TheSloperLady
By Lauraline Grosenick, CADTERNS Custom Clothing Inc.
http://www.cadterns.com

How can you use your fitted sloper to fit other patterns?

The first thing that you need to do is to identify basic reference points and lines on your figure, your fitted sloper and your pattern. Some digital slopers have these lines and points clearly marked. On unmarked slopers and styled patterns, you can draw these points and lines by hand.

Bustline, Waistline and Hipline are the most useful horizontal reference lines. They should be parallel to each other on the pattern and parallel to the floor when wearing the finished garment. Distances between these horizontal lines on the sloper and pattern should be consistent with the same locations on your figure.

Centre Front and Centre Back are useful vertical references. Vertical references should also be parallel in the pattern. Vertical reference lines of the finished garment should be parallel to the wall and should divide the figure naturally.

Some reference points to mark along the reference lines include bust point, hip point and back neck point. Bust and hip points occur at the apex (outermost point) of a figure curve. To find your back neck point, drop your head forward and note the prominent bone.

Flat fabric is able to fit the curves of the figure by way of darts that start and end at a seamline and point toward a dart point. All darts in a sloper are fitting darts. A pattern may include both fitting and decorative darts. Assume that darts in this discussion are specifically fitting darts. Darts on the pattern may be different in size, location and even quantity from your sloper, but you must be able to account for all fitting darts.

What if your sloper has two darts and the pattern has only one? How many darts are best for your figure and how big should they be? What if the pattern has no darts at all? Can you move, add or leave out pattern darts to match your sloper?

You can REARRANGE darts by rotating, combining or dividing them

You can CONVERT darts into tucks, gathers, seamlines, flare or fullness but ==>> THOU SHALL NOT ELIMINATE NOR IGNORE FITTING DARTS <<==

Remember
If it's worth sewing, it's worth sewing well;
and if it's worth sewing well, it's worth FITTING FIRST!

'Til next time then,
TSL (TheSloperLady)

Definitions:
Glossary of Terms

Articles:
Sloper Talk - Preamble
Slopers 101: "What is a sloper?"
Slopers 102: "Why would I want one?"
"Where can I get a sloper that will fit me?"
"How many measurements does it take to get a perfect sloper?"
"How CAN you tell when you’re done?"
"How can you use your fitted sloper to fit other patterns?"
"How can we make new patterns from our fitted slopers?"

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