Seat Seam

Draw a straight line from the fork at Point E, running through the waist seam at the 1/2 inch mark you made. Continue this line past the mark, one or two inches beyond the plum line. I find it good practice to overshoot a little here, and make the line longer than you need it. That way you don’t have to add on to the line, which can be prone to error.

Hollow In

At a point 2 graduated inches from point E, measure in 3/4 of a graduated inch from the seat seam.

Seat Seam

Draw a curved line using your French curves, connecting point E, to the point you just made, joining in a smooth curve to the seat seam construction line.

Completing the Leg Seam

The upper part of the Leg seam of the back forms a very slight curve. Start from point E, and join the leg seam of the front, a little above the place where the dress and non-dress sides meet.

Draw a line 1/4 inch above the Side construction line. This is used to determine the correct height of the back.

Squaring up

Take your tailor’s square, and place it against the seat seam. Draw a line square from the seat seam to the point where it meets the side of the waist seam.

Back Waist

Seam Curve this line to a point equal to 1/4 your total waist, measuring from the Seat Seam.

Complete the Draft

From the point you just made on the back waist seam, connect to point B in a slightly curved line, meeting the straight line down to the bottom. Congratulations, the draft is now complete.

At this point you’ll want to trace each piece onto a fresh sheet of paper, and add .25 inch seam allowances around.

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It is now time to begin the draft itself. Make sure you have a large enough surface to work on, so that the whole draft may be on the table at once. Dining room tables are great for this. Take each step slowly, being sure to follow instructions carefully. If something seems off, go back a few steps and check your measurements. Above all, don’t get frustrated! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me via my website.

Plumb Line

Start off by drawing a long, straight line, referred to as the plumb line. This is a very important line, as it forms the basis for the entire draft, so if it is not straight, the draft will be off. The plumb line is also used to align the pattern with the straight grain of the fabric. Mark the right end as 0, which will be the cuff end of the trousers. The next few measurements are taken from that point.

Mark Vertical Points

Starting from the bottom, mark the length of the Leg Seam to measure. Next, do the same with the Front Length and Side Seams, making a mark at all three points. For the proportionate man, there will be 1/2″ difference between the Front and Side measurements. For the rest of us, rely on what your tape measure says, and also check out my unit on fitting thin and stout waists for more information.

Square Across

Next, take your tailor’s square and draw three horizontal lines from the Side, Leg Seam, and Bottom points. The waist line should be equal to 1/4 of your waist measurement. Note that the line at the Leg Seam extends across the plumb line to the left.

On the cuff line at zero, I usually make that about 10 common inches, or 8 1/2 graduated inches. It really depends on the style of trouser you are making and your preferences.

Waist Seam

Draw the waist seam from the top of the Front point, to the top of the side seam, as shown.

There are now two choices, use the graduated rulers, or by the common inch. Using the graduated ruler corresponding to your seat measurement, mark out the following:

A – B 9 3/8″
A – C 3 1/8″
A – D 2″
A – E 4 3/4″

If you choose to use the common inch, it is more complicated. The calculations are:

A – B One Quarter of the Hips
A – C One Third A – B
C – D 1 1/8 of an Inch
C – E Half of A – C

As you can see, using the graduated rulers is a lot easier, as there are no calculations necessary. However, if you want to use common inches, the included spreadsheet will make all the calculations for you.

Slope

On the Waist seam, measure 1/2 graduated inch from the plumb line, and mark this. This will give the angle of the seat seam, as you shall see. Be sure it is marked on the Waist seam itself, and not the construction line above it.

Leg Seam

The Leg seam is drawn as a straight line from point D, to the plumb line at 0.

Left Leg Seam

For the Left or Dress side of the Leg seam, draw a straight line from C down the line from the right side, at a point about 1/3 the length of the leg seam.

Hollow of the Fork

Measure out a line at 45 degrees from point A. This line should be two graduated inches long, for the left or dress side, and marked at 1 graduated inch for the curve of the right or non-dress side.

Devere’s pattern is for a pair of trousers with ‘dress’. One side is cut slightly larger to allow extra room for the gentleman. Typically I won’t bother with the two different front pieces and just use the larger piece for both fronts.

Right Crutch

Through the one inch mark you just made, draw a curve for the right side from point D, to a point on the plumb line 2 1/2 graduated inches above point A.

Left Crutch

Draw the left crutch by connecting C to the 2 inch mark on that 45 degree angle, and join it at the top of the plumb line where it meets the waist.

Drawing these curves is a lot easier if you use those French Curves!

Front Side Seam

The Side seam of the front is drawn in a straight line from the bottom, to point B, where it then goes on to meet the Waist in a nice graceful curve. The Fronts are now complete.

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