I followed your instructions for a fitted bodice sloper and after two muslin attempts, I ended up with a superior fit for me. To take measurements and apply them to a one dimensional piece of paper, then create a three dimensional pattern that fits better than any store bought pattern, was educational and fun. What a pleasant way to use the brain. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
Great tutorial - I never thought of putting a little ease into the side and armhole seams in a top without bust darts. It’s amazing how these things seem obvious once they are pointed out to you. Thank you.
Hey Chris! 4years later and this video is still found most insightful. New to pattern making, thank you for the tip with never getting rid of the back shoulder dart from the armhole, that was so me! Not me from now on though! Thank you for saying “Don’t “ and saying why we shouldn’t and giving us a couple of other options we should try that would work! New subscriber but I have already binge watched most of the videos and I hope to carefully watch and try stuff out. Love your teachings!!! Hope you’re well? Please come back with the videos
Hey Chris, I love your teaching style, so easy to follow. I'm so glad I found you. I find drafting my own patterns for clothes fascinating. I just love drafting patterns for clothes.
thank you for explaining the ways to alter the front sleeve opening and the problems you can run into for each way. I wanted a dartless sloper after having a bilateral mastectomy so this was very helpful to me!
My videos are not intended to replace formal training, especially if you're considering a career in apparel. I'll keep making them, though, and I hope you continue to learn from them.
A huge thank you. I have so many fitting issues, being a little larger and curvier than the average size. After discovering your tutorial, I have now created my first sloper and my first draft will follow shortly. I also appreciate the speed at which you draft, which gives one time to absorb the information. You are now my go to for pattern making.
By far the best pattern making videos I've found. I appreciate your skill and insight. I plan on viewing as much content as you are willing to create. Cheers!
WOW!!! So helpful. Thank you so much for this video. You are so clear, precise, and knowledgeable. I am going to try this for sure. Thanks again for sharing.
Christopher - YOU ARE AMAZING! As a novice in sewing, I'm finding that most of the standard pattern sizes do not fit me. Most, like Burda, Simplicity, etc. are just not sized out to my specifications. I've been researching how to grade these patterns when I happened upon your channel. THANK YOU so much for taking the time to share your wealth of knowledge. Please continue showing the 'finer' aspects of grading/pattern creation. It will help everyone produce a better product!!
@@christophersartorial7671 Thank you, Christopher, for sharing your insights with the community. I learned a lot from your tutorials. Do you have any videos on drafting pants?
Hey Donna, Thanks for your comment. That's the way it is with all of us. We are all different. Those patterns don't fit any of us right out of the package. They were made to the industry's standard pre-determined measurements.
Chris, I am still paying very much paying attention. I love that you tell us WHY, we shouldn't do certain things when we rotate the dart. EVERYONE, on RU-vid is telling us the wrong method. I can't but help to think that everyone RU-vid who follows the usual dart rotation method -----will end up with really weirdly angled Shoulder Seams, or a front Panel that won't cover the Midriff! I'm still formulating my questions because I am very new to sewing and especially Pattern Making. I know that unless I learn basic Pattern Making, my success at following a Commercial Pattern will not fit my Figure. You may or may not remember me. I am the woman who ALWAYS has to have the Shoulder Length/Height altered because If we started Pattern Making at the Shoulder Slope, wouldn't we stop all the mistakes below that point? If we all started off with the correct Shoulder Slope, we wouldn't need to rotate the darts into the Shoulder Seam for a Fitted or more Loosely Fitted garment because we wouldn't need a Shoulder Dart, or much of a Shoulder Dart? Using the correct Shoulder Slope would become universal whether using Knits or Woven. Chris, I may be wrong, but the Head Bone is connected to the Neck Bone. The Neck Bone is connected to the Shoulder Bone. Love your lessons. Please, please elaborate
Fitting a garment properly at the neck and shoulders is crucial. I may do a video demonstrating the mistakes to avoid. Not only hobbyists, but professionals make them.
Chris, it is so easy to become turned off to sewing because people don't understand the dimensions they are working with and mistake are costly. I know it is all about LCD. Length, Circumference, Depth. Going from a flat pattern expecting it to fit then finding out there is too much bulk over here, when it should be there! Yesterday I came across a new seamstress who has all the credentials and experience in the industry. She told us Not to choose a pattern for the bust size! That almost blew me out ofl the water! She said that we should choose a patter for the shoulder width saying; that we actually need to measure the pattern's shoulder width and that we could always do a full bust adjustment later. I can't help but think that she is right. The head bone IS connected to the shoulder bone. Chris, very few people have a real gift to teach because they don't know how to communicate. You do! I could teach you how to swim, do a Cartwheel, but I couldn't teach you to thread a needle if I didn't have hands. The words don't flow from my mouth the way they form in my brain. Chris, you have some real talent. Please share!
Oh Chris so very glad that I have found you, definitely the very best on here and I have spent hours and hours looking at block drafting from own measurements even purchased the sure fit design package but you sir are such a wonderful teacher so easy to understand especially when explaining what not to do! Thank you so very much for sharing your expertise hove saved all your videos and now can go with confidence to make my personal blocks.
Your videos are so helpful, i want more! Thank you for thinking about any questions we may have... instead of showing us with no explanation, like most do. Thanks again!
Wow! This is so straightforward. I've always had a couple of extra inches of fabric in the front armhole in lightweight knits that didn't have a side dart, and now I know why. I didn't want to amend the armscye because that would force a change in the sleeve, and sleeves were already tight. This fix is going to help me mitigate that problem. Thanks.
I can't thank u enough for being right to the point & perfectly clear & EASY to understand ! I so appreciate ur soft spoken explanation & confidence to ur true knowledge & NO rigidity to other methods but the correct one with reasonable reasons!!!!cheers to wonderful teachers like u. Merciiiiii have a wonderful Christmas & a happy healthy New Years 🍾🥂🎄🌲☃️🌧☁️☔️❄️🎄☃️🎄❤️❄️🌲☔️🥂🎶🎁🎉🏡🍾
Drafting a no dart blouze.....Christopher..... Sir, Blessed are those ones who get/take/associate training from you to aspire in the field of garments designing. Your methodology is the BEST/PERFECT METHOD to draft the bodies pattern because of the deep science/analysis and thinking behind a perfect body envelop of the cloth. While most of the methods treat both sides of the body namely front and back as equal and identical, yr methodology treats them the other way and deals with it as different entiety. On keen observation it will be known as true and so the method also is right and perfect. I agree that this is a little more complex to understand compared to others. But yr method is more perfect than any other. LASTLY I REPEAT AGAIN THAT BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO GET TRAINING/GUIDANCE/TEACHING FROM YOU. Vatsa, Bangalore, INDIA
Hello Chris, I have been sewing for over 50 years and I'm only now starting to draft personal patterns. I have found your tutorials so educational and can see where I have been making my mistakes. I wonder though, could you possible do a video of a pants sloper? I'm finding it difficult to work out the rise and depth of the crotch. Whatever I have made never seems to work out correctly and I usually wear a long tunic over, to hide my mistakes!!! I really hope you can help me. Thanks again.
I always some back to these tutorials to remind myself of the important principles. In a knit or supple woven, I have gathered the front side seam over about 3 to 4 in length, starting 1 and a half inches below the sleeve seam, to match it to the back side seam, accommodating a DD cup without a side dart. Sometimes, some of that former dart goes into the front shoulder seam, easing up to a half inch excess in the front shoulder to match the back shoulder seam. By doing this, the armhole and neck hole remain unchanged, and I don't have to adjust the sleeve cap. If the fabric is heavy or too stiff to gather, small tucks in the front shoulder seam and very slight easing of the front side seam also work pretty well.
Just found you and subscribed. Your tutorials are very clearly explained and the best I have seen. I am a very average sewer but I am going to give drafting a go. Thank you so much.
Hi Chris Love your videos. I learned how to draft a skirt pattern in high school. I have two questions, how to keep the dart in the blouse. Second to draft the sleeve we use your tutorial.
This is so helpful for when I'm trying to sew clothes from patterns!! I suppose loose and fitted pants are next although I can imagine they are likely a bit more complicated given shape differences.
Are you trying to draft your own patterns? I wouldn't recommend trying to draft a pant pattern. You're better off buying one, and altering it, or copying a pattern from an existing pant that fits you.
That sounds like some great tips. I thought that you would remove the princess seam as well. When the bodice ends higher we normally rotate out the bottom dart. If you have any suggestions for good resources for drafting I'd love to know. It's a bit of a mixed bunch out there.
I love woven tees and will try this method. I've been making sheath dresses with your slopers and already made slopers for a friend so I can make her a few dresses. Will you be doing a pant sloper? I'd also love to see a skirt sloper for a fit-and-flare dress/flare skirt if such a thing exists. Thanks for everything you do!
I may eventually get around to a pant demonstration. You can turn a straight skirt sloper into an A-line (fit & flare) by adding slightly at the side hem, and pivoting some of the dart fullness into the hem as well. I may demonstrate this soon.
Hello Alba. I rotated the back shoulder dart into the back armhole. The dart was about 1/2 inch deep, but it may vary. If there is no shoulder dart, there is no need to do this.
@@albarosa2897 I'm sorry to hear that you had to abandon fashion. I can only teach so much in a few videos. If you don't have pattern drafting books, you should get a couple.
Hi Chris.... I jus got mesmerized with ur style of drafting....Want 2 clarify something....If waist size s equal 2 bust size...Do v really need 2 add waist dart?
Hello sir , learned a lot watching ur videos. Could h please tell how to deal with the ease while joinin the shoulders as back is about 5 mm greater than the front
Easing in is a sewing technique, where a slightly longer seam is "squeezed" into a shorter one. I don't teach sewing, so you may find a video that demonstrates it better than I can explain.
Hi I have added the sleeve to the blouse .It fits well for me.If I like a loosen blouse,can I enlarge the sleeve hole without changing the bust measurement.thank you
Yes, you can lower or raise the armhole depth without affecting the bust measurement. You can also add more room to the sleeve by widening the upper arm, but this will lower the sleeve cap height.
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge with us. Your detailed explanations are easy to follow. I would like to know what kind of pen/marker you are using in the videos. I'm finding most markers very messy. Thanks again for the videos, I am learning so much and it's great fun too.
I'm working up to showing pants, but I'm afraid it may be a while. It may serve you better to buy a pant pattern and adjust it, rather than drafting from measurements.
Hi Chris. I love watching your videos for drafting blouse explaining in detail what you should and what you should not and why. I am trying to draft no dart blouse. When I rotate the shoulder the new shoulder’s length is shorter .i don’t know where I am making mistake. Can you pl explain. Is there a method to draft no dart blouse straight without drafting a blouse with darts and then converting? Pl advice me. Thanks. Elsie
If you are including the width of the dart in the across shoulder measurement, then yes, the shoulder width will be narrower after the dart is rotated to the armhole, but this is as it should be. Have you drafted the fitted bodice I demonstrated in my first video, and the fitted blouse? You'll need to do so before advancing to a no dart sloper.
Hi Chris! Ive bought my first pattern book as advised by you. I choose pattern making for Fashion Design by Helen Joseph Carter. My goal was to start with a basic block pattern and turn in it in to a dartless spaghetti strap dress. Your method for the basic block is mistake proof and flawless however in order to make the cowl dress I have not found the answers that I need, maybe you can direct me? To make a dart less cowl dress I believe I need to send all torso darts to the waist and then close them. 1-What would be the best method to do that, if correct? I am curvy so the double darted method for the skirt fits me best but how can I blend them to the bodice if even on my book the bodice block only has one dart and the skirt 2. 2-Where do I cut to make the draping on the pattern? my book only has cowls for garments with sleeves. If I cut the draping slashing on the armhole line the draping drapes to a side and not the center. If this is too much a book recommendation would be great. Mine has answers but not all of them. I bought muslin and all pattern materials and I am willing to learn. You are the bomb Chris.
Sounds like you have a very ambitious project planned. I'm not sure whether you'll be able to eliminate all the darts in your dress. You can't simply close them. You can eliminate the waist darts, so that the dress skims the body without nipping in much at the waist, and you may have to keep the bust darts. Typically it is easier to drape a cowl neckline than it is to draft one. Do you have a dress form? Without seeing your concept, I can not guide you much further. Good luck with that.
@@christophersartorial7671 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KGp9ac3oBIE.html Its this one, she is foreign so its a bit harder for me to follow her. I can draft without the waist darts. Does that apply to the skirt part as well? What kind of darts would I use for the bust and I don't have a dress form but maybe I can try with myself? :D
As I was drafting my sleeve sloper, I noticed that the measurements obtained from the bodice tutorials for the front armhole was 8.75 inches and for the back armhole was 9 inches, total of armhole length of 17.75 inches. Yet,the tutorial on the sleeve drafting uses front armhole of 9.25 inches and back armhole of 9.50 inches, total of 18.75 inches. and the finished sleeve was sewn on the dress form where all the other body measurements were taken from. Kindly explain the discrepancy in the total armhole measurement from the bodice tutorials from that on the sleeve tutorial. Were the measurements used on the sleeve tutorial referenced from another dress form? and simply used exclusively for teaching how to draft a sleeve? Thank you!
The previous form I used for the bodice demo had no sleeve cap, so I used a different one for the sleeve draft. The measurements were slightly different.
How would I create a knit sloper with a bust dart, would I start drafting a woven sloper and make modifications or would I draft a sloper without ease? Btw, love your tutorials!
Thanks sir Chris! May I confirm is it okay to increase the back side seam to accommodate the front side seam so that I may not have to deal with the armhole later?
Because the armhole must be shorter in the front then its side seam becomes longer than the back. I just ask if it is okay to increase the lenght of side seam at the back in order to not deal with the pattern not matching? Well thanks alot!
Thank you so much for your superb and highly professional tutorials on pattern making! I have a bodice pattern for knit fabrics that fits me well. I want to use the same pattern on woven fabrics. I need to add bust darts on the pattern. Is it possible to do this addition?
Thank you very much for your prompt reply. I have one more doubt. I have drafted with dart Sloper both front and back. When I draft no dart Sloper should I fold the dart ant draft the back? Then it will be less half inch and equal to the front which should be 5”” for me. In your demonstration it looks as if you are keeping the dart. Pl explain thanking you in advance
I rotated the back shoulder dart into the armhole, which will make the back armhole 1/2" longer. As you stated, the back shoulder will then match the front shoulder in length.
Hi can I know whether I have to sew the front shoulder darts for every dress pattern,if I will to transform the front side dart to the shoulder dart.thank you in advance.
You make this look so easy. I’m sure I will have to try it several times to get mine to fit. I all for giving it a try. Wish me luck.My sleeve and armhole are my biggest trouble. Patterns never fit my large upper arms.
hello christopher!i've been doing your patterns over and over in order to learn by heart.still loving it!so i knitted a sweater whithout a pattern and it's crazy huge!is this pattern suitable for knitting?i know you said in the beginning "for a knit garment" but maybe you mean knit fabric,i just want to make sure before i start my sweater over .if this pattern isn't suitable for knitting,how can i draft my pattern as best possible-by using your bodice and skirtpattern- in order for it to maintain it's fitted aspect whithout any darts?(yes,i know,i can tell the word "dartless" makes you cringe lol).i don't like sweater patterns and prefer to have my own.thank you so much for all your tutorials!!the best teacher ever!!
OMG i'm speechless. when the video finished i had no questions in my head...why did he do that..... how would that work..... you nailed it to a point i KNOW i can try this and i will be happy and feel confidant trying. Thank you. x. i had to come back in as i would like to ask. the neck line would be to high for me anything touches my neck it makes me gag. would this be easy to lower or to V neck. Thanks again. X
I'm glad you found my instructions clear. Because a sloper is typically used as a starting point for drafting other styles, it usually has a close neck. The neck can be widened, lowered, and re-shaped as your creativity dictates.
Will you be doing a follow up video on how to re.shape neckline ect.. i bought some large card sheets to day so i can try and draft my 1st sloper. i have a french curve on order along with pins and a few bits and bobs. Thank you for getting back to me. x
I may show some neckline adjustments, but it's mostly according to your design. One thing to remember is that if your neckline is deep in the front, it should be shallow in the back (or vice versa). If you try to create a deep V neck in the front and a deep V also in the back, the garment will fall off the shoulders.
Hi Christopher. Can we cut the dart out of the paper using our rotary cutter and trace the inside edges of it onto the fabric? This would be to avoid using transfer paper.
@@christophersartorial7671 okay, thank you. That makes sense too. I would always have trouble with the markings smudging. On my last project, I use the tracing paper that comes with the stylus and it came out really well. So, I think I'm good now. :)
Thanks. I've been asked many times to show a pant sloper. It's in the works, but don't hold your breath. I generally recommend that beginners buy a pattern and adjust it, or rub off a pattern from a pair of pants that fit them.
Christopher Sartorial hahaha thank you. I already know how to make pants, I just feel like your methods are so easy and to the point. You would make life so easy for me. I actually know how to make all basic slopers for men, women and children and quite good at manipulating them. However It doesn't hurt to learn new and improved ways. I genuinely appreciate your approach. You have made so many things easier for me. ❤💚💙💛💜
I love your fabulous drafting turorials, but was wondering~ do you ever draft slopers on commission? I'd be interested in contacting you about doing this, if you do. Thank you for demystifying drafting slopers!
Christopher Sartorial , I'm interested in two basic slopers: a "classic" woman's button up the front, long sleeve blouse, with a yoke and a shawl collar. Not closely fitted, and not super baggy- I prefer a more moderate, flattering ease. I'm also interested in a woman's dress pant sloper, fitted in the hips, with shaped waistband and straight, "dress-trouser legs" (not thin tapered legs) I have all the body measurements needed. Is there a way we can communicate privately, concerning price & contact info? Thank you. Diana Kidd
Hi can I know if there is a tip at the shoulder point after joining the front & back shoulder pattern is it because of the wrong shoulder slope measurement taken that cause the tip point .thank you.
Hi I refer to your drafting dress & blouse sloper when you transfer the front side dart to the shoulder .If I were to sew it up,there will be an obvious seamline showing at the front dress.Is it ok for a dress showing the seam in the front.thank you.
You can rotate the dart to the shoulder as I demonstrated, or leave it at the side seam, whatever your preference. If you want the dart to be less obvious, leave it at the side.
Unfortunately, there are a number of ways to go about this. For example, the front can be lengthened to accommodate the added bust dart, or extra fullness in the armhole can be rotated into a bust dart. Without seeing how the top fits now, it's impossible to recommend the strategy to apply.
Thank you Mr Chris for the fast reply. I've tried both the lengthening route and armhole reduction way (didn't want to make any changes on the sleeves) but not too happy with the results. I agree with you that I'm better off drafting a new bodice that included the side darts. You've shared with your followers a wealth of refined and proven techniques in drafting patterns so I'm certain my soon to do sloper will turn out just fine and to my liking. I'm an avid admirer of your stellar videos!
thank you for this tutorial but please can you make a tutorial on blouse pattern block because the one I learnt from you the last time was a body sloper. please
Christopher, I really Appreciate yr tutorials. Can u show us how to draft an A-Line Dress (with skirt that's more Flair) without any separation of the Skirt from the Bodice at the Waist? If so, I will definitely Subscribe to yr Channel ASAP.
For a dress that's only fitted with darts, the amount of flare that can be added at the hem is very limited. Only a slight A-line will work without adding too much fullness at the sides. Your best option is to go with a Princess panel dress. That way you can add as much fullness below the waist/hips as you want, and distribute it evenly around the hem. Sounds like a good idea for a demonstration video. Thanks Lynn.
Don't hold your breath Ady. Pants patterns are difficult and advanced pattern making. Even professionals avoid drafting a pant from measurements. It's not something that I recommend to beginners, though I may eventually get around to showing a much simplified version.
A no dart sloper might be the best one to start with, but be prepared for lots of adjustments. Patterns for bias cut garments are typically draped rather than drafted.
Yes. Make the sleeve the same way. The armhole is bigger, so the sleeve will be bigger. Also note that the front sleeve cap will be shorter than the front armhole between the ease notches.
