Start from a basic dress with darts and 6 to 8cm wearing ease at bust circ, then:

• on both front and back, draw the style line separating bodice and skirt (marked in red here) 5 to 7cm above waistline
• draw the neckline on back starting 3 to 4cm below armpit level, and ending at side seam 1cm below it (green line), lengthen it 1cm past side seam for a roomier bodice
• draw the neckline on front starting at same level on side seam, passing close to armhole bottom section. Start again from center front, perpendicular to it, 5 to 8cm above bust level. Lengthen this line to 4 or 5cm before armhole, and create an angle where the two lines intersect: this will be the shoulder strap position. Lengthen neckline 1cm past side seam for a roomier bodice, if you did it on back
• square down (blue lines) from neckline outermost point to bodice bottom line
• draw a reference for shoulder strap from this angle to shoulder midpoint on front, then on back from shoulder midpoint to neckline midpoint
• on center front line, mark a short line where you want the skirt to end (I suggest about 20cm above knee level) and where you want the first tier to end (I suggest 14 to 18cm below bodice bottom line).

*Our method for drafting perfectly made to measure basic blocks, choosing wearing ease and for fitting them is included in our basic blocks course/module 1.

Trace back and front bodices.

On back, erase dart and label center, on fold.

On front, erase both darts. Label center, on fold and gathers at uppermost line.

Now measure bodice bottom line and multiply it by 2 to calculate the dress underbust circumference.

Use this whole measurement divided by 6,28 (which is 2π) to calculate the radius for a full circle skirt.

Draw a right angle at top right of a new sheet, and use the radius you found to draw. a quarter of a circle.