Drafting a bodice sloper using a vintage 1960s method ✿ Flat Patternmaking Series PART 1

Let’s draft a bodice sloper together! This time, I decided to try out a vintage pattern drafting method from a super cool book called “Pattern Drafting and Grading” by Michael Rohr. In this video, I show you how I measure my body, how I drafted the sloper, and some key things you might want to note if you are trying this method of drafting too.

✿ T I M E - S T A M P S ✿
00:00 introduction
00:20 what a bodice sloper is and why you want to draft a bodice sloper
01:44 where to find the Pattern Drafting and Grading book
02:54 how I took measurements of my body
06:45 how I drafted the bodice sloper
08:20 key things to note about drafting this bodice sloper
10:54 things to expect for the next part of this series

✿ F E A T U R E D ✿

Pegasus collar: sewing pattern dropping this week!!!!

✿ M E N T I O N E D ✿

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✿ M Y - D E S I G N S ✿

✿ H E L L O! ✿

Hi! My name is Gwen and I love making my own vintage-style wardrobe. Welcome to my sewing, DIY and style channel.

Join me in my adventures as I pick up new skills, work through my fabric stash and build different capsule wardrobes!

✿ S U P P O R T ✿

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[ShilynSews]

I, too, was surprised that the waist measurement wasn't actually involved in the bodice instructions...Oop! I didn't go too far back in the book - a special measurements section?! Shall we attempt it again?

[emilyannfrancesmay]

For a self-study project, I commend you for taking up this challenge. Fitting the basic sloper is always a challenge. I learned at a design school a system from the 1950s. It is very involved. We learned that the fitting shell has no ease added. The ease is added when drafting a pattern that will be transformed into a particular style. I found that 3" added to chest and bust and upper arm worked very well for dresses and blouses. The waist gets about 1- 1/2" ease, hip same amount of ease as bust about 3". Wrist gets 1-2" ease depending on sleeve. The idea is to keep proportions balanced when calculating how much ease. For coats a minijum of 4-5" ease works. However, there are always variations to be made for style and a person's fitting needs and figure.

[jazzmilsom]

Amazing! I wish more people went into more detail on drafting. I cant keep sending money on patterns, but breaking into drafting seems to be this unfathomable thing that seamstresses hide from you

[cabinfeverremedy]

Can't wait to see how this turns out.Thanks for the link to the book!

[arj]

Thank you very much for the amazingly detailed video. ♥️

[alfredm]

I will definitely be checking the book out

[katherinefitzgerald]

Thank you for the link to the vintage pattern drafting book. I haven't had a chance to peruse it in detail yet. I learned dressmaking and pattern drafting in High School. That was many moons ago now. I didn't appreciate it back then. I wish I had that text book we used for drafting patterns now. Oh well you know what they say, Youth is wasted on the young. Haha. Did you add seam allowances when you made your muslin. Stating the obvious. I have never made a bodice sloper. I bought a commercial pattern to make one but never made it up. I tissue fit my patterns these days. I lot quicker. I would like to have another go at drafting just for nostalgia's sake.