How to Make a Master Block for Garment Sewing

A master block, sometimes called a 'master pattern', 'basic block', or 'sloper', is considered the parent pattern from which you draft your garments and drafted to a perfect fit of your model.  The block lacks intricate design details or styling; there are no fancy necklines, pockets, ruffles, pleats, gathers of any kind. The only purpose of a block is to fit the figure or the dress form properly. 

Time saved on first creating a correctly fitting basic block before creating your patterns is critical. Too often, inexperienced designers learn the hard way when an entire design must be scrapped because of the lack of a properly fitted foundation pattern. Developing master patterns, basic blocks, or slopers as some may call them, is also one of the first steps in learning about pattern making and how the flat pattern relates to the 3D body form. 

Following drafting instructions, however, can be an extremely frustrating process, as it's so easy to get lost and make mistakes along the way. In this session, you can follow along with Nina as she demonstrates clear and easy-to-follow drafting instructions for a bodice block.