Draft the pattern starting from a contoured dress (dress with darts and zero wearing ease).
Our method for drafting perfectly made to measure basic blocks (as this contoured one) and for fitting them is explained in basic blocks course/module 1.

Mirror both front and back, then:

• lengthen both to ground
• flare front on both sides by at least 12 to 16cm at hemline, blending to zero at waist to hip section
• flare back on right side only by matching measurement to front
• add 30 to 50cm to left side of center back line to create the train volume to right back skirt, blending to zero to hip level (back skirt is symmetric so we only work on half of it).

Now lengthen new center back slanted line by 50 to 80cm (train length).

Square down from back dart apex to hemline, flare on each side by 20cm, then lengthen both slanted lines by 20 to 30cm.

Lengthen back and front side seams by 5 to 10cm and draw all sections of the train starting at right angle from slanted center back line and blending to zero at front hemline approx 20cm before center front.
Do not worry much about hemline shape now as we just need a draft of it – when tracing separate copies we’ll check and adjust its shape).

Cut through waistlines to separate bodices and skirts.

Trace separate copies of skirts (there is an overlap on back, so you cannot just cut pieces separately). You get:

• center back skirt
• side back panel
• front skirt.

On each piece, mark grainline parallel to original center or perpendicular to waistline.

On front, draw on each side a slanted line from side seam 10 to 12cm below waistline to dart apex. Cut through both lines and tape waist darts closed, opening matching volumes to the new slash lines.

On both back and front, draw 2 slash lines starting from waist on left side seam 2,5 to 4cm apart and ending on right side seam 4 to 7cm apart.

Match measurements on back and front, then cut through the lines.