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Member since 4/20/09
Posts: 419
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Posted on: 3/8/12 6:16 PM ET
I made a sloper of close fitting trousers (not pants, these ones are supposed to fall from the fullest part of the butt) a few years ago. Since then, I seem to have lost my backsaide - flat, flat, flat. I've been using Sarah V's Horizontal Balance Line to make the necessary adjustments. I've had to pin out a wedge well over an inch at back to straighten the HBL. Problem is that my CB is now much lower (by the amount of the wedge) than the side seams.
click here

Is that right? Am I breaking some kind of pattern drafting rule?

Sarah V's book doesn't address what to do in this case, although the Singer book suggests not adjusting past the point at which the waist seam ceases to be parallel with the cross-grain.

The original sloper was drafted based on M. Aldrich.

Thanks for any thoughts!
  
Member since 8/24/02
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Posted on: 3/8/12 6:29 PM ET
In reply to SVN
I'm not familiar with this fitting method, as I use a different one for my somewhat flat backside, but this makes sense to me, especially for CB. I have a sway back, and many times I have to take off about 2" from the CB because it falls lower than my sides. This especially occurs when I am using an elastic waist. What I end up with on my back piece is something shaped like yours. But maybe someone else might chime in here.

The fitting method I use for my backside is making a fisheye dart at CB, just above the crotch curve, and tapering it to nothing at the sides. This is based on a OOP book by Else Tyrolier, called Sewing Pants for Women and is a common method here on PR. I much prefer visual fitting over the "slicing and dicing" method.
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Member since 2/5/09
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Posted on: 3/8/12 6:41 PM ET
The main question is - does this pattern do the job? Does it fit you?
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Member since 4/20/09
Posts: 419
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Posted on: 3/8/12 6:50 PM ET
In reply to Lena Merrin
Well it does according to the pinning I've done, but it dips down at CB. I'm also worried it will be off-grain.
  
Member since 7/2/09
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Posted on: 3/8/12 6:54 PM ET
In terms of what you describe, yes, the CB should sit lower than the side seams.
It is better to have your waist cut on the cross grain because it reduces the fabric growing and hence the waist getting bigger as you wear the garment. However, in the real world, our bodies don't cooperate with this drafting ideal. There are two ways you could tackle this.
1. Pretend it isn't happening but make sure you interface your waist band well to reduce the stretch. A lot of this will depend on your fabric choice. Some fabrics that are naturally good at "growing" aren't going to work with this approach.
2. Put a yoke in and orientate the waist seam to the cross grain. Again, depending on the fabric, you might have to support the yoke/body of the trouser garment seam with interfacing because both will have some bias to them.

HTH
Sar's
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Member since 2/5/09
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Posted on: 3/8/12 9:41 PM ET
If the CB dips, then you must level it out. To find a new grain fold the pattern lengthways alligning hem and knee notches. Continue the fold all the way up. Normally this fold line will divide the seat line roughly in the middle. This will be the grain.
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Member since 4/20/09
Posts: 419
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Posted on: 3/8/12 9:50 PM ET
In reply to Lena Merrin
So once I redraw the grain I draw a new perpendicular waist seam? So I'm adding back to CB what I took away?
  
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Posted on: 3/9/12 0:19 AM ET
No, you don't have to re-draw the waistline. Grainline must be perpendicular to seat line, waist is always on the angle, usually higher at CB, but in your case just add some to CB to make sure it doesn't "dip", and then just true the waist so it is nice and smooth.
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Custom clothier and pattern designer. www.iconicpatterns.com
  
Member since 11/26/08
Posts: 71
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Posted on: 3/9/12 3:10 AM ET
Please would someone be kind enough to tell me what exactly a "sloper" is? I have seen it used in relation to both dresses and trousers.
  
Member since 2/5/09
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Posted on: 3/9/12 5:33 AM ET
A sewing sloper is also commonly called a sewing block, a pattern block, a foundation pattern, a basic, basic block, or any combination of the previous terms. Sloper – this term is used to define a pattern for any object which does not have seam allowance. :)
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Custom clothier and pattern designer. www.iconicpatterns.com
  
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