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Today's Topic: SLOPERS
Ooops - not THAT kind of sloper! That's what we call a "sloper" in climbing - a hold that you can't get a good grip on, because of it's slope.
But my confession has to do with garment slopers. I have never made one and while I (vaguely) know what they are, I am not 100% sure how you would use one once you had made it. (My hope is that, if you leave it in the same room as a new pattern overnight, they merge and the new pattern automatically fits you!)
How about you? Have you ever made a sloper? If so, for what type of garment? A top? Pants? Was it difficult to make? Did you find it useful for adjusting other patterns? Did it solve all (most?) of your fitting issues?
9 comments:
A sloper is the basic pattern we use to construct all patterns from. Its the pattern a designer starts off with then moves the darts, seams to different areas to make different styles.
Each pattern company uses a different sloper. This is why sizes are different with each company and also why you have to take your measurements to check against each pattern. You never want to assume the size because they could have started with a different sloper.
Making a sloper is the first thing you make when learning patternmaking. I haven't made one in years or even drawn out my own patterns in years because it's all about time for me and it's all been done before. I'll find something already made and tweak it to my liking.
I love Friday Confession!
THANKS GWEN!
I've never even heard of a sloper in regards to sewing! That shows how out of touch I am with adult sewing. When you are sewing for kiddies, it's much easier. I am concerned that my oldest grand is 9 going on 10 and will soon start having more shape than straight up and down! Ha
I've never made one. Maybe I need to because I can get my sleeves to fit worth a darn. It could be operator error ;)
I don't make slopers. But, I do make a muslin for almsot every new pattern.
Happy New Year! I never made a sloper until I purchased and started using Wildginger. You make a sloper fitting garment first and once you get all of the adjustments made to it, the rest of your garments will fit really great! I also have used the sloper flat pattern to adjust the fit of my commercial patterns.
I made a sloper when I was in design school, and even though I continue to make my own patterns, I haven't used it since I left. It's a lot of work to create one, and I've changed sizes too often in the last 10 years. I tend to make knit things, and those are more forgiving on fit. I do have a basic tee shirt pattern that I use like a sloper for those patterns, though, so maybe that counts.
I know how, and I have for at least one type of garment for everything, but mostly I draft from my measurements the garment I want (which in itself is making a sloper) like the style of Dorothy Moore's book.
Be aware you draft to the finished garment, they will not have seam allowances. I know this and still have to remind myself of that.
I don't have much fitting issues, to be really honest. If I know the piece of something I want to make is the same as a pattern I have, I'll just use that and mix and natch instead of drafting. Some do, obviously, I just trace the pattern onto newsprint and alter it to my measurements, then re-add seam allowances.
I took a Pattern Review class last fall for skirt muslins, and the idea was to make a "master pattern" of sorts for a well-fitted straight skirt that could function as a sloper. So I guess I do have a skirt sloper. Of course, due to time constraints and the fact that I haven't been able to sew a single garment since the dress from hell that I wore to my brother's October wedding (jumped right into a remodeling project that I'm still sewing for after), I haven't actually used it to make a skirt yet! I do still have the instructions on how to use it to fit another skirt pattern, thankfully, so we'll see if it works...
I weigh about 360lbs and have too many fitting issues to bother with commercial patterns. I paid a local seamstress to make me a sloper from shoulders to low hip and use it to draft my tops and dresses, which I then sew. I've been doing pretty simple designs so far but I'm starting to expand into drafting my own collars and fancy sleeves. I know it seems like a lot of work but the amount of frustration I save by not having to modify commercial patterns is so worth it!
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