What is Your Workflow for Digitizing Draped Blocks?

[erinvanhandel]

Greetings, Seamly2D-ists. I am a novice to CAD pattern making, and I am looking for an efficient workflow to bing blocks created by draping into Seamly2D.

I want to leverage SeamlyMe variables for grading.

The only way I can think to do this is:

1.) Populate SeamlyMe with measurements.

2.) Drape a block.

3.) Transfer the block from muslin to paper and true the block as needed.

4.) Measure the seams (edges) of the paper block and compare them with body measurements in SeamlyMe.

5.) Draft in Seamly2D using SeamlyMe variables.

What am I not seeing? I currently draft in Illustrator, and I use a similar process, except I take a photo of the paper block, drop it in AI, trace it, and refine it using measurements from the paper block (because photos skew perspective).

TIA for your insight, wise souls of Seamly2D!

[Grace]

Hello and welcome to Seamly2D, @erinvanhandel

1. I work with a basic pattern block which I keep intact which has a multisize measurement file attached.

2. I make a rough drawing - either Inkscape or Illustrator or on paper - of what I want to create.

3. And then I go about rotating, adding, slash & rotate, whatever it takes, on my basic pattern, to get the pattern that I want.

4. After this, it’s print the pattern and make up a test (which always ends up in one of the family’s wardrobe), do any changes that I need to, and then it’s normally ready to go, but sometimes I need to do another test.

My theory is that if you can get your basic pattern done & tested, it will work for any garment in almost any size, as long as your arcs and curves will allow for the resizing.

[Pneumarian]

I believe @Douglas did this last year some time, so he, if no one else, has some practical experience with your precise question. I think your process will be similar to your current method, but with the proper equations you’ll be able to shift sizes dynamically.

[Douglas]

@Pneumarian

I believe @Douglas did this last year some time, so he, if no one else, has some practical experience with your precise question. I think your process will be similar to your current method, but with the proper equations you’ll be able to shift sizes dynamically

Yes… here’s my example:

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…

[Douglas]

@erinvanhandel

Greetings, Seamly2D-ists. I am a novice to CAD pattern making, and I am looking for an efficient workflow to bing blocks created by draping into Seamly2D.

Take a look at my example. It requires 2 basic things… you need to know the sizes of the drape - which can be taken off the dress form. AND you need to know what the grade rules are. The grade rules are encapsulated in the size chart on any commercial pattern. I think in my example I used a 2" grade, or a 1/2" in each quarter.

[erinvanhandel]

Thanks for the help, @Douglas - I think that’s enough to get me under way.