My First Skirt Block Draft

Hey!!! So, I’m excited to share a little about my first skirt block! I’m going into week four of a five week course.   No, I told you , I’m not trying to come out with a line of sewing patterns, but I am trying to streamline my fitting process.  If you remember the pencil skirt I made here, I had a few fit issues.  I think that was the point where I knew I needed to get a block.  Many of my favorite bloggers and fit experts use them, actually Andrea from Sew to Fit has a  tutorial showing how she uses her pants block to evaluate a new pattern.  Not sure why it took me so long, actually, I do know why it took me so long; I didn’t want to purchase or draft a block that was drafted on the basis of “standard measurements”.  I have a non standard body and trying to get another pattern/ block to fit didn’t seam beneficial if there was an alternative, and Brooks Ann gave personal help to get the block fitted, that sold me.

First draft of the pattern block

                             ** Disclamer, this is not a paid review and the links are not affiliate.  I paid for this course.**

I met Brooks Ann Camper, a Couture wedding dress designer on Instagram and she teaches a Skirt Skills class where she shows you how to draft your block based on your unique measurements!  She is from North Carolina and she makes the most exquisite wedding dresses.  I’m not getting married again, I married the same guy twice so I’m done, but I couldn’t help but become engrossed in the process on her feed.  I signed up for her newsletter and when she opened up registration for her eCourse, I signed up.   The one thing that solidified this for me was the issues I had with my skirt and my need to streamline my fitting.  I spend tons of time fitting every new pattern I sew, and I’m ok with it, but the Green Belt/ performance improvement in me couldn’t keep doing the same things without coming up with a solution and a template.  I’m a big fan of automation and when you have the tools you need, you can automate the parts that can be automated and this will help speed that process up.  This doesn’t speed up every process but it frees up valuable time you need on finish, make fabric choices and construction.

I knew why I wasn’t getting a good fit with the commercial patterns, but I didn’t know why I didn’t get myself a block earlier to mitigate frustration and time on fit.  Now, a block wont take away every part of the fit process, if you make changes to your block that go beyond the basic, you have to test to make sure it will work.   I saw Shari from My Daily Threadz use a  half scale pattern in Sewn Magazine (May/June edition), this is another way to see if what you have envisioned will work out without cutting large scale and with a lot of fabric.  There are tons of ways designers/ experienced sewers check to see if their design will work, muslins, half scale mock ups, draping, etc…  I’m just following the experts because I think it’s time to stop with the crap shoot of sewing and hoping for the best.  I truly understand why I have issues with commercial patterns and some Indie patterns, there’s no way to get a perfect fit with so many body types.  I also do not plan to stop using commercial patterns, I will get more selective because I want those patterns with designs that are different than what I have and that will help me to grow as a clothier.

Muslin stage.  Hand basted hip line to ensure everything is level.  Darts, hem and waist are also basted

Few things I learned in the first few weeks:

• I’m impatient (insert eye roll)
• I like hand sewing
• Commercial patterns have darts that are way too short in the back for me
• I always make my back skirt pattern bigger when all along I needed to make the front bigger (eye opening).  This is due mostly to my front fat apron and forward thighs.
• I’m impatient (did I say that already?)
• I’m not a fan of the muslin stage (this is needed for a block) but I see the value. 
• I now understand why some patterns don’t have seam allowance and how flat pattern measuring and adjustments are easier without them.
• Moving darts and adjusting them are necessary to get a good fit if you have a non standard body

I just want to put this out there that I’ve grown past blaming anyone for my fit issues, because I realize as a template for a pattern, they (pattern companies) simply cannot match every body type.  I will say that most of the big 4 patterns and Burda use a basic block and I haven’t found many variances from their blocks.  They are bad at determining if something is fitted, semi fitted or loose by their own ease chart standards, but for the most part they are consistent.  You will see some bodice patterns that will use the same pattern for a sleeveless and a sleeved view, I know right away that there will be some adjustments needed.  I don’t know anyone who can just leave the sleeves off a bodice and get a good fit at the shoulder and armscye.  These are things that experience has taught me and the sleeveless example is an instance when a patterns can be erroneous and frustrating.

I just wanted to clarify why I’m on this quest to draft my own blocks based on my measurements and how I think they will upgrade my garments and my sewing experience.   After I do my round up of patterns that haven’t made it to the blog, I will show how my block looks on top of my commercial pencil skirt pattern.

Have you drafted your own block?  If so, how has this helped with sewing and fit?