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Member since 11/14/10
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Posted on: 8/20/12 1:38 PM ET
Hi All,

I just have a quick question. I drafted my own block last night and have made a sample to fit. I am not sure why but it seems like my centre front near my neckline is about an inch to large but everywhere else is fine. I pinned out the excess and would have to remove about an inch on each side (not including seam allowances) tapering down to my bust in a wedge. When I pinched that out my sloper seemed to fit so much better (although I need to lower the neckline a little (less that 1/4inch).Can you pinch out the width at the centre front seam or should I dart it from the neckline. As added information my bust measurement is 40 inches, my shoulder measurement is 34inches, my waist is 34 inches and my hips are 41.75 inches, so I am fairly curvy. On a second note, even though I have had an actual tailor measure me, and my slopers all seem large. Perhaps it is my book and the calculations that it has in it but does anyone else find a sloper too big on the first draft? I know that I can’t expect perfection but it seems like I am removing sometimes an inch or more in areas.
So basically can you adjust your centre seam on your sloper or do you need to take the excess out with darts elsewhere?
Thank you all for anything you can tell me.
Megs
  
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Posted on: 8/20/12 2:55 PM ET
Prior to mass production of clothing it was common for there to be a shaped centre seam, which often allows for a better individual fit. I have a little shaping on mine, marked with a dotted line, so that if I'm using the block to draft something where its not appropriate, I know I've got to transfer out the excess fullness.
That's the only difficulty I can think of , that if you draft something without a seam, where you would cut on the fold, you need to change your block a little.
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Posted on: 8/20/12 7:14 PM ET
If your CF overlaps above bust and fine at the bust, it is possible that you might need an FBA. I think maybe your slopers are too big all over because of the bust size, and they need to be larger only in one place. Another cause could be round shoulders and narrow chest
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Member since 8/24/02
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Posted on: 8/20/12 8:51 PM ET
In reply to MegWight
Don't remove the excess from CF unless you plan to remove that amount all the way down to the hem; it will make CF crooked if you do.

I have round narrow shoulders, and a narrow and hollow chest; I have this problem. Your body measurements are very similar to mine, although I have a fuller hip. I have to remove 1" from the CF neckline on most of my patterns. How I do this is I make two little 1/4" tucks in the neckline, flattening them to nothing. This makes my neckline smaller. Sometimes, especially when I'm making a sloper, I transfer the extra in the neckline by treating it as a dart and rotating it to the sideseam, then removing the extra there.

I don't seem to have the problems with my sloper that you have with yours, and maybe it's because I make my own rather than have a tailor who has his/her interpretation of what ease there should be. For me, the ease in the bust should be 3", the waist, 1" and the hip 2". Anything more than that is design ease and anything less is a moulage. I've made my slopers from SureFit's Dress Kit, and it's fabulous!
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Member since 10/2/02
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Posted on: 8/20/12 9:00 PM ET
Connie Crawford addresses the extra fabric in the front neck in her DVD Custom Fitting and Trueing.
Basically you take that dart out in the pattern by extending it to the mid armhole and closing the dart. She makes the line curved. I struggled with this on a Vogue sloper ages ago and back then never knew how to fix it.
-- Edited on 8/20/12 9:01 PM --
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Perth, Western Australia
  
Member since 11/14/10
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Posted on: 8/21/12 0:03 AM ET
I did make my sloper from the measurements a tailor took for me (no sewing buddy here). I used the book Pattern Drafting for fashion design by Helen Joseph Armstrong. I almost feel like this book has some errors, I have found a few times where it contradicted previous measurements. Thanks everyone
Meg's
  
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Posted on: 8/21/12 1:13 AM ET
In reply to MegWight
Quote: MegWight
I did make my sloper from the measurements a tailor took for me (no sewing buddy here). I used the book Pattern Drafting for fashion design by Helen Joseph Armstrong. I almost feel like this book has some errors, I have found a few times where it contradicted previous measurements. Thanks everyone

Meg's

Yeah I often find strange things there myself
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Member since 11/14/10
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Posted on: 8/21/12 11:16 AM ET
Well after much thought and making a few more slopers last night, I think that I may just redraft the whole thing. I just ordered the Kenneth King Moulage book, I think that in the meantime I will try to dart and rotate out the extra. I have been sewing for a long time (all my work clothes are made by me) but I only recently decided to get into drafting after I couldnt find anything that I liked.
  
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Posted on: 8/21/12 11:40 PM ET
Quote:
I did make my sloper from the measurements a tailor took for me (no sewing buddy here).


Any chance you're in central AB? I'd be your sewing buddy.
  
Member since 11/30/09
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Posted on: 8/21/12 11:46 PM ET
Yes, I've found slopers made from instructions in books to include far too much ease for my liking - they ended up looking like huge potato sacks.

I remember ages ago reading that several of the Armstrong books do have errors.
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