Dedicated to Sareena Granger, knitting tech editor @dresslikeanonion
Last autumn Sareena posted on Instagram about making blocks or slopers. My two replies were so long that they merited being blog posts, so here’s the third of three posts. You can find part 1 here and part 2 here.
I’ve collected all the questions I could find. If you have any more, please add them to the comments section – thank you!
Block FAQs and tips
Do you use card or fabric for your block?
Both! The fabric is stiff so that I can be sure it hasn’t stretched with time and wear. Calico (a type of untreated cotton) is the usual choice. Tightly woven fabrics that you can draw on to annotate will be fine.
Wear your usual underwear as you measure and fit your block.
If you have a favourite bra, wear that. And if you don’t wear a bra, that’s fine too! Remember, the block or sloper is being built to suit you and your life. Bra or no bra, the main thing is that you can locate your bust or chest point – where your nipples are. They mark the fullest circumference of your chest.
Treat the card block as a base, or starting point, and be prepared to sew up two or three toiles.
Mark or annotate any minor changes – there are always some as you progress from measurements to paper to card to fabric – and treat this toile as a baseline. Transfer any minor changes back to the block so you only need to make the correction once.
Leave one toile that corresponds to the finalised block, and sew up at least one more so that you can make a mess do some research. Use these toiles to monitor any seasonal changes. You might find that you are smaller or larger in certain places at different times of the year. If that’s the case, decide whether styling details are enough to accommodate the change (as with the waist ties etc. that I mentioned in the previous post), or whether you’re better off drafting an autumn/winter block and a spring/summer block.
You can have more than one basic block – don’t assume you can’t because you haven’t seen anyone else admit to it! Remember, your body sets the standard. Give yourself what you need.
Use larger seam allowances for the toile, or block mockup, especially with girth or circumference measurements.
If you need to adjust the seams, you’ll have room for manoeuvre. Mark the changes on the fabric with a coloured pen, and create a colour-coded system so that you don’t get lost. That way, you can document everything and not worry about losing a notebook. The information is already right where you need it.
Always make a note of the date.
Sometimes measurements and postural habit can change with life events, and you might not realise it at the time. This is also how you’ll capture the impact of lifestyle changes, the day-to-day shifts that creep up on you. Remember, you’re your own personal tailor – don’t forget to take care of yourself.
