Patternmaking Basics: The Bodice Sloper (DVD + Streaming)

Take your fashion design education to the next level in this follow-up to Patternmaking Basics: The Skirt Sloper. With Apparel Arts founder Suzy Furrer, you’ll create a moulage, or a precise fabric blueprint of the upper body. Learn to draft both your front and back moulage based on accurate measurements, cut your muslin and assemble it. Then you’ll go step-by-step through refining the fit. With your moulage patterns perfectly customized, you’ll put them to use as you find out how to make a bodice sloper, complete with wearing ease. Suzy will even discuss design options that can be created from your bodice sloper, and how to transform your woven sloper into a knit sloper.

NOTE: If you’d like to purchase only the DVD for this class, you may do so through this link. (Please note, any class PDF materials are not on the DVD itself. You must have streaming access to download those materials associated with the class.)

Meet Suzy Furrer (04:17)
Suzy Furrer shares her patternmaking background and explains the moulage and sloper you’ll be making.

Measuring for Moulage (24:18)
Whether you’re designing for yourself, a friend or a client, Suzy shows how to get key measurements without making your model uncomfortable. Measuring a dress form poses its own challenges that you’ll learn how to address.

Calculating & Setting Up the Moulage (24:51)
Using your own measurements or the example Suzy provides, you’ll fill out the provided worksheet to plan your moulage. Then draft along with Suzy to create the “bones” of your moulage on pattern paper.

Drafting the Front Moulage (44:38)
Drafting the moulage may seem complicated, but Suzy shows you how to go from A to B to C and beyond to get precise measurements, darts and shaping laid down on paper.

Drafting the Back Moulage (40:48)
You’ll continue drafting the back of the moulage and truing it up so it will line up with the front. Suzy demonstrates the importance of making a shoulder adjustment for the best fit.

Tracing, Cutting & Sewing (29:19)
With your moulage laid out, you can now trace it on pattern paper and prepare your muslin. Suzy gives some tracing and cutting tips, adds seam allowance and provides the order of construction for stay-stitching, sewing seams and sewing darts.

Fitting & Troubleshooting (28:47)
Now that your muslin is sewn up, you can check it on your model or dress form. Suzy points out all the key areas to check and how to adjust them. You’ll then transfer those adjustment to your moulage, redrawing and cutting to achieve the exact duplicate of the body you’re designing for.

Drafting the Bodice Sloper (25:50)
It’s time to draft your sloper! To the precise measurements you’ve established in your moulage, you’ll add some ease throughout the garment. The sloper you create can be the foundation of countless designs, from blouses to dresses to coats.

Truing the Sloper (26:36)
Polish your sloper by truing up your lines and darts both front and back, then place the pieces together to ensure a smooth transition between them.

Transferring the Sloper to Tag (19:36)
Trace your sloper on heavier stock such as oak tag for durability, and transfer all your darts and critical measurements.

Bodice Sloper Design Options (37:19)
Now you’re ready to start designing! Suzy points out the many points in the sloper front and back that can be modified according to your designing desires. But what if you want to work with knits? No problem! With a few simple changes, your sloper can be modified to use with stretchy fabrics, too.

Suzy Furrer
Suzy Furrer has over 35 years’ experience in the fashion industry. She began her career as a freelance patternmaker and directed the development of capsule collections for small fashion companies. Suzy is the Founder and Director of Apparel Arts (established 1996) and Apparel Arts Productions (www.ApparelArtsProductions.com), an online fashion design school established in 2020. Suzy developed a comprehensive curriculum to give students in-depth training to be strong candidates to enter the workforce in apparel or costume design or to simply build strong sewing and drafting skills for one’s own personal use. Apparel Arts has graduated hundreds of students who currently work in the apparel or costuming industries. In addition, she has been an instructor for GAP Inc.’s Product Development Immersion Program. Suzy teaches and speaks at sewing and craft conferences, sewing guilds, and art schools and has taught classes for the employees of entertainment giants Pixar and Lucas Films. She is the author of Building Patterns, The Architecture of Women’s Clothing. Last, but not least, Suzy has taught online pattern drafting classes for Craftsy.com since 2011.

How will I receive my DVD class?
Your DVD will be shipped in the mail using the address you provide at checkout. Your purchase also includes access to a streaming version of the class and downloadable PDF class materials. After your purchase, you can find your streaming class and your PDF class materials by logging into your Craftsy account using the user name and password you established.

How do I access the companion materials for my DVD class?
Come to Craftsy.com and log into your account using the username and password you set up when establishing your Craftsy account or purchasing your DVD. In your “My Account” area, select the “Classes” content. On this page, you’ll see all classes you’ve purchased from Craftsy. Simply select the desired class from your content list, and you’ll be presented with your selected class page. From the class page you can easily view, download or print the companion class materials, which are in the “Bonus Materials” tab on the class page. You can log in any time, and download or print the companion materials as many times as you like. Companion class materials are not shipped in the mail with your DVD, and must be accessed on Craftsy.com.

How do I stream my class on Craftsy.com?
Come to Craftsy.com and log into your account using the username and password you set up when establishing your Craftsy account or purchasing your DVD. In your “My Account” content, select the desired class. Stream the video on-demand from the class page any time you like; your viewing access is unlimited. You can stream your class from any computer, tablet or mobile device with Internet access.

Do I have to purchase a Craftsy Membership to get my class?
No, you do not. Every DVD purchased on Craftsy.com includes both the physical DVD in the mail and unlimited on-demand streaming access at Craftsy.com. These benefits are yours with or without a Craftsy membership.

Are DVDs included in a Craftsy Membership?
No, they are not. DVDs can only be purchased on an individual basis and are not included in Craftsy memberships. For non-members, DVDs are a flexible way to purchase only the classes you love best. For members, DVDs are a great choice to build an at-home library you can keep forever and enjoy any time, with or without Internet access.

Do you ship internationally?
Yes, we do ship most physical products, including DVDs, to several International destinations. In addition to the USA and Canada, we ship to Australia, Brazil, India, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, and most Western European countries. If you live outside these countries, you can still purchase digital items including memberships, individual streaming classes, and pattern downloads.

Do your DVDs work on international players?
Yes, our DVDs should be compatible with any DVD player in use today. All our videos have been created with all current Region Codes (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8). If you have trouble viewing a DVD purchased from Craftsy.com, please contact Customer Service.

What is your return policy?
We want to be sure you’re satisfied. If you have trouble playing your DVD, if the content is not correctly presented on the DVD, or you are dissatisfied with the content of your class, we will work with you. Contact Craftsy customer service via email or phone. Upon your request, and upon your return of the DVD to us, we will refund your purchase price or send you another DVD to replace a damaged or incorrect DVD, whichever is your preference. If you do receive a full refund, your streaming video class will also be removed from your Craftsy account, so on-demand video access will no longer be available to you.