Welcome to Part 2b of our adventure. In this part we will draft the sloper front piece. Now that you have had practice with just the bodice sloper for the back piece, this will be a lot easier to understand!
Ok? Ready? Yeah! Let’s get to making that dress sloper!
The Steps:
Front of Foundation
Place the Chart on the paper with the long straight edge toward you, and the right-hand edge on the edge of the paper.
For these dots, you won’t be moving the template around, please try your best to keep it in the same spot. In the images, I have the pencil pointing at the dot you should be making.
Now make the following dots (steps below in photos):
Dot 1 (neck measurement) Arrow B or C (see note on bust measurements) Dot A arrow Dot 2 (shoulder measurement) Dot 3 (bust measurement)
Make sure to note, which dot is which. Knowing where they are, will be important and help you out when you make the pattern pieces! Once you have created the above dots, you will now be moving the template around to make the rest of the lines and curves.
Neck measurement(Dot 1)
Arrow B (edge of chart. For Bust measurement up to 42″ – for bust measurements over 43″ make a dot at C arrow)
Dot A arrow
Shoulder measurement (Dot 2)
Bust measurement (Dot 3)
Draw a dotted line from Dot 1 to Dot B (or C – if Dot C the line must be continued for 1 1/2″ longer). Then draw a straight line to the required length. This is the Front Centre Line.
Draw a dotted Shoulder line from Dot A to Dot 2. (bust 40″+ make a dot 1/2″ to the left of Dot 2 to allow for Dart (as shown in Diagram (Foundation Draftings with Instructions)))
Draw Neck Curve. Place arrow F on Dot 1 and make a dotted line round the curve to A.
Draw Armhole Curve.
(Bust 24″-42″) turn the Chart over to the back with the long straight edge to your left, and place it to Dot 3, the Armhole arrow corresponding to the bust measurement required. Draw a line from Dot 3 to Dot 2.
(Bust 43″+) place 43″ to 48″ arrow to Dot 3, the Blue Curve touching Dot 2. Draw curve from Dot 2 to Broad Arrow, then turn chart over to the front side and place Broad Arrow to the end of the line already drawn. Complete drawing the curve to Dot 3.
Don’t move the ruler/guide! For all sizes measure 3/8″ in front of Broad Arrow and make a dot. Place Broad Arrow to this dot and draw curve to end at shoulder line. Then turn the Chart over, place Broad Arrow to the end of line already made and curve to Dot 3. This is now your Armhole Curve.
Draw the Underarm. Draw a dotted line from Dot 3 to Dot 4 (the original dot, to the left of Dot 5). Then measure inwards 1″ and mark as Dot 5. Draw a straight line from Dot 3 to Dot 5. Continue the underarm to the required length.
Shoulder dart, follow the measurements on the Diagram. (Foundation Draftings with Instructions). Do the same for the final neck measurement.
Now you have your back and front bodice slopers!
In Part 2c, we will use the bodice sloper to create a dress bodice pattern pieces!
Welcome to Part 2 of our adventure. If you have read Part 1, you will have your tools assembled and ready to go. If you haven’t read it, please go ahead and do that before reading the rest of this post. There are several tools that you will need in order to make your sloper.
Ok? Ready? Yeah! Let’s get to making that sloper!
Taking Measurements
As mentioned in Part 1, you will need the Foundations of Drafting with Instructions document in order to create you sloper. The sloper is required to make the garments in the Haslam catalogues. Trust me, once you have your sloper made, you will be off to the races! The catalogue/magazine for Haslam are chock full of amazing garments to make!
The first thing you will need to do, before creating a sloper is take your measurements. There are clear and concise instructions on what measurements you will need and how to take and calculate them. It is very important that you take all of the measurements.
The beauty of a pdf is if your measurements change over time or you want to create a sloper for someone else, all you need to do is print off the measurement page again.
Once you have completed calculating your measurements, you are ready to make your sloper.
{you will need someone to help you take the shoulder measurements}
Making Your Sloper
For this post, I am going to show you how to create a sloper bodice back piece only. In Part 2a, I will show you how to make the sloper bodice front piece. I thought that it would be less overwhelming to break the creation of the sloper into two pieces. There are quite a few steps and I know for myself personally, when I am learning something, if I digest it in small pieces, I am less likely to get frustrated.
*The reason I’m creating a bodice sloper rather than a full dress sloper, is I tend to make a lot of gathered skirt dresses. Personally, I find it easier to work with just a bodice piece in those circumstance. That said, I will be creating a full dress sloper in a future YouTube video! (you can subscribe here for future content) If you want to continue on and complete the full dress sloper, go for it!*
Tip 1: You will need to punch holes on the ruler/template for your measurements. Tip 2: I strongly suggest using a sharp/pointed pencil and a softer lead for drawing your lines. Tip 3: Use poster board/bristol board to create your sloper. It is a sturdier material and you will be able to use it over and over again. I also pasted my ruler/template to poster board/bristol board. Tip 4: For the creation of the initial dots, you don’t want your ruler to move. You may want to put pattern weights on it.
If you have any questions about the instructions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments below.
The Steps:
Back of Foundation (dress bodice)
Place the Chart on the paper with the long straight edge toward you, and the left-hand edge on the edge of the paper.
For these dots, you won’t be moving the template around, please try your best to keep it in the same spot. In the images, I have the pencil pointing at the dot you should be making.
Now make the following dots (steps below in photos):
Dot A Dot B Dot 1 (neck measurement) Dot 2 (shoulder measurement) Dot 3 (bust measurement)
Make sure to note, which dot is which. Knowing where they are, will be important and help you out when you make the pattern pieces! Once you have created the above dots, you will now be moving the template around to make the rest of the lines and curves.
Dot A
Dot B
Neck measurement (Dot 1)
Shoulder measurement (Dot 2)
Bust Measurement (Dot 3)
Now that you have made your initial dots, you are going to start drawing some lines and curves using your template.
Draw a straight line from Dot A to Dot B (this is your Back Centre Line)
Draw the Shoulder line from Dot 1 to Dot 2.
Draw the neck curve. To do this turn the chart over to the front side and place the Curved arrow on Dot 1 and draw to Dot A.
Draw the armhole curve. Place arrow F on the Dot 3 (Bust), with the blue curve of the Chart on your left and draw to Dot 2. (If your bust is 40″+ use Arrow H on Dot 3 and draw to Dot 2)
Place arrow F on the Dot 3 (Bust), with the blue curve of the Chart on your left and draw to Dot 2
(If your bust is 40″+ use Arrow H on Dot 3 and draw to Dot 2)
Mark the 1/2″ Shoulder raise and 1/4″ extension at Dot 2 and draw the lines as show in the diagram (Foundation Draftings with Instructions).
At this point (since we now have an armhole), I measure from the bottom of the armhole to my natural waist. (in my case 7″). I then draw a dotted line down. Using this, I continue the line for the Back Centre Line (vertically) to match. I then draw a line horizontally to connect them.If you are doing a full dress sloper, you don’t do this.
Draw the underarm. Draw a dotted line from Dot 3 to Dot 4. Then mark the length. Now measure 1″ inwards and make Dot 5. Draw a straight line from Dot 3 to Dot 5.
I measure from the bottom of the armhole to my natural waist. (in my case 7″). I then draw a dotted line down.
Then draw a line from Dot 5 to the Centre Back line. (This is where your natural waist will be.)
You have now drawn your back bodice sloper! As mentioned above, I will show you in Part 2a, how to make the front sloper.
Please let me know if this was helpful, or if you have questions!
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in draft-at-home systems and mostly intrigued with the Haslam System of Dresscutting. Each and every time I go into a vintage store or thrift shop, I’m always on the outlook for books.
A few years ago, I bought the ruler, foundation document and a booklet with patterns, with the plan to try to figure out how the Haslam system works. After reading through the documentation, I knew I was going to need to see a tutorial of some sort to figure out how it all worked… yet, I couldn’t find any. Recently, I have found a couple YouTube channels and a blog that has made efforts to explain how to use the system, but I feel that there is still information missing and this is why I’ve decided to create a four part series.
The four part series will include steps to use the system, resources and the sewing project I’ve chosen. Hopefully, it will help those also interested. If there is anything you think is missing from the series, please let me know.
Over the next four weeks, I will be posting one series part each week. This is the first one!
Once I am done this blog series, I will do an additional post for a blouse sew-a-long we will be hosting in our Discord Community.
Enjoy!
What is Haslam System of Dresscutting
The Haslam System of Dresscutting is a draft-at-home system, that allows you to create your own sewing patterns using you own body measurements. You can also use the pattern to create different sizes as well as tailor the pattern to fit your body type. This is achieved by creating a sloper and pattern pieces. The system was devised by Miss Grace Haslam and was an original home business that eventually has Miss Haslam travelling all over the country teaching her method of dressmaking.
Paper for drafting – I recommend you get something a little more sturdy than tissue paper for this. Some sewists like to use a stronger paper like packing paper. It’s what I use when I draft my own patterns.
Pencil and eraser
Paper scissors
Glue and bristol board (if you want to make a sturdy, reusable template/ruler
In part 2 we will talk about how to draft your sloper and pattern pieces using the tools I’ve talked about above. If you aren’t already, please follow me on Instagram as I will be providing mini updates there as well.
Now that we are deep into Spring, I thought it was time to share the dress I made for the Spring Dress Sew-a-long we are hosting over in our Killer Kitsch Discord Community. Please join us! Our sew-a-longs have no end date and we are doing several a year, plus, it’s a great group of sewists and knitters.
I decided last year that I am going to move away from my base colours of blacks/reds and have made a grand effort to keep up with that decision. Though red will continue to creep into my new makes and occasionally black for skirts and trouser, I am trying to add as much colour as I can. This year I’ve been leaning more towards greens, blues and yellows, however, I’m really feeling the need to get more pink and orange in there too (the colour orange will appear in an upcoming blog post). A few neutrals will get thrown into the mix here and there as well. I’m also trying to boost up my Tiki themed selections, more to come on that!
I was struggling on what to make for my Spring dress and decided to go with a tried and true pattern, that I not only love, but is incredibly flattering for this curvy girl. That pattern is the Butterick B6543. This was my 5th version of the pattern. I do adore this pattern, but after making five of them, I’ve definitely come up with a list of things I would change about it. The next rendition will be a self-drafted pattern along the same lines.
One of these days, I am going to start filming my makes, but for now I have created a photo essay of the steps I took to create my most recent version.
Note: I don’t have these steps included for this dress, but whenever I make a new garment, I always make a toile (aka mock-up/muslin). Trust me, you will save yourself heartbreak later.
Sewing prep-work:
* Pre-wash your fabric. * Iron your fabric. * Organize all of your tools.
Pre-washing and ironing your fabric is incredibly important. Please don’t skip this step. You might think that you are saving time by skipping these steps, but trust me, if you don’t do these steps, your pattern pieces may not all come out the right size AND when you do wash the garment it might shrink or become misshapen. No one wants that.
The pattern pieces:
Lay out your fabric on a flat surface and then lay out your pieces according to the instructions. This is especially important for new sewists. Most of us hate wasting fabric, and once you’ve made a few garments, you might get more comfortable with going freestyle, but in the beginning follow the directions that come with the pattern.
In the pros side of going freestyle, I only had 3 meters of fabric and the pattern requires a little more than 4 meters. I was able to fit it all in and still do a 3 panel gathered skirt.
Do your markings:
I always double check that I have clipped where I’m supposed to and marked up my dots, darts and any extra markings needed. I have a variety of colours of tailors chalk and sheets of tracing paper. (I do find that some fabrics don’t agree with tracing paper and I will need to go over the lines with the chalk)
Iron on interfacing/finishing seams:
This might be out of order for some, but it is how I personally like to do it. Next I iron on the interfacing to the pieces (or baste them if the pattern requires) that require it and serge all of my seams. Some patterns will tell you to serge or seam finish last. Unless it is dire to the structure of the garment or a large piece of the seam allowance needs to be removed, I serge before I sew the pieces together.
Pin, sew and press your darts:
I do this for the front and back pieces at the same time. If you are more comfortable using the order in the pattern, please do. As you get more comfortable sewing, you may choose to do all the darts at the same time.
ALWAYS iron your darts in the direction that pattern instructions say.
Tip: If you don’t own a tailor’s ham (I no longer do, it go lost in my last move), just roll up a towel. It works just as well.
Sew your bodice pieces together!
For this pattern, there are 3 front pieces. The instructions tell you stay stitch on two of the pieces. Do not skip this step. It helps you line all three pieces up and prevents puckers.
Once you have sewn the front pieces together, press your seams.
Next sew the back pieces to the front pieces and iron those seams!
Facing pieces and attaching the straps:
Sew the facings together in the same order that you did the main bodice pieces. Also make sure to iron those seams!
The instructions for this pattern have really clear instructions on how to sew on a strap with an adjustable slider. If you don’t want to use that method, you can also sew on tie straps (I have on all of these dresses). To do so, cut out and sew up 4 long straps.
Follow the steps in the instructions on how to attach the straps. I add a second pin to each strap about 3 inches down to ensure they stay straight for when I sew them in. The pattern also asks you to baste them in place. Don’t skip this step!
Now it’s time to sew the facing to the bodice!
Don’t forget to clip those curves! Clipping the curves helps to ensure everything lays properly. I also under-stitch facings to ensure they don’t roll out during wearing.
Now you have a finished bodice!
Next up, prepare your skirt of choice:
The pattern gives you an option of a pencil skirt or a gathered skirt. I generally love a very full gathered skirt, but have also make this with a circle skirt.
Add the skirt to bodice and insert the zipper:
I say add the zipper style you are most comfortable with. (this is why I don’t have photos of the zipper installation). If you are just learning how to sew, go with what the pattern says.
This depends on the type of skirt you add. For a gathered skirt, I hem before I sew the skirt to the bodice. If you have cut your skirt on the bias (circle skirt and some pencil skirts) then let the dress hang for a few days before you hem. You might need to even out the hem.
Tip: If you want to add a bit of weight to your skirt, so it doesn’t blow up as much in the wind, add hem tap.
The finished dress!
Ain’t she pretty! The inspriation for why I started making the B6453 pattern, is due to my obsession with the character Audrey’s wardrobe from the 1960s Little Shop of Horrors. I’ve made the checked version and one day soon am going to make the red version!
We are adding two new sew-a-longs to our Discord Community!!! Details are below. (you can join the Killer Kitsch Discord Community by clicking here!)
Starting May 1st – Vintage Spring Dresses!!!
Starting June 1st Vintage Playsuits!!!
As with all of our sew-a-longs in our Discord Community, you don’t have to start the SAL on the first of the month as the SALs will be open-ended after they begin. We will have separate sections/folders within the community so you won’t get lost!
The SALs are vintage/vintage reproduction. Though you don’t necessarily need to use a vintage pattern, the finished garment must look as if it belongs to an era that is (1970s and earlier).
If you post photos of your garments from the sew-a-long, please tag @killerkitsch13. I would love to repost them on my Instagram.
2021 has definitely become the year of blouses and trousers for me. I’m focused and determined to fill my closet with them. I have plenty of dresses and skirts, but not enough blouses and at this point a wearable toile for trousers. I’m on a mission, oh yes I am!
Along with blouses for myself, I am also working on men’s shirts. This is two-fold. #1 is to make shirts for my husband. #2 is top secret for right now, however, you will hear details soonish. I’m still working on it!
As I often do, I will run an a-long to help keep me motivated. We currently have a blouse-a-long and a trouser-a-long running in our new(ish) Killer Kitsch Discord Community. If you want to join us, click here for the invite. We decided to start a Discord Community so that anyone who wants to participate can join. We were holding them on Facebook, but many people no longer have Facebook, never had Facebook or they rarely log-on (I, myself am also moving away from Facebook and will eventually be archiving the groups over there). I know many didn’t join in because of this. The Discord Community is so much easier to access and makes running a-longs easier!
Now back to blouses! The blouse I am working on is a 1930s reproduction blouse. As with all patterns, I had to grade up, especially in the hip/tummy area. As I lose weight, I will eventually need to do less grading. (with the exception of vintage patterns, I will also need to grade those)
I want to start by saying, that blouses aren’t as scary as they seem. In fact, they are pretty damn easy to make. Yes… there are usually many more pieces and steps, but in all honesty, they go together quite quickly. You just need to be patient with yourself. One tip I HIGHLY recommend is even before you cut out the material, 1. do a toile (muslin/mock-up) AND 2. read the instructions through a few times. That way, no surprises when you cut into your fabric!
I tend to sew and knit within three decades (1930s/40s/50s) and will be doing the same with my blouse journey. My first blouse is (as mentioned above) a 1930s reproduction pattern. Upcoming blog posts will be about the ones that I make from the other decades, as well as the men’s shirts I will be making. I plan on making the blouses in a variety of fabrics. These are the two I’m making at the moment.
How long did it take me to sew it? I don’t have a firm time as I tend to break it up and sew in stages. I used to try to do it all in one day and I’ve learned that doesn’t work for me. After hours of working on one piece, I do (as most will) get tired and when I get tired…. I make mistakes! By sewing it all in stages, I also find it more enjoyable. Below are the stages.
(*toile/final project) Read through pattern. Review layout suggestions for pattern pieces. *Trace out pattern.
2. (toile/final project) Cut out all toile or final material and place everything, including notions in a zip lock bag.
3. (toile/final project) Sew day. Depending on how many steps, I may break this into two days. For this blouse I’m currently working on, I sewed everything up to the buttonholes.
4. (final project) Finish off buttonholes and hand-stitch, plus any other finishing.
I hope those steps helped. Here is a few photos of before and after the buttonholes.
All said, I’m really please with how the first blouse came out. I will definitely be making many more of this one. After I sew the red one (and possibly a third) I will be moving onto the 1940s. I may even have a few more 1940s trouser toiles done by then as well.
Exciting NEWS! Not only does Killer Kitsch Designs have a new collection, but we are also having a contest and it’s in collaboration with Heather Babcock, the author of the novel Filthy Sugar! You can win both a copy of the novel and the one of a kind beret & scarf set inspired by the main character Wanda Wiggles!
The new collection is called The Miss Bow Collection and is inspired by Clara Bow! Clara was both a Silent Film and Pre-code movie star! She is famously known to wear berets in many of her photos and movies! When I came up with the theme for the collection, I knew Filthy Sugar had to be part of the contest! Filthy Sugar is the debut novel of the incredibly talented and sassy Heather Babcock!
Here is a blurb about the novel!
“Set in the mid-1930s, Filthy Sugar tells the story of Wanda Whittle, a nineteen-year-old dreamer who models fur coats in an uptown department store, but who lives in a crowded rooming house with her hard-working widowed mother and shrewd older sister, Evelyn, in the “slums” behind the city’s marketplace; a world where ‘death is always close but life is stubborn’. After a chance encounter with the proprietor of the Apple Bottom Burlesque Theatre, Wanda is thrust into a world of glitter and grit.”
Introducing the Miss Bow Collection, inspired by that sassy beret wearing Clara Bow! Clara Bow was an actress of the pre-code and silent film era and known for her very sexy style. Clara was also a huge fan of berets and ascot style scarves! This is why The Miss Bow Collection is named after her.
Both the beret and ascot scarf are hand knit from original 1930s patterns and are made from the softest 100% acrylic yarn.
The collection is on sale in our Etsy Store. I will add the link for each colour below.
Size (beret): The beret fits most average sized heads.
Size (scarf): From keyhole to keyhole is approximately 14” unstretched. Because of the way the scarf is knit, it will have a good amount of allowance for stretching.
We are also having a giveaway to help celebrate the launch of this new collection! All the details are over on Instagram and our Killer Kitsch account!
I now have two versions of The Nicest Bad Girl Cropped Cardigan for sale in my Etsy store! I will have a few more colour combinations coming, but I wanted to get these ones up now, as they will be perfect for your Valentine’s outfit!
The Nicest Bad Girl Cropped Cardigan name was inspired by my friend Heather aka Blue Suede Sue (you will find her over on Instagram) and the nicest bad girls from the b-movies of the 1950s. These nice bad girls could be sweet as pie, but you sure wouldn’t want to make them mad! This cardigan is handknit by me, from an original 1950s pattern.
The Nicest Bad Girl Cropped Cardigan is made from the softest 100% acrylic yarn. The fit of this cardigan is cropped (sitting at your waist) and the overall body is a looser fit. The sleeves are ¾ in length so you can show off your lucite bracelets.
Recently, I took an inventory of all of my hand knits. Rather than knit everything I see, I decided it might be a good idea to fill wardrobe holes. You see, the cubbies I use for my knits is bursting and I need to be a lot more selective about what I make. There are two types of garments I am lacking at the moment, summer tops and cardigans. Since winter is approaching, I thought I would get a head start adding some warm, cozy cardigans to the knits.
All of the cardigans I am knitting, have been inspired by some very lovely and talented knitters I follow on Instagram. Thank you Bex, Erica, Amanda and Suzanne! I have finished one of four I plan on making. All will be fairy quick knits since they will be in worsted weight yarn and I’m choosing colours I don’t currently have. Yes! You heard that right, they won’t be black or burgundy… though… one might be red, but a brighter red!
As I mentioned above, I have finished one of the cardigans. Please check out the slide show below. It was a super easy knit, with one exception… the lace instructions were confusing. I read them several times, wrote them out a bunch of different ways, tried knitting them over and over and they came out wrong! I’m an experienced knitter and have knit lace before. I’m especially experienced at knitting vintage patterns and was super frustrated that I couldn’t figure out the lace part. Rather than toss the cardigan aside, I decided to do a cable pattern in the panel instead. I noticed that Suzanne (please click here to follow her Instagram account and see her version) had made a version and her lace came out perfect. I reached out to her and she had the exact same issues I did, however, she persevered and figured out the lace pattern. She has since shared it with me, so I am going to attempt the cardigan again with the lace.
In the end, I really love this pattern. The fit is amazing, it is an easy knit and it’s fast. The next one will be with lace and will likely be a gift. Eventually, I will make a second one for me.
One of my hurrah’s while knitting the Bestway A2900 was, I decided to learn how to make yarn covered buttons! They look complicated, but trust me, they are super easy! Click here for the link to the tutorial I followed.
This isn’t the best photo. This blue is hard to get a picture of. I was using worsted yarn, so it isn’t as defined as if I’d used fingering weight.
The next knit on my list is the Style 110, it’s from Botany Handknit Fashions vol. 10, circa 1957. This is another knit that was inspired by Bex Huland. (click here to follow her on Instagram and see her version) The other knit she inspired was the Denise blouse. She is also my inspiration to FINALLY make trousers!
The Botany cardigan is also in a very fast knit. Bex finished hers in 2 weeks. I’m going to be making mine in purple and instead of adding a floral trim, I’m going to attempt little black bats or if I do decide to go with flowers, they will be either a darker purple or black. There will be an updated blog post when I complete it.
I’ve been wanting to make the Nautical Topper for a really long time. I first saw it when Amanda (click here for her Instagram) knit it as a commission, but it wasn’t until I saw that Erica (click here for her Instagram) had started it and said how fast and easy it was, did I decide to add it to my WIPs list. I’m considering a few different colour combinations, likely in autumn colours rather than the red, blue and white.
I have a lot of knitting on my plate. I will squeeze the cardigans in between Yule knitting. I’m about 50% done my current WIPs for that, but am likely throwing in that cardigan I mentioned. However… I live in Ontario and winter is loooooong! I have plenty of time.
We’re just inviting you to take a timeout into the rhythmic ambiance of our breakfast, brunch and/or coffee selections. We are happy whenever you stop by.
Killer Kitsch Designs 