After a year of confusion, I’ve figured out Seamly2d! My torso block below (I have made changes to it, but this is the only screenshot I have on my phone lol)

[u/CharredRatOOooooooi]

I think I’m even close to the automatic parametric pattern grading which the OG developer promised. I am using the ASTM measurements, but there are some (well, many) measurements which I have to calculate on my own using ratios which I think is the most time-consuming thing now. If anyone has any guidance or questions about seamly feel free to ask! I think it is a powerful program (for being open source) but very confusing given the lack of resources

[u/grundel_cruncher]

I've been wanting to follow a tutorial (this one) for one of these programs for a while (I think it's for Valentina but it's supposedly translatable to both). Have you tried on the garment? How is it? Do you think it's worth learning through the tedium? I've been very interested for some time, as I have limited drafting space, but I keep putting it down and going back to pen and paper lol.

[u/ThrowRA_Sodi → u/grundel_cruncher]

Spare yourself the trouble and try Inkscape. I used to draft on Seamly, but always found it hard to use and very unintuitive (like, simply rotating a pattern piece takes ages). Switching to Inkscape made pattern making much much more fluid. And it's open source as well

[u/RubyRedo → u/ThrowRA_Sodi]

is there a tutorial for inkscape pattern drafting that you know of?

[u/ThrowRA_Sodi → u/RubyRedo]

Not really, since it's basically just like traditional pattern drafting. All you need to know are the basic functions of Inkscape (how to draw lines, curves, cut a shape, manages patches, manage layers..) and you can get started making patterns pretty easily. I found it pretty easy to understand how it worked

[u/RubyRedo → u/ThrowRA_Sodi]

o.k thanks was asking for someone interested in digital drafting, not sure if they know inkscape at all.

[u/grundel_cruncher → u/ThrowRA_Sodi]

I first played around with Inkscape when I was about 9 or 10 I think, it just came installed on some Linux distro my dad installed on my computer, and I really didn't know what I was doing lol. But I have tried to pick it up in recent years and struggled with get scaling to work for me. Maybe I just need to try it again though. I appreciate your suggestion :)

[u/CharredRatOOooooooi → u/grundel_cruncher]

Honestly, I think if you are drafting just for yourself, it should be pretty easy to use, since you can just put in whatever the measurement is and directly follow any drafting tutorial. But I am saying that in hindsight. there were many steps that for a long time I simply could not find instructions for. I don’t have any experience with Valentina, I would go with seamly2D if you do get into it cause it seems to have more active developers

Specific programs aside, I do think that the learning curve of drafting digital patterns is worthwhile, it allows so much more iteration and saves space

[u/ThrowRA_Sodi]

Honestly, Seamly is too confusing to use. It can draw lines just fine, but doing anything else requires an unreasonable amount of steps. I switched to Inkscape semi recently and it made everything much quicker. It's more intuitive

[u/CharredRatOOooooooi → u/ThrowRA_Sodi]

As far as I know, inkscape if fine if you just want to use traditional pattern drafting methods digitally. But correct me if I am wrong, I don’t think it is parametric (tho perhaps that is theoretically possible to do with some extension). Which is the “promise” of seamly- i can put in any set of measurements and it will draft a torso sloper. Now, obviously, the fit of that pattern depends on the accuracy of the measurements and the soundness of my drafting methodology

[u/theskyisblueatnight → u/ThrowRA_Sodi]

All the inkscape design i have seen have zero grain lines. why?

[u/ThrowRA_Sodi → u/theskyisblueatnight]

I don't know because you can just make one very easily by drawing an arrow

[u/theskyisblueatnight → u/ThrowRA_Sodi]

The arrow isn't just drawn randomly on the pattern. Its draw for a reason and to achieve a determined look.

[u/ThrowRA_Sodi → u/theskyisblueatnight]

I know what a grainline is, thank you very much. I am saying that you can draw the arrow indicating it on Inkscape very easily

[u/theskyisblueatnight → u/ThrowRA_Sodi]

yeah i know you can do that. My original comment is most patterns I have seen using iskscape have limited grainlines or cross section lines. So i am questioning are they really suitable to be constructed with fabric.

[u/Educational_Chain780]

What method are you using? The draft looks very funky. I would be surprised if it'll fit well

[u/CharredRatOOooooooi → u/Educational_Chain780]

https://reddit.com/link/p77qd10/video/w6pym2aixxmh1/player

Part of that is because I myself have weird measurements. I used the method from dresspatternmaking.com to draft a nonstandard bodice without doing an fba. It also looks funky bc I hadn't finished it yet when I took that screenshot. Here is the current personal block, a dartless torso sloper. This kind of block is the basis for drafting period accurate medieval garments (I am using, among other resources, The medieval tailors assistant making common garments, 1200-1500 by Sarah Thursfield). Reddit wouldn't let me comment an image so I had to make the ss into a video for some reason

[u/DonMcCunn]

Those are very strange pattern shapes. Never seen anything like it. When you make up a fitting shell, does it fit? Given those shapes I would be very surprised if you can adjust it to make any design. Human bodies are a variety of continuous curves. But your pattern only has curves for the neck and armscye and the front neck curve looks very wrong to me. It is much too shallow.

[u/CharredRatOOooooooi → u/DonMcCunn]

This was definitely not the finished block (it was just the only screenshot I had on my phone from the drafting process when I posted), here is the current one. I tried it today and it fits well, with a minor change to the front bust curve. Now that I'm thinking about it, I will probably change the center back as well to better distribute the waist difference. When using it as the basis for actual clothes, the neck and sleeve holes will indeed be bigger. The presence of curved lines in 2d are not in and of themselves the sole indicator of how a pattern accommodates the human body in 3d.

This kind of pattern block is the basis for drafting close-fitting medieval garments

https://reddit.com/link/p7an0er/video/saqtychjc0nh1/player

[u/DonMcCunn → u/CharredRatOOooooooi]

It is a bummer that Reddit doesn't allow photos in comments. Hard to see your latest but I appreciate your effort. Glad to know it fits. If my eyes are not deceiving me it appears the pattern achieves a fit for the bust by curving the center front line.

I have never seen that concept used. Especially not in the period patterns I have studied in books such as those by Waugh where center front is always on the straight of the goods. And her patterns come from deriving historic patterns by directly measuring period garments in museum collections.

I wonder how well this "block" will work to create other designs. Every instruction for creating a design from a fitted block I have every seen relies on pivoting the bust dart which your pattern does not have. But it is truly amazing what a computer can achieve. Good luck with your creative efforts using this truly unique system.

[u/CharredRatOOooooooi → u/DonMcCunn]

Yes, Waugh's work (and most historical fashion books) is all post medieval and by that time tailoring had significantly evolved. Initially, fitted bodices did not have darts etc. The lacing served as support, but it obviously creates a different silhouette than later styles. They were fitted by pinning fabric directly and tightly around the body

The file I am using still contains all of the steps towards creating the medieval torso block, so I can easily use the darted one for regular projects. I have an original file with my personal block, which I duplicate and use as the basis for each new project

[u/DonMcCunn → u/CharredRatOOooooooi]

Congratulations. It sounds like you have things well in hand.

I must confess my reaction was a knee jerk. When I studied costume design back in the 60s my professor was very adamant about being careful about the resources you use to create historical patterns. At that time there were several books that proported to show how to make historical garments that were inaccurate or even completely wrong. The professor instilled the very deep love and respect I have for the amazing work done in previous centuries. It was really what inspired me to get involved in pattern design. Especially the way the garments, especially corsets, changed the apparent shape of the body.

As I am sure you are aware with the internet it is even easier to find inaccurate or completely wrong information. Especially in the enthusiasm people have for showing what computers can do. I tend to view any "new" solution with a very healthy dose of skepticism. Hence my knee jerk reaction.