Just a note: many pattern drafting books tell you that center back is always on the straight. The Moulage draft builds a tiny curve to shape the small of the back. A lot of bodies have a fair amount of junk in the trunk these days, and require a fitting angle below the waist. In these cases, trying to force the center back of the body to be on the straight of the grain will cause weird grain issues and possibly fit issues. Sometimes the same thing is true of center front for extremely chesty women (especially implants!). If you look at older patterns, like from before the 1920s, we used to know this and accept it as normal. We’ve just gotten lazier as pattern makers. :( Anyhoosies….
I don’t have pictures for those. I got a little excited because I was close to done.
You can cut both sides of the body if you want. It’s probably a good idea to fit the whole body on a RLHB, because live people move. With a stand, half is fine. She has seams to guide you.
See? I do actually know how to use pins. :P So why is it that She Who Hates Pinning is suddenly telling you to go gonzo with pins? Wouldn’t it have been easier to baste the darned thing?
Yes. And hella faster. But if we baste it, it’s way harder to size anything up during the fitting. And also the seam allowances are on the outside and it makes people look bigger than they are.
Once you decide that you’re all fitted up (and if you followed the directions and placed all the velcros correctly, I believe this should be a fairly fast process), you’ll want to protect the block you just made. You could transfer it to a heavier paper and cut it out in that, or apply a pretty beefy interfacing to the backs of the fabric pieces to stabilize them and prevent stretching and warping.
If you have a dress form at home that’s smaller than you are, you can make up a new cover using this block. Cut two each of all the pieces (ie, give yourself a seam at center front instead of cutting on the fold), sew them together and chuck a zip up the center back. Add stuffing or some other padding around the smaller form, and put the new cover on. Check the fit and adjust the amount of stuffing as needed, then zip her up!
You could also make a torso form, but you’d need to make a stable base, a neck, cover pieces for the armscyes and neck, and probably an armature inside. I haven’t tried it, but I’ve seen it.
If you do a lot of historical work, you can pretty easily use this method to get a block of your body while corseted, thus answering the eternal question, “Where exactly are my boobs right now?”
You’re also in an awesome spot for making an eight panel Victorian corset from this – just nip in the waist a bit at the fronts and sides, and decide how high/low you want it. You’re in an equally good place for a modern bustier, and not in a bad place for knits, which also work on zero to negative amounts of ease.
What you are not in a good place for is making a straight skirt. This bock has no ease built in, so if you try to just use it as a skirt you won’t be able to walk. That’s no bueno. You need to add at least 1″ of ease around the hips for walking and sitting. This can totally be a starting point for modern clothing, but you’re really going to want to work up a set of ease-added blocks as starting points. A good rule of thumb is to drop the front neckline 1/2″, drop the armscye 1″, add 2″ of ease around the bustline, a 1/2″ – 2″ around the waist (depends on application), and that 1″ around the hips.
I’ll be working on a printer friendly version of this, much like the one for the basic conic block, but I didn’t want that process to slow down posting this even further. If you’re just dying to send me some love for this draft, please donate through any of the free items in the shop.
Also, if you found this useful, please share it. It’s really the only way FaceBook will ever hear about it. ;)
I want to go do this right now, but Joann is closed and I don’t have enough velcro. This is GENIUS.
Omg, awesome, thank you! *phew* And thank you for checking in on my neuroses. And JoAnn’s carries double sided velcro by you? I can only get it at Ace here!
This. Is. AWESOME.
Yay! Hope it proves helpful. :)
Yep, brilliant. Sharing!!!
Thanks for sharing!
Also, check it out – would have been easier if she had had Velcro, lol. http://www.pinterest.com/pin/42643527697406419/
Love it! I’m so glad I’m not either of those women! I do think it’s cool that the velcro let’s you do something similar and put in your style lines as you go. I kinda wish it came in colors.
Brilliant! I’d never have expected velcro to be the best drafting tool since tin foil… http://www.sempstress.org/demo/how-to-clone-a-doll-and-darn-near-anything-else-without-a-ruler/
Somehow I was expecting a method using blank paper measuring strips, a pencil, and a dressmaker’s square – but this looks even more exciting!
*laugh* I just had a mental image of trying to draft a fidgeting human with tin foil! Thanks, Anna-Carin! :)
Soo excited. So many questions!
1) Does this work on male bodies? /without major changes? (Main difference is them usually being less “bumpy” in front, no? – so maybe some measurements/velcro strips can be omitted?)
3) can anyone who’s tried this already post their rough measurements and velcro usage? It’s sold in 5 m units here, and is kinda expensive, so I don’t want to buy way too much – I realize I can pre-measure the relevant distances – will do and post the result if I remember to.
2) and this is me being a drafting noob: Is it more acceptable to add ease at the sides of the resulting pattern pieces, or in the middle?
4) Is there a good online ressource detailing how to draft x (darted bodices, blouses, skirts, pants) from these? I know where to find instructions on how to do bits and pieces of what I want, and have a book or two, but the currently-ultimate(tm) way of arriving at blocks deserves an accompanying comprehensive drafting blog/forum/online classroom.
(hoping someone else than Missa knows how to answer some of these – you’ve done enough!)
5) Is there any demand for a German translation for the instructions? I’ll have to do a rough one for whoever ends up taping me anyway, so if it’s any help I can spend the extra time for a proper and understandable one.
Oh, and re: differently-coloured velcro: I found the green for plants and black or red for cables and stuff – it’s twice as broad, so you’d have to cut it along the middle, but it might work for style lines etc. Alternatively, take a sharpie to it, sew coloured ribbon down the centre or maybe experiment with dying? I know it’s vile and plasticky stuff, but I also know some people have had success dying buttons.
Howdy – I think I can answer several of your questions.
1) Yes, this should work just fine on male bodies, as well as children, pregnant women, etc. You might be able to get away with omitting some of the velcro, but I’m not sure I’d try. The contours of the male body in front are (generally) less extreme than those of the female body, but you guys are still human-shaped. The biggest difference is that you most likely aren’t going to need to worry about making sure the chest velcros don’t flatten against the body, because they prolly will (and should).
3) A standard size 8 stand (36″/25.5″/36.5″) used less than the full 30′ roll. For myself (45/32/47ish – I’ve been dieting and I’d hate to ruin my sense of progress with the harsh reality of a tape measure) I’d expect to use 1.5 – 2 rolls.
2) Ease on blocks is generally added at the side seams for the layers closest to the body, so as not to distort the neckline. As layers get farther away from the body, ease is added all around to account for clothing presumed to be underneath. Structured jackets will also be extended in the armscye/shoulder for padding and structure.
4) Aww, thanks! That’s sort of where I was planning to go next, though. ;) There are plenty of books available on pattern drafting. Most start from a 1 or 2 dart front/back block set and develop the princess line. Getting a 1 dart bodice out of this block is super-easy – just place the upper-shoulder princess lines together and trace only to the waist. Presto! Block accomplished.
5) I have no idea, but I would be completely and thoroughly flattered to have it translated. I mean, that’s just kinda cool.
And *headdesk*, I never even thought to look in an electronics department! Sweet.
I’d just like to say that I love you. Seriously.
Aww…. Thanks, Lori! :)
Warning: massive textdump ahead, but I’m not setting up a blog for the sake of one post.
To avoid future misapprehensions, I’m female. (That’s where mentioning electronics gets you) Just thought it’d be nice to make the boyfriend an equally well-fitting shirt. Turns out he’s not interested in standing still long enough.
Gamma-testing write-up:
I’m1,60 tall, with a proportionally longer torso than legs, European size 40 (US 8) top and 42 (US 10) bottom. Bought four rolls of velcro totaling 20m (22yd), had about half of the last one left afterwards.
With two people unfamiliar with the process, the taping procedure alone takes about 2 hours.
Bleeding obvious tip #1: if you’re the tapee, and the taper is unfamiliar with the process, talk them through it beforehand. So they know what they’re aiming for, what’s important, etc.
Especially make sure that they see how the velcro behaves, what to do when a dangling bit of tape accidentally sticks where it shouldn’t and how to gently remove it without disturbing the others.
Also locate the harder-to-find reference points before velcroing, maybe mark stuff like your shoulder tip (eyeliner or such for skin, tailor’s chalk and similar on clothes).
As in all measurement-taking endeavours: get a tall mirror (also allows you to see what your taper does without moving around), make sure there’s enough space for the taper to walk around you, make sure the room is heated so the tapee is comfortable. Wear a well-fitting bra if applicable.
The mirror also helps if the tapee has posture problems they don’t want reflected in the draft. I tend to stand with uneven shoulders, but I don’t want my clothes to encourage that behaviour. Same possibly applies for some hunched shoulder cases. I find it difficult to keep my shoulders level if I can’t see them, even with the mirror I was tempted to draw a black outline of how I should stand.
I seem to recall for someone who tends not to stand up straight it helps to give them something to look at at eye-level or slightly higher. So go ahead and place a laptop on a shelf, then play your favourite TV series on it.
Taping process is fairly straightforward, muddled through the upper cross-body velcroes somehow. Figured it wasn’t too important to get them absolutely right since we’re essentially “gridding” the body anyway. major question was where the median shoulder point lies. Is that what it’s called? My dictionary failed me, so I’ll have to find the same point in a german drafting instruction somewhere to know how to call it. And then learn how to describe it to people.
Also it’d be useful to mention stuff like not making any tapes that cross the bustline too tight before you actually start taping those velcroes, and mentioning beforehand which velcroes will be doubled or offset. Not a problem if you read ahead, though. Non-Pro-tip: If you end up telling your velcrowrangler to just run the center back tape along the spine for convenience’s sake, you can carefully cut it apart in the middle and afterwards not have to move the CB line manually at all.
After taping, even if you’re really cold from standing around in your undies, do not put on your favourite bulky wooly sweater. The velcro will know, even if you think you’re keeping a safe distance, and latch on to you immediately. Also make sure you weigh down any pattern piece you’re not currently using, because they might want to curl in on and stick to themselves. That said, as long as your velcro junctions are reasonably tightly fused, and as long as you’re careful, you can usually always separate rogue strips as long as you can remember which were the intentional joints and which the accidental ones.
I got away with laying out the 4 resulting pieces and folded muslin on an ironing board, for instant pinnability. The velcro actually adhered to the muslin a bit, and even that was only kinda useful, since it hampered my ability to slide the pieces around without distortion. Turn the muslin around, lay it over a light-table, and trace through to the other side for instant mirrored pattern pcs. Also make sure to mark at least the bust and waistline or thereabouts for additional reference points when pinning it all together. Halfway through pinning I started wondering whether I should have trued my traced pieces, probably the combined fault of my lax attitude towards exact tracing and the light-table shortcut and the one inch seam allowance.
By then my tapewielder had (deservedly) gone off to do his own thing, so I hid a separating zipper in all the needles (I’m quite tolerant of pinpricks as long as they’re self-inflicted, so the zipper went on upsy-downsy. I then played “hunt for the rogue pin” when I took it off. The boyfriend is somewhat paranoid of random pinstabs to bare feet.)
Muslin fits fine as far as I can tell with all the wrinkles, except for some weirdness at the armscye (I suspect we didn’t place that velcro high enough). The pattern pieces are seriously bizarre (major swayback, massive bum – seen from the front I don’t have much of a waist, but if I compare the waist/hip differential to any “normal” pattern I seem positively hour-glass shaped), and there’s no way my CB could ever lie on straight-of-grain (especially below the waist).
Brainflash – pants block. My thought was to go the usual route from skirt block to pants block, but theoretically one should be able to directly mold that region by gridding it in velcro as well. No more worries about preserving crotch curves and rise etc. Only you’d possibly have to do a second copy while sitting down:)
Once more, apologies for the long comment, and massive props for developing the method and putting it out here.
Now off to file a patent for the direct creation of coat blocks by putting on a bulky sweater before taking measurements.
*laugh* Good luck with the velcro-sweater-coat-draft patent. Sorry about the gender assumption – I was going on the interest in men’s drafting and the e_rugby sign on.
Thank you for trying this and sharing the results with everyone! That was awesome of you, and I really appreciate the feedback and the beta-testing. :) Good tip on centering the CB/CF velcros and cutting up the centers. Also good on using the mirror if you are worried about posture.
Median of the shoulder? There are several terms I’ve heard used: Shoulder width, shoulder fullness, shoulder breadth. It depends on what book you’re using, I think. And yes, you’re totally gridding (or even wire-framing) the body.
You’re totally correct about being able to work a pant block off of this. It’s really easy to develope a pant block from a skirt block (your torso block below the waist, extended to knee-ish length), plus a thigh circumference. I can’t find a good link on the google right now, but I know I have it in a couple books at home.
Thanks again for jumping on this and taking the time to share the results with everyone! It’s always enlightening to know what happens with things in the wild, you know?
I would like to use this at an SCA Arts & Crafts session. I have converted it into a text document to help everyone with the step-by-step. I will gladly send it to you for your approval/use. May I have your permission?
Absolutely – please give a link back or a citation. I’m honored by the request – thank you!
Love, love, love this seriously clever method. So grateful for your generosity in sharing it Missa! The velcro is ordered, the manpartner is bribed, cannot wait!
Tee! I’m very glad you’ve enjoyed it and are excited! Let me know if you run into any challenges or have experiences that can help to strengthen the method. :) Have fun!
Omfg. This is amazing. I know I’m late to the party, but I love this so much.
Ha! :) So glad you like it!
This would be awesome for dealing with people with unusually squared/sloped shoulders, asymmetric shoulders or scoliosis.
And the double-sided Velcro does come in nifty colors. :)
https://www.levitthookandloop.com/velcro-brand-one-wrap-tape.html
Yep – I really prefer drafts that catch the whole body because so few of us are truly symmetrical. Thanks for the Velcro link!
I’ve been pondering for about 2 years now doing something similar with painter’s tape – I like the velcro idea enormously. I’m going to ignore your instruction about the inter-breast-dip and see if I can come up with a bra pattern, since the whole “start with a garment that fits you and trace it” business only works if you have ever owned something that fits. (My nursing bras say 12G Aus or 34I USA, but they don’t really fit or work the way I’d like. I want to make a hybrid between longline bra and corded corset.)
I’m thinking if I lay out a large sheet of felt over the table for the velcro to be friends with once it’s off the body, it can’t do any curly-grabby nonsense.
Omg, yes, a large sheet of felt should tame the velcro! I also cannot day enough bad things about modern bras. They are clearly meant for relatively straight bodies, and conceived with a sort of “but the band is stretchy – that should solve everything” mentality. Best of luck with your plans. I would love to hear what you end up with and how it works!
I’m curious if you could recommend any modifications for plus size velcroees? I’m assuming there would be more gridding for bust shaping and tummy shaping, just add more horizontal lines?
Hi Laura,
That’s a really good question. I did test this draft with a couple classes of students and it worked generally well, but I didn’t have any truly extended sizes in that mix. Here’s what I would recommend:
I hope that helps as a starting point. Would anyone be interested in seeing an article expanding on this?
Thank you,
melissa
*Note: I have literally never seen a princess line sewn like this, and the diagonals could make it a tragedy. Or, you know, maybe it’s a really neat opportunity to add a contrast fabric and have it look real cool. I’m torn. I would totally do this on a block draft and manipulate it later, but I am slightly insane.