Next in our pattern drafting series, we're finishing our bodice draft with our back bodice piece. It's much easier to draft the front first. So if you haven't, go do so now! If you would rather watch this tutorial, there is video at the end of the post.

A few things we need to know about this pattern.
1. This block is made for woven fabrics (ie. non-stretchy fabrics)
2. This block stops at your natural waist (which is also where we will take measurements from)
3. The term "square out"/ "square down" means the line you are drawing will be at a 90 degree angle to the current line. You can use an L square or in a pinch you can use one of those clear rulers with eighth inch line markings.
3. You will need this block later on to create full length blouses, dresses, jackets, bras, swimsuits, and even to create our knit bodice block so you can make tees!

Let's get started!!!!

 1. Our first measurement is going to be from the highest point on our shoulder to our back waist. Using this measurement, draw a straight on the left side of your paper.
 2. At the top of that line we're going to square out the measurement from the nape of our neck at center back to our shoulder tip.
 3. From the end of this line, square down three inches.
4. Next measure from center back at your neckline to center back waist and use that measurement to measure up on our first vertical line and make a mark
 5. From that mark square out four inches.
 6. Next we're going to take our back bust line measurement. Do this by measuring from center back across to the side seam and adding three quarters of an inch. If you're using a dress form
this is going to be two inches below the arm plate. Use this measurement to draw a horizontal line out from our first vertical line being sure that your drawing it at a 90 degree angle
 7. At the end of that horizontal line, be sure to square up just like we did for the front of the bodice
 8. Our next measurement is going to be from center back waist to our shoulder tip and we're going
to add one eighth of an inch to this measurement. Then, we're going to connect from the bottom left corner of our drawing and rotate that up until we hit that vertical line on the far right side.
 9. Our next mark is going to be on our top horizontal line and it's going to be the measurement from our center back neck to our high point shoulder minus one eighth of an inch
 10. Next we're going to take our shoulder length measurement and add half an inch. From the mark that we made on the top horizontal line we're going to use this measurement to draw a line through the point that we made earlier on the right vertical line This measurement may or may not go past the diagonal line that we made earlier.
 11. Using this line as a guide, we're going to square down to hit our second horizontal line on the left hand side. 
 12. Once again, we're going to decide where we want our dart to be at for our back bodice and we're going to measure from center back out on our pattern piece to create the mark that's going to end up being our first dart leg.
 13. From that mark, we're going to measure out an inch and a half to the right for our other dart leg. 
 14. Mark the center of those two lines.
 15. Along that same line, were going to measure out the from the center back on our paper the measurement from our center back waist to our side seam plus one and a half inches for the
dart intake plus a quarter-inch for our ease.
 16. From that mark, we're going to square down three sixteenths of an inch. 
 17. Next, meausure your side seam. Take this measurement, and starting at the mark we just made, rotate it until it hits the right vertical line.
 18. Our next line is going to be squared up from the center of our dart and it's going to be the same
measurement as our side seam minus one inch.
 19. Now we're going to connect this line to the 2 marks that we made for our dart leg, and we're going to go past these two marks by one eighth of an inch.
 20. to create our waistline we're going to draw slightly curved lines from our dart legs to our center back waist and to our side seam waist.
 21. To create our shoulder seam, we're going to find the midpoint of this line and draw a three inch line out from there towards our dart point.
 22. On either side of this line we're going to mark out one quarter of an inch 
 23. Draw the right dart leg connecting the three inch line to the right quarter inch mark going past one-eighth of an inch.
 24. Take the measurement of this dart leg and use that measurement to draw the left dart leg going through that quarter-inch mark.
 25. Finish making the shoulder seam by connecting the dart legs to the neckline
and to our shoulder tip.
 26. Erase the old shoulder seam line, and this is what you should have.
 27. Our next line is going to be drawn one fourth of the way from our neckline to our waistline 
 28. Square a line out from that point the measurement from center back to mid-armhole
plus one quarter of an inch.
 29. Square up and down at the end of that line.
 30. Now we can draw our armhole in using our French curve just like we did on the
front bodice.
 31. To create our neckline, we're going to angle up a straight line three-eighths of an inch out from our intersecting lines that we have for it right now 
 32. Using our French curve again, create the neckline.
 33. We're done! At this point, some people like to leave their block as is, but I personally like to add seam allowance, notches, punch holes, and true my seams and darts.

Whew!!! We're done with our bodice block! Before using your block to make anything, test out the fit by making a muslin. Don't forget to keep all of your measurements! You never know when you will need them, and I promise the second you do nobody will be around to help you!


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