Today I will be writing about how Müller & Sohn is the only pattern system I have found so far which allows you to incorporate, let's call it, figure idiosyncrasies into your initial draft. Not everyone has a so-called 'normal' figure. I suppose if you work as a pattern maker in the fashion industry it is probably not necessary to know how to adapt patterns to specific figures since retail clothes are made to set standardized sizes; but if you make clothes for yourself and others, either as I do as a hobby, or as others may do as a profession, I think it is vital to be able to easily draft and adapt patterns for any figure.
Working with other pattern books in the past I have usually made a general draft and then adapted the pattern with the help of a fitting book like the indispensable Fit for Real People by Palmer and Pletsch. This is much like working with a store-bought pattern only once the sloper fits, all design alterations made to this initial block will already have been changed to your unique measurements. Of course, a general fitting of your first block is necessary whatever drafting system you use. Nevertheless I find that Müller & Sohn address what they call "difficult figures" in much more detail and advise the pattern drafter to carefully observe figure imbalances and idiosyncrasies before drafting the initial sloper.
According to Müller & Sohn the two most important measurements that help you determine whether you are, as they call it, in balance, that is 'normal', or not are the nape to waist and front shoulder to waist measurements. Once you have discovered your particular deviations from the norm you can turn to their chapter on "difficult figures". This is a whole chapter dedicated to addressing all sorts of problems from a full bust to a small butt to a round back and so on. Some of the changes you make to your draft can be incorporated into your initial draft, others are modifications to the finished draft.
Below I have scanned in the drawings they include to illustrate various figure imbalances. The drawings are hilarious and I hope Müller & Sohn don't mind my minor violation of their copyright.
Additionally to instructions on how to adapt blocks to figure imbalances, Müller & Sohn also have full instructions for a dress sloper for plus-sized figures. Now I cannot tell you anything about whether or not this draft is any good because I drafted my sloper with the regular instructions but the fact that they have instructions for plus-sized figures at all is remarkable. I have never seen a pattern drafting book give options for or even just consideration to plus-sized figures.
The Müller & Sohn drafting system has helped me in particular to draft a pattern that accurately fits my bigger bust in a way that other pattern drafting systems have failed to do. Using other systems I was also able to fit the pattern to my bigger bust after having drafted it but that meant that I had to draft for a smaller bust and smaller bust circumference in the first place. This is something I had to learn to do in endless trial and error with a decided lack of instructions for drafting for the bigger bust in all of the pattern drafting resources I have used so far. Müller & Sohn make this process so much easier.
From those of you who have drafted a pattern before, I'd really like to know if you have any special figure problems which you feel are difficult to work with when you draft your own slopers? Or has everything gone smoothly so far?
Okay, that's it from me for today. There will be one more post reviewing the Müller & Sohn system coming up soon. Hopefully later this week....
The Muller system sounds very interesting and complete. I would like to examine one of their books. The Burda pattern drafting books (Japanese but available in English)also have information on drafting for non typical body shapes. My experience is that a pattern drafted from measurements will always need to be made up in muslin and fitted. A measurement, such as back length does not describe the contour of the back. For example there could be high back curvature or prominent shoulder blades, etc. The shape of my back is one area that standard drafting instructions do not address well. But now that I have a well fitted sloper, I can use it as the basis to draft any style successfully, because it has my unique body shape factored in. I make a lot of patterns using the drafting instructions in Ms Stylebook and Lady Boutique magazines (Japanese - all drafting instructions in the magazine use a basic sloper as a starting point) Monthly magazines like these have the latest styles. Books on pattern drafting tend to have only styles that are popular at the time they were published.
ReplyDeleteThis seems very interesting indeed! Now I just want to ask a favour: would you translate the book into English (or Norwegian)? Just kidding, I should probably be able to figure things out with Google translator and my German colleague.
ReplyDeleteI agree that most pattern cutting/construction books normally take the "normal" or averaged body into account, and do not dedicate many pages to the "not-so-normal" figures. My problem is broad, short back, rounded shoulders and a little swayback. So all in all, patterns are always too long in the back, and too tight over the shoulders. And being a perfectionista I'm always looking for the perfect pattern. Would you say that the German of these books is straight forward, if you've worked with some pattern cutting before?
Hello Helene,
DeleteNo, I would definitely not say that the German in these pattern books is straightforward. In fact, their instructions are somewhat difficult to understand. I usually like working my way through books and teaching myself but with this book I was really happy to have a tutor. Since I have had the basics explained to me it has become a lot easier. But the drawings and instructions themselves are not very reader-friendly and certainly not for the faint of heart. If you want to get into the German drafting style with a German book but don't speak German and only have a friend or dictionary to help you, I would recommend you get the book "Bekleidung" by Guido Hofenbitzer: http://www.europa-lehrmittel.de/titel-58-58/bekleidung_schnittkonstruktion_fuer_damenmode-543/
The book uses almost the same system but the instructions and illustrations are so much simpler, and could perhaps even be followed with only very little German. This book has some drawbacks as well, particularly as it is only the first volume of two (and the second will only be published towards the end of the year) but it is still invaluable and a lot cheaper than the M&S books. I am planning a review of this book for my blog but haven't gotten around to it yet.
Hope this info helps.
hi,
ReplyDeletei bought a book by lucia mors de castro back in 2011 and only recently that i've got the chance to try drafting basic slopers using this book. i agree with you when you said that the german drafting system is a lot simpler to use. i have used the system as described by heriet peppin, helen joseph armstrong, rene berge, and also those from lady boutique magazine. i didn't have that many great success with them.
however, with lucia's book, i was able to draft a perfect fitting sloper for my two daughters (one with a sway back and the other with an upright posture). nonetheless, i am still having some problem with my own sloper. i have forward thrust shoulders and anterior pelvic tilt. so, my sloper does not sit properly on the shoulder and the back waist area. any idea on how to resolve this? I would really appreciate your feedback. tq.
I'm sorry for getting back to you so late. Unfortunately I don't know how to solve your specific problems, but the Palmer/Pletsch fitting book (Fit for real people) is really helpful and so is the more expensive but quite comprehensive book "Fitting and Pattern Alteration" by Elizabeth Liechty. I hope this helps.
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