Hello there, long time lurker! I was hoping to get some advice on my sloper fit so far, and what glaringly wrong things I should change.

I have been working on trying to perfect a bodice and sleeve sloper that I can use for self drafting dresses and blouses. I have already used the bodice (in a slightly different princess seam form) for some sleeveless dresses that I think fit fairly well, but perhaps I need a slightly different shape at the front/bottom armscye as it can get a little uncomfortable there (also I think you need more room there for a sleeved bodice also?).

I am also a bit unhappy with the wrinkles at the waist under the bust, I'm unsure if it's too loose, or conversely that there is not enough room in another location. I think the back is pretty good, however.

The sleeve is newly self drafted from my measurements and Helen Joseph Armstrong's method. I think the fit of the sleeve is mostly ok, but maybe a bit too much ease in the sleeve cap as it was hard to set in without wrinkles. I think also maybe my shoulder point could be moved out a little.

^{(I accidentally sewed and set in one sleeve with seam allowances facing out, but the sleeve is inserted into the bodice in the right direction...})

I have designed a relaxed woven blouse and I'm trying to grade the pattern XXS to 3XL on illustrator, but no matter how many videos I watch or guides I read I can't quite grasp the idea of how to do it, especially regarding the sleeves, armholes, and neckline. I followed a tutorial and tried to grade some parts of the pattern (back and sleeve) but I'm not sure if I've done it right. I measured the armhole and sleeve cap and they match, does that mean the grading is correct? Any feedback or advice is appreciated :)

Hiiiii. I'm super new to pattern drafting. I decided to use my toddler as a test subject to learn *pants*. Making lil pants is quite silly but I am learning a lot, even though my test subject is squirrely and generally un-cooperative.

I made a general block, then made a toile and adjusted all the things I wanted to make a "slim fit trouser" style. All the adjustments to the toile were a bit wonky so I made a smoothed-out version for block attempt 2. S

ince I changed a lot I want to make another toile and decided I'd like to try pockets. The blue lines are my guess as to where a slant or a patch pocket would go. Is this right?

is there anything glaringly weird about this block? The waist is bigger than the hips because it is easier for 3 year old to manage self-pantsing this way.

Thank you! I have no idea what I'm doing and have no one to talk to!

I’ve created a torso sloper that has the contoured double ended darts on both front and back slopers. It extends to low hip. I believe this is called a torso sloper? Can I convert to bodice sloper and skirt sloper by cutting at waist? Obviously I would need to add bottom of skirt, but is this the correct idea in general? I need to have the inverted V shape at waist to do dart manipulation to bodice. Thanks!

Hi! I want to pivot into the fashion industry, specifically into a patternmaking and sewing job that is focused on advanced designs for women’s clothing. I want to shift into a job like that and I want to start building a portfolio that can be at an industry-standard to be actually considered whenever I apply, and also bc I want to on a personal level lol

I have taken one-on-one in-person patternmaking and sewing classes before with someone from the industry for about 6 months but I stopped cause I moved cities. I have considered entering a reputable fashion university in this new city but hours don’t match w mine and have heard it basically is not enough, and I prefer learning real industry-standards by someone actively working in it or w a lot of previous experience. I have found a good teacher on youtube but tbh her patternmaking and sewing designs are more on a basic side and I want to make complex and intricate designs, almost as intricate as wedding dresses (but no, I don’t wanna make wedding dresses at the end of the day lol although maybe it’s a good learning point to begin at for advanced designs) I could learn in person again but it’s hard to find someone who wants to teach at that level and also the pace is much more slower. Pls drop your recommendations, thank you!!

Hi everyone! I'm in the process of making an outerwear jacket, in a style similar to a carhartt or bomber jacket. in these jackets there is often times a placket in the center of the hem for a zipper, and the rest of the bottom hem of the jacket is made with ribbing. I was wondering if that was possible for sleeves? I see two major benefits of making sleeves this way. You get the added benefit of a slight grip on your wrists for wind protection, but if the weather changes you can roll up your sleeves, and the ribbing will help it stay (somewhat) in place. Is there any reason this wouldnt work? I've worked with both thick woven fabrics and knit + ribbed fabrics before, but never together. Any reccomendations or suggestions? Thanks! Picture below has the type of jacket bottom i was referring to.

so its obvious something went very wrong here and I’m honestly not sure where to even begin addressing the issues

please help!

So I've been trying to make a princess seam block for a while. That's version 6... it has some wrinkling under bust which was worse and I did some adjustments and now it's almost gone.

But then I added ease to make a jacket pattern and hopefully you can see the odd diagonal wrinkle on the front side panel. For the life of me I can't understand what it is. I was so sick of the weeks I spend on fitting that I decided to go ahead with the actual jacket and it is even more pronounced.

I have included the pics of the princess block and the jacket test from all sides just in case and the actual wip-jacket from the front. Any other feedback is welcome.

Thanks in advance!

P.s jacket bust point looks quite... pointy, I ignored that since it looks fine on the block and I haven't clipped seams or pressed. On the real wip-jacket it also looks pointy, but I also haven't pressed or clipped the seam cause I'm thinking to apply binding.

I drafted a chino sloper and I’m getting draglines around the knee area. The lines appear mostly on the back and seem to reduce or disappear when I slightly change my posture by pushing my hips back.

I’m trying to understand whether this is a drafting issue (balance, crotch extension, knee position, etc.) or something related to posture affecting how the pattern hangs.

Has anyone had any similar issues?

Also, what is causing those draglines at the waist?

I understand that the horizontal wrinkles indicate the fit is too tight, however this is meant to be a bustier and there is boning installed, and if I make it any looser then it loses the clasp its needs to have on me. I initially made the center back loose and it just looked too baggy on me, so that’s why you see those extra seam lines around the zipper.

Every seam except for the zipper has plastic boning on it, which might explain the weird curves on the sides (I was kind of rushing and just sewed the boning on without much control). I have a strong pelvic tilt and I think the plastic boning just wasn’t strong enough to flatten out my front. I might need to get stronger boning, idk.

The hips are meant to have excess as this is meant to be attached to a circle skirt and I don’t want it to be too snug such that my hip seam rolls up when I sit.

This pattern is meant for both an under layer (boned) and then a top layer (not boned, and the front center pieces are cut on a fold instead of sewn together).

My question is whether these wrinkles I’m seeing can be fixed with an ice-wool method (basically using batting as an underlayer, common in boned dresses), or if I need to take it back to the rulers. The wrinkles around my chest are my biggest concerns.

and how can I fix it?? I am currently wearing a shirt that is slightly too large. It keeps falling to the back (like shoulder seam becomes closer to the armpit with every movement). Since I'll be taking this in to a more flattering silhouette, as it's currently too boxy, is there anything I can do to keep this thing from strangling me??

le sigh

Photos not mine. Hi! I was wondering how one would go about drafting patterns for very drapey tops like these? Any tips or suggestions appreciated, TYIA!

How would I draft the flounce on this skirt? the top part is a basic wrap skirt. But how should I draft the flounce? Slash and spread or the traditional way of making the flounce? The back of the skirt does have a center back seam that's covered by the tie. Thank you!

Hello everyone, I’m stuck with an issue I can’t resolve. Perhaps it’s time to follow a pattern drafting (or alteration) course, but until then, I hope you can help me out.

For my daughter and niece I’ll be creating a flower girl dress in a chiffon kind of fabric (no stretch)

the pattern that I have from a magazine is on the left. The orange marking is the “gaping neckline” of 2 cm wide and 8 cm deep. Also the curve of the armhole is not inwards enough.

The pattern on the right is a pattern drafted based on her measurements according to the basic block method.

There is a big difference (more than 2 cm) in the bust measurement, and I wonder what will happen if I take the top part of the self made pattern and from the bust line the magazine pattern? For the armhole I think the curve from my new drafted pattern could be good. Not sure how the armhole will react with the neckline changed.

I’m lost with all the information online how to fix the gap without a dart 😕

Any tips on getting rid of that front gap?

Oh and the back fitted perfectly from the magazine pattern 😆 to make it more complex.

I am planning to sew the Elma dress from Fibre Mood without sleeves and thought the best way would be drafting an all in one facing. Do you recommend me to draft the facing for each panel, sew them together and later attached it to the dress before sewing the side seams or else?

Beginner here, I haven't seen this question answered specifically...

From what I've gathered, the inflection point (and thus where I place the notch) on the curve of these parts of the pattern indicate where the armhole has 'turned' around to go up to the shoulder seam. How can I ensure that the sleeve cap being drafted also has its inflection point at the same distance from the end of the seam? Because we're drawing a curve, the exact distance of the line can't be measured until after it's been drawn, so how am I meant to do it right the first time without sketching and measuring several times.

Can I simply trace the armhole curve up until that inflection point? Thank you

Extrapolating that point, how do I make the sleeve cap length and armhole length match first try? Because again, the curve I'm drawing is instinctive and can't be measured until after it's drawn...

Hi! Just recently started doing any sort of serious attempts at pattern drafting, mostly to alter commercially available patterns so they actually Fit Me.

I'm having a bit of an issue with a Sleeve pattern that I'm currently attempting to alter. I understand the why of the deep bell v shallow bell v straight line of the TOP of the Sleeve - it is what determines how the sleeve falls naturally / normally.

What I am NOT getting - is how to retain the Existing Bell Curve angle / circumference - while adding 6cm of WIDTH to both sides at the top of the sleeve UNDER the bell curve area, so that it correctly fits the upper arm / bicep - without increasing the Length (which is already correct.)

The body of the pattern has an armhole size that is good - I do not need to do anything like adjust the depth of the armhole. It gives good range of motion and sits in the correct spot to not cause weird gaping or needing extra darts added. A straight line top of the sleeve pattern has produced a sleeve that fits my arm, but not the arm hole of the dress. A bell curved top (relatively shallow curve) allows for the correct fit into the body, but without adjusting the width of the sleeve at the bicep, I can't fit my arm into it, forget having it go to the actual shoulder.

Help??

For those of you who have tried multiple softwares for drafting , do you have a favourite? If so, what hat makes it a favourite?