Draft a Scoop Neckline

Scoop Neckline Sample Garment (1/2 scale)

This lesson guides you through drafting a classic scoop neckline and drafting a matching one-piece neckline facing.

Pattern Requirements & Design Specifications

Base Patterns: Front and back bodice slopers/blocks. If you don't have them, download the 103 front and back bodice SVG as a starting point. Learn how to use the Import PMP SVG tool.
Scoop Depth: Fully customizable based on preference (this demonstration uses a depth of 5" / 127 mm).
Shoulder Width: Narrowed to a finished width of 2" / 50 mm.
Neckline Stability: Front and back side-neck points are shifted inward to eliminate excess slack along the seamline, preventing gaping and sagging.
Facing: Complete step-by-step instructions for drafting a clean-finish, one-piece all-in-one facing are included.

New to these instructions? Practice Basics explains point movement, how to read each step and contains other helpful tips.

Preparing Your Patterns

Aligning the front and back patterns at the shoulder to draft necklines, collars, or facings is a destructive process. Complete all of your neckline shaping on the original drafts first. When you are ready to create facings, copy the outlines and necessary points from both the front and back onto separate, dedicated layers.

Hide your working layers and build your facings from these duplicates to keep your original blocks intact. While these steps are detailed in the instructions below, using duplicate layers will quickly become second nature for all your drafting.

Layers > Select Active Layer

1Front Pattern

Switch to the Front Pattern layer.

Points > Add Point on Line/Curve

2Pre Side Nk Fr

Select: ^FRShoulder Line Front

End: ^FCShoulder Front

Distance: 2" or 50 mm

Save & Split

Points > Add Point Perpendicular

3Side Nk Fr

Origin: ²Pre Side Nk Fr

Vector: ^FCShoulder Front

Distance: 0.25" or 6 mm

Make sure the point is below the ²Pre Side Nk Fr

Save

Points > Add Point on Line/Curve

4Ctr Nk Fr

Select: ^FKCenter Front

End: ^FACenter Neck Front

Distance: 5" or 127 mm

Save & Split

Curves > Add Curve

5Neckline Fr

From: ⁴Ctr Nk Fr to ³Side Nk Fr

Curve Points: 1

Create a gentle scoop neckline.

Finish > Curve Truing

6True Neckline

First: ⁵Neckline Fr

Seam: ^FKCenter Front 1

Second: ⁵Neckline Fr

Seam: ^FKCenter Front 1

Move the green curve point to create a smooth curve. Update to view changes.

Lines > Add Line

7Shoulder Line Fr

From: ^FCShoulder Front to ³Side Nk Fr

Layers > Select Active Layer

8Back Pattern

Switch to the Back Pattern layer.

Points > Add Point on Line/Curve

9Pre Side Nk Bk

Select: ^BRShoulder Line Back

End: ^BCShoulder Back

Distance: 2" or 50 mm

Save & Split

Points > Add Point Perpendicular

10Side Nk Bk

Origin: ⁹Pre Side Nk Bk

Vector: ^BCShoulder Back

Distance: 0.25" or 6 mm

Make sure the point is below the ⁹Pre Side Nk Bk

Save

Lines > Add Line

11Shoulder Line Bk

From: ¹⁰Side Nk Bk to ^BCShoulder Back

Points > Add Point on Line/Curve

12Ctr Nk Bk

Select: ^BKCenter Back

End: ^BACenter Neck Back

Distance: 1" or 25 mm

Save & Split

Curves > Add Curve

13Neckline Bk

From: ¹²Ctr Nk Bk to ¹⁰Side Nk Bk

Curve Points: 1

Great a smooth slight curve.

Finish > Curve Truing

14True Neckline

First: ¹³Neckline Bk

Seam: ^BKCenter Back_1

Second: ¹³Neckline Bk

Seam: ^BKCenter Back_1

Create a smooth transition. Update to view changes.

Finish > Curve Truing

15True Shoulder

First: ⁵Neckline Fr

Seam: ⁷Shoulder Line Fr

Second: ¹³Neckline Bk

Seam: ¹¹Shoulder Line Bk

Move the green curve points to create a smooth curve. Update to view changes.

16Finish Front & Back Patterns

Finish the patterns as you normally would by adding seam allowances, labeling, grainlines, etc.

Now we will move on to the facing.

Layers > Copy Items to Layer

17Facing Trace Front

Select: ^FDArmpit Front, ^FQArmhole Front, ^FCShoulder Front, ⁷Shoulder Line Fr, ³Side Nk Fr, ⁵Neckline Fr, ⁴Ctr Nk Fr, ^FKCenter Front_1

New Layer: Facing Trace Front

Parent: PMP

Find: (leave blank) Replace: _Facing

Save

Layers > Copy Items to Layer

18Facing Trace Back

Select: ^BDArmpit Back, ^BQArmhole Back, ^BCShoulder Back, ¹¹Shoulder Line Bk, ¹⁰Side Nk Bk, ¹³Neckline Bk, ¹²Ctr Nk Bk, ^BKCenter Back_0

New Layer: Facing Trace Back

Parent: PMP

Find: (leave blank) Replace: _Facing

Save & Switch

Layers > Layer Visibility

19Hide Layers

Hide all Layers except the Facing Trace layers.

Layers > Align Layers

20Align Shoulders

Stay Layer: Facing Trace Front

Move Layer: Facing Trace Back

Stay Target: ³Side Nk Fr

Move Target: ¹⁰Side Nk Bk

Stay End: ^FCShoulder Front

Move End: ^BCShoulder Back

Overlap: 0 Zero

Curves > Add Curve

21Facing Neckline

From: ⁴Ctr Nk Fr to ¹²Ctr Nk Bk

Curve Points: 2

Follow ¹³Neckline Bk and ⁵Neckline Fr curves smoothing at the shoulder join. Don't vary more than 0.625 to 0.125 (1.5-3 mm) away from the shoulder point.