Sloper drape: One dart bodice front

I have started on draping a sloper for use with Marie (my size 12 dress form, if you missed the note about naming her in the previous post).  For the record, I'm using my own class notes from 2006 and the book we used in that same class.  I'm sure it's several editions out of date, but I don't really care; the techniques used are unlikely to have changed significantly.  Where I am going to be fairly detailed in my description, I am not going to repeat the minutia of each step; if you wish to do this, there are many books and online resources to use for the details.  I do, however, want to document my own work and give my gentle readers an idea of what goes into the undertaking.

There is some futzing about that happens before you begin throwing fabric at the body you're making a sloper for.  The form gets a little preparation.  (People do, too, but it's not quite the same; since I'm not draping on a human, I'm not going to get into it since I have no hands-on experience with it.)  I know I already described and posted photos of this, but here it is again, in context.

The form gets a line of tape parallel to the floor at the bust and the hip; at the bust, the drape goes over the stretched tape - called a bust bridge - to make sure the garment fits properly.  This bridge might not be used for things that fit tight (e.g. a bustier or a strapless ballgown), but for a fitting block we definitely want it.  It also gets pins to make it easy to locate key points by feel - the tips of the shoulders, at the level of the screwhole along the armscye, the armhole depth, just below the center neck, the bust points, and if you like the center front along the hipline.  At this point I also took a series of detailed measurements; I was pleased to find that Marie's manufacturer specs were right dead on the money.

Marie looks lovely in black.

Detail showing pins at neck,  bust point, and armhole.

Then the muslin also gets a little preparation.  (Continued behind the cut)

Slopers: What's that funny thing you've got?

Since I posted here and on Facebook about making a sloper to fit my dress form, I've been asked a couple of times, "what is a sloper?"

That's a good question, I'm glad you asked.  In a nutshell, it is a pattern for a basic fitting shell with no seam allowances, and is used to make other patterns.  They can be made by draping or drafting (followed up by fitting muslins to ensure that the pattern is accurate and correct), and once you have one that fits you can then alter it as needed to create other, more interesting styles.  There are variations based on taste and use on what goes into a full sloper set; some people only do a two dart bodice and a skirt, sometimes the two dart front has a shoulder dart instead of a bust dart, et cetera - but the idea is still the same, that you have a "master" pattern to then alter to your heart's desire.  There are many, many resources available on how to make one, including several commercial fitting shell patterns.

I made a dress size 8 sloper in school.  It looks like this:

Dress size 8 (or about a size 6 in today's off-the-rack sizes)

(more behind the cut)

Reviewing my draping skills

Well, it's been a while since I've seriously looked at my own sewing work - I've been caught up in some "real life" projects that took a bit of time and effort to get sorted out.  I've been doing more work with Lastwear as well, including helping out at a couple of fashion shows.  This is always a good time, and it really makes me feel like an industry insider.

I need to get back on track with building my own skills back up.  I feel out of practice and that some of the things I've learned need serious review.  So - I picked a project to work on that will move me forward.  I am going to prepare a sloper set that fits my dress form.  I will eventually both drape and draft the pieces for a set of base patterns, but I am going to drape first.  When I've done it both ways and made paper patterns, I'll compare how they came out and then make a set of tag patterns.  The set will have the same parts I have from school, except the ones I made then are "industry standard" size 8 and the ones I'll be making  now are size 12.  Down the road I'll do a set that fits ME as well.

(more behind the cut)