Adjust an existing block pattern

[David_Nadeau]

Hello beautiful community! To start, a bit of background info about me and my experience: I’ve studied costume design for theater and cinema. In my classes, I’ve learned to create a block pattern by molding on a mannequin, and then using that block pattern to create my own patterns. I have since made a lot of costumes, mainly by using already existing patterns to modify them, or making a not-so-good block that I’d adjust directly on the wearer once i’ve done a mock…

But I’ve never learned how to properly create blocks just from measurements. I know it’s something suuuuper complicated in itself, and that there’s loads of methods from different authors, but I was wondering if it was possible to use an existing block pattern and customize it to my measurements? If so, how, and do you have bases that I could use? I’m currently working on a men’s medieval jacket (a doublet, to be more precise) and pants (hoses), but I would eventually also make women’s costumes, too.

For the moment I was thinking about using the app just for making the blocks, print it and make the pattern after, but I will certainly try to play on it to really make the patterns when I have some time to explore it more…

Thanks in advance

[Douglas]

Welcome @David_Nadeau

Part of my background… I studied theatre including costume design. I co-owned a costume shop for 41+ years, now retired (not by choice) , and now am a lead dev for the Seamly apps.

@David_Nadeau

I’ve learned to create a block pattern by molding on a mannequin, and then using that block pattern to create my own patterns.

I’ve made a couple patterns in Seamly based on existing patterns. One being a dress draped by an employee of mine. It takes a certain knowledge of Seamly & the measurements, and general grading rules to understand how I did with the pattern.

Shift Dress Pattern

This is a pattern based on a basic shift dress with gathering at the bust one of my employees draped on a dress form. We’re not sure of the exact size of the form as it was old and got recovered, but the measurements are 37-28-38 and we’re calling a size 12. What I hope you find interesting is the method I came up with - a way to code the formulas so that instead of drafting a pattern based on a system, it grades an existing pattern. How I accomplish this is to apply formulas at standard grade…

@David_Nadeau

I was wondering if it was possible to use an existing block pattern and customize it to my measurements?

Yes. As long as your measurement file includes all the measurments used in th pattern file. As well as how the pattern was drafted.

@David_Nadeau

If so, how, and do you have bases that I could use?

Not really.

@David_Nadeau

For the moment I was thinking about using the app just for making the blocks, print it and make the pattern after,

I suppose you could print out the basic block of any pattern system, and use it as sloper to develop patterns. Although that’s not really drafting a pattern, but rather manipulating an existing basic block to create a pattern. IMO it kinda defeats the whole pupose of using Seamly… which is to draft a pattern, add all the details like grainline, seam allowance, notches… etc., and have it automatically resize to a given set of measurements without having to redraft anything.

[David_Nadeau]

@Douglas

Part of my background… I studied theatre including costume design. I co-owned a costume shop for 41+ years, now retired (not by choice) , and now am a lead dev for the Seamly apps.

So cool! Thanks for developping that amazing tool! I’m gonna go and read the article you linked with the dress and grading for sure!

@Douglas

IMO it kinda defeats the whole pupose of using Seamly… which is to draft a pattern, add all the details like grainline, seam allowance, notches… etc., and have it automatically resize to a given set of measurements without having to redraft anything.

I might have not been super clear as english is my second language! What I meant is for the moment I would use an adjusted block pattern to help me go faster, but surely I’ll continue to explore Seamly so one day i’m able to draft my patterns on it and be able to do all of that

@Douglas

@David_Nadeau

If so, how, and do you have bases that I could use?

Not really.

I’ve learned yesterday the existence of my-pattern.cloud , where people can share patterns, but I can’t find how to reach pattern makers to ask them for their work