runs all the way up, the back needs it too. Above the armhole, trace the back neckline and armhole from your block.
• Added notches at the waist and hip on both sides so the draped side and the straight side match up when sewing.
• Cut the sample on the fold in a printed jersey and sewed the shoulders and sides. It is a very slippery jersey, so pin closely and take your time.
• Put it on the form and then on myself. The fitted side sat close to the body as planned and the drape was slight, which is what I wanted, but it was far too long.
• Shortened it to just above the hip line, which made an immediate difference, and then reworked the pattern from what the fitting showed.
• Closed the lowest slashes back up so the hem stays close to the body rather than flaring, and straightened the lower side a little.
• Opened the upper slash by about two more inches to put more drape where it flatters, then redrew the curve and the seam allowance for the next sample.

Questions & Answers:

• Q: Do we put notches at the hip and waist to match the front and the back?
• A: Yes, at both. The waist and hip lines have to match perfectly. On the straight side that sits close to the body you may want a notch or two more, depending on how you like to sew.
• Q: I thought the back would stay plain. Does the back get the same drape?
• A: It does, because the drape has to carry round. If the back is plain below the armhole the side seams will not match. Above the armhole the back is just your block’s neckline and armhole.
• Q: I have a long torso and a larger bust. Where should the drape start for me?
• A: Higher, around the bust line, and not underneath it. Folds just under the bust bring all the attention there, so stop the slashing before that point.

The printed jersey hid most of the drape on camera, even though it looked good in the mirror, and it was also lighter than this design needs. A heavier viscose or rayon interlock has the weight to pull the folds down and show the drape properly.

Next time I am cutting the corrected pattern in a plain, heavier jersey so you can actually see the folds. Once that works we will go over different versions: other necklines, sleeves, and longer and shorter lengths from the same pattern. I also want to start a Chanel style jacket for myself before winter.