Sunday 31 January 2010

Pattern Drafting

So what do I do when I'm not writing scintillating posts or keeping my house spotlessly clean? Yeah....well, I mentioned earlier that I'm desperate to improve my sewing skills. This being me, I have to make that as complicated as possible by starting at the very beginning with drafting a pattern. I encountered this technique a few years ago when I took an evening sewing class. It was pretty easy to draft a simple skirt with a zipper; then again, there was a knowledgeable teacher standing nearby.

There is some logic in that one of my main motivations is to have clothing that actually fits well, something not always easily attained when one is being frugal. Dressmaking patterns are no better in this direction than ready to wear clothing, and so I figured I needed to make a 'block' or a 'sloper' (and there are several others words that seem to be used to refer to this). Simply put, it is a piece of cloth or cardboard made to your own measurements, used to adjust commercial patterns before using them.


At this writing I've not yet achieved the desired outcome, though I'm on my 3rd try. I started out using this guy's instructions, but it didn't work at all. Not sure it was intended for this purpose, so that's OK.


Then I found this guy's video and after watching about a million times and making notes I thought I had it down, but then when I went to do the draft, there were still a couple of marks about which I was unsure. He only shows the front of a bodice anyhow, and I need a back as well!


Then there was this lady's video, which happened to show the pages of a book she was using. All I will say about this video is that it made me aware of how difficult it would be to make a good one all on your own. I've no doubt she understands what she's doing, but I finally froze the video and copied from the book over her shoulder so to speak. When I read 'centre' instead of 'center', I went to the library and there it was. That's what I'm working from now.

Cross your fingers for me!

2 comments:

Frugal Scholar said...

Just the thought of sewing gives me a panic attack!

Jo said...

Went to a class on how to adjust patterns to make a personal fit, but I don't remember where I put the information. As you have probably guessed, since retiring, I don't sew. And since there is a place to get slacks for $10, it is not worth spending the time making them.