Sloper Patterns

Thanks all for your lovely comments on the shirts I made or refashioned from men's shirts. The ones in the last post are all that I have completed so far, but I have a few others that have been pulled apart and are currently in little piles awaiting re-cutting and sewing. I am determined not to let them become UFOs, but I seem to be good at doing that......

Anyway in response to a few questions raised in comments or emails to me on the last post, what I referred to as a 'block' pattern is also known as a 'sloper' pattern. I'm sure many of you know this, but for those that asked, a block/sloper is just a basic fitting pattern that you draft up according to your own measurments, and then add and alter for all the details that make up a garment.

Now that sounds harder than it actually is, because the sewing pattern companies actually have a basic fitting pattern that can be used as a base for re-drafting according to your own measurments. At the pattern drafting course I did at an evening college, we used Vogue 1004:

From that basic pattern, I added extra width to the hips, changed the darts according to my waist and bust measurments, narrowed the shoulders - all the fitting modifications you would normally do to a ready to use pattern, except that this basic pattern forms the base for either making your own patterns, or making basic clothing like pencil skirts.

Since I'm no skilled pattern drafter or fashion designer, I've only used my sloper/block patterns to make basic clothing items like pencil skirts, a-line skirts and the shirts I showed in my last post. Using the block pattern, I added details such as cuffs, collar + stand and centre front button band, by using pattern pieces from other favourite patterns, just drafting them to fit the block pattern.

The real benefits of using a personalised sloper/block pattern is that you can be sure of the fit, but for me it does mean quite basic, simple pieces of clothing, which sometimes is what you want. But even though I have sloper/block patterns, I still like trying out new patterns and styles and hence I keep buying patterns......

Anyway, the weekend is only a few hours away and I'm planning to finish the hem on one dress that I made during the week, and sew up another that I cut out and interfaced, so hopefully next week I'll have some pretty pictures for you!