Start from a basic dress with no darts (or just waist darts as shown) with 14cm ease on bust and waist and 6 to 10 on hips.* Ground length or desired measurement.
You can vary wearing ease depending on the fabric you use and the fit you prefer.

On both front and back:

• draw the raglan construction line (shown in red here) from neckline 3 to 5cm from high shoulder point to armhole 3 to 5cm above armpit
• draw the high low waistline: start in center back 1,5cm below waist, draw a fat curve that meets side seam 1,5cm above waist, continue curve on front meeting center front about 5cm above waistline.

On front, draw the slit line halfway in hip section, squaring up to new waistline and down to hemline.

*Our method for drafting perfectly made to measure patterns and for fitting them is part of our basic blocks course/module 1.

The previous raglan line is the one to be transferred to the sleeve. Now let’s draw the dotted red line on both front and back bodice – it will be traced up to here. In the middle of previous raglan line, square up 0,5 to 0,7cm on back and 0,3 to 0,5cm on front, then draw very flat curve to neckline and side seam 1 to 1,5cm below armpit. This small overlap adds a bit of ease and comfort to raglan sleeve.

Shape center back taking in 1 to 1,5cm at waist and blending to zero at shoulder blades level, then flare center back by 8 to 14cm at hemline.

Flare a matching amount also from side seams.

Draw the inner skirt hemline 40cm down from natural waist (or desired measurement) and mark a notch along slit line 3 to 5cm below inner skirt hemline.

Trace bodice and inner skirt pieces splitting them at the curved waistline.

Mark waist and hip level with notches.

Front bodice and skirt will be cut on fabric fold, trace grainline parallel to original center back on both back bodice and skirt.

if you’ll go for a smocked bodice, I suggest to cut one more layer, plain, as inner bodice to make the dress more comfortable and resistant. You can do this also if your outer bodice is plain but fabric is a bit sheer 😉