How to Draft a Skirt Sloper The Quick and Easy Way

This post may contain affiliate links. Disclosure here.

Creating garments from a commercial pattern or a sloper varies in many ways. Most commercial patterns are based on universal measurements. Our bodies are all different from one another, so sometimes we may need to do a lot of adjustments in order to make a commercial pattern fit.

A sloper, which is also called a block, is created with your own measurements or the measurements of your client. It does not have any seam allowances or design. In this series, I will show you how quick and easy it is to draft a basic sloper. All you need is a manilla pattern paper, a few types of rulers, measurements and a pencil.

Sloper Series

By using seven different slopers or blocks you can create a pattern for whatever type of garment that you want. The seven slopers are of course the, (1)Front and (2) Back Bodice, the (3) Front and (4) Back Skirt, the (5) Front and (6) Back Pants, as well as the (7) Sleeve. So with these seven slopers or blocks, you can create anything. But in this post, I am going to focus only on the Skirt Sloper. I will show you how to draft a skirt sloper the quick and easy way. This is going to be a series of posts. In the next one, I will add the next sloper, which will be the Front and Back Bodice in a few weeks.

The Tools You Will Need

So let’s go ahead and gather all of our tools. So the first thing you’re going to need is:

Oak tag paper or manila pattern-making paper.
See-through rulers
A dressmakers ruler or pattern-making ruler (optional)
A hip ruler – Dritz or Fairgate
An L-square for squaring off your lines
Pattern weights
Pencils
Markers
Paper Scissors

Measurements

You are going to need to take accurate measurements. Stand in front of a long mirror or have a friend assist you if needed. Determine where you want your hem to fall. I usually go to my knee. Measure the:

Hip
Waist to Hem
Waist to Hip
Waist

Prepare Your Paper

Cut your pattern paper to a size that is workable. I usually go with 30×30″ which is more than enough. Use your pattern weights to flatten and hold your paper down while you work. Sometimes, I use a warm iron to flatten my paper down.

Start Drafting

Draw a line straight across. Your first measurement is half of your hip measurement, plus five-eighths of an inch. Mark your starting point – 1, and endpoint – 2.

Points 1 to 2 are half the hip measurement + five-eighths

Square Down to 4. This is the waist to hem measurement.

Points 1 to 3 are also your waist-to hem measurement. Square down and over to 4. Label your Center Front line and your Center Back Line.

Points 1 to 5 are your waist-to-hip measurement. Square down to 5 and over to 6. Mark your points and label your hip line.

Divide your hip measurement by 4 and add 5/8″ for ease. Measure over towards the center and mark this point 7. Square down to 8 and up to the waistline.

Start working on your Back Skirt. Points 1 to 9 are your waist measurement divided by 4, plus 1-1/2″. Measure over from 1 to 9 and mark your point.

Measure up 1/2″ and mark this point 10. This small line is important to start forming your waist and hip curve.

Draw straight lines from points 1 to 10, and 10 to 7.

Measure the line from points 1 to 10. Divide your measurement into 3 equal parts. Mark points 11 and 12.

Your waistline is now slanted. Use your L-square or your see-through ruler to square down. Square down 5-1/2″ from point 11. Mark that point 13. Square down 5″ from point 12. Mark your point 14.

Draw in your Darts, Waistline, and Hip. Do not curve your hip out more than 1/4″. Also, make sure that the right sides of your dart legs are on the grain.

Now work on your Front Skirt. Points 2 to 15 are your waist measurement divided by 4, plus 1″. Measure over from the Center Front line towards the side seam and mark that point 15.

Measure up 1/2″ and mark this point 16.

Draw straight lines from points 2 to 16, and 16 to 7.

Measure the line from points 2 to 16. Divide your measurement into 3 equal parts. Mark the points 17. This point is 1/3 the length of 2 to 16.

Your waistline is now slanted, the same as your Center Back. Use your L-square or your see-through ruler to square down. Square down 4-1/2″ from point 17. Mark that point 18.

Draw in your Darts, Waistline, and Hip. Do not curve your hip out more than 1/4″. Also, make sure that the left side of your dart leg is on the grain.

Your skirt sloper should look like this. Separate the Front from the Back and make notes on your Sloper. I lie to add the date that I created it, and my measurements.