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Basic Bodice Block – (Sloper) Designers Guide to Sizing & Fit – A Great Starting Point for Beginners

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If you already have, or are thinking about getting my basic bodice block, this post will hopefully give you all the information you need – if you make it to the end of the post you will find a little ‘gift’ too!

Let’s first take a little tour around my ready printed version of the basic bodice block – this version is printed and posted free of charge worldwide! This is a popular choice for those that don’t want the hassle of printing at home and sticking the pages together, or using a copy shop – this version is in black and white.

You can find this version on Etsy – here

I have now developed the block into digital versions, including an Ai version, an A4 / US Letter Versions and an A0 copyshop version, if you prefer to go digital!

The A4/US letter version of the bodice block has been designed so that you can compile the pages to create the front bodice on it’s own, then the back, and then the sleeve – this method improves the accuracy a lot!

The digital versions can be colour or black and white printed and all versions now come with a 32 page guide to sizing & fit and free 1/4 and half scale blocks for practice too.

The digital versions of the blocks are also layered, this means you can open the files in Adobe reader and choose only the sizes you want to print, or all of them, the choice is yours to make!

You can find all versions in my Etsy Shop – https://designcutandwear.etsy.com

In the 32 page guide to sizing and fit I have provided lots of information to help you work with the bodice block, including very detailed measurements! As a fashion lecturer I am compelled to go into great detail, I just can’t help myself.

Many of my customers are small fashion startups that are time poor, and need all the help they can get!

Let’s take a very quick run through the bodice guide PDF –

In addition to the fit guide, I also send out 1/4 and half scale versions – they are great for practice and note keeping, I use my half scale versions all the time to work out detailed and complex drafts, and save paper!

I also have several YouTube videos to get you started, and you can follow along as I move darts and cover some of the basics –

https://www.youtube.com/@ModelisteCreative

If you purchase any one of my blocks I am also, always here to help and answer questions and of course you can always join me for a pattern cutting course.

My courses are detailed, no quick fixes or gimmicks, they are there for those that want to learn professional methods from a professional pattern cutter, there are no shortcuts unfortunately, and if you want to learn how to be a professional pattern cutter, one that has the skills to work in the industry, then my courses are for you!

You can find detailed posts on my bog that outline my courses and the curriculums they cover.

As always if you have any questions, please ask.

I nearly forgot…. Please use the following code in my Etsy shop for a discount on my basic blocks – BLOG15BB – click the link to shop!

Happy Sewing & Pattern Cutting.

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Beginners Pattern Drafting Info, Free Downloads, General Info, Pattern Cutting Techniques

Garment Ease – Pattern Ease- Explained

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Ease – Explained – What is ease?

There is a lot of confusion out there about ‘ease’. I have read some rather misleading definitions on many a web page. Here I will give a detailed explanation about ease. You can also download your free PDF Ease Allowance Chart below –

Why have ease?

Ease is incorporated into a block or a pattern to allow the wearer to move, therefore ease is “allowance for movement”. Ease allows the wearer to breath, bend, sit down and move around. Ease is particularly important in children’s’ and babies wear and again becomes important in older peoples clothing.  If there is too little ease in a garment then the “look” of the garment may also be compromised, skirts will ride up, trousers will wrinkle and jackets will be restrictive. Therefore getting the right quantity of ease in your patterns and garments is important.

Ease Allowance Chart Free Download

Hopefully the above chart will give you a guideline for classifying the quantity of ease that a garment contains but lets look at the meaning of ease.

Ease is the difference between the measurement of the body (without clothes) and the measurement of the block, pattern and ultimately the garment that fits over the body.

Lets look at a real example – Using my basic bodice block in the Modeliste Creative Range available on Etsy.

The bust measurement the size 12 block is designed to fit is a 90.5 cm bust (34 1/16 inches). That is the measurement from the size chart I used to draft the block and relates the the measurement of the actual body the block is drafted to fit.

When I drafted the block I allowed 6.9 cm ( 2 3/4″)  ease over the bust as ease in this block range, as its developed for a curvy figure.

Therefore if we measure the block itself the measurement will be 94.4 cm (38 3/4″). This is the body measurement plus the ease.

If we produced a pattern from this blocks and made no changes to the block, then this quantity of ease would stay the same. However, usually during the course of making a pattern, we either reduce or increase the quantity of ease as we create the pattern. The extra we add in or take away during the pattern making process is called design ease.

We now have 2 types of ease –

  • Block Ease
  • Design Ease

There is a third type of ease, we will come onto that in a moment. The information above relates to woven fabrics or stable knits. If we are dealing with stretch fabric then this is where we come onto another type of ease.

  • Negative ease

Negative ease occurs when a block or pattern is smaller than the body it is designed to fit. Negative ease becomes important when drafting patterns with over 18 – 20 % stretch percentage. If you are drafting patterns with a stretch percentage of under that amount then you can use a woven fabric pattern.

Adjusting patterns and blocks for stretch percentage and negative ease percentages is a book in itself and I have come across many different methods in my career. That’s a topic for another day!

I hope this helps and as always, if you have any questions or comments then please let me know.

Happy Sewing,

Nicola

 

 

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