How to Use a Sloper

How to Use a Sloper

Slopers can be a little bit of a mystery, even for the most experienced sewer. Most theoretically understand what they are, but never how to use them. If you don’t have a creative bone in you, then it’s possible to buy them. 

So, What is a Sloper?

It’s a handy tool used by many sewers to help create new designs; there are no design details, seam allowances, or fullness. It’s a fundamental building block for creating a pattern, and it allows just enough room to fit your body and breathe. They may also be referred to as basic patterns, foundation patterns, and blocks. 

A sloper is a handy basic pattern that follows the natural lines and represents the basic dimensions of a figure. Any piece of clothing you see will be based on one of these. 

Types of Slopers

Types of Slopers 

There are three types of slopers:  

  • Skirt
  • Bodice
  • Pants

You can mix and match these to create a range of different building blocks for your pattern. For example, you can use a bodice and skirt for a dress or pants and bodice for a jumpsuit. 

How Do You Use a Sloper?

How Do You Use a Sloper?

There are two main uses for a sloper: 

Designing New Patterns – The world is your oyster when using a sloper for creating new patterns. It’s just like opening a cookbook; you say you want to design a dress, and a sloper is a perfect ingredient.

Perfect Fit – A sloper can enable you to get the ideal fit. All you need to do is compare it to the pattern you are working with, and you’ll be able to identify what adjustments you need to make it fit perfectly. Bear in mind that a sloper doesn’t allow for seams. 

When using a sloper follow the following steps: 

  • Use tracing paper, freeze paper, or something similar to trace your desired pattern. 
  • Make sure everything fits you properly by stitching up the sloper. You may find that there are only small changes to make, sometimes there will be none. 
  • Make the relevant adjustments that you need to create your final sloper. 
  • Once you have your final sloper, mount it onto a sturdy piece of paper like tagboard, this is around the weight of a manilla folder.  
  • Including the darts, cut out your pattern. 
  • You can now start using your sloper for your designs. 

Where Can You Find A Sloper?

Where Can You Find A Sloper? 

If you think that a sloper sounds like the perfect tool to add to your sewing equipment, you may be questioning how you can get them. Although it is possible to draft one yourself, a much more comfortable and straightforward way is to start by focusing on how to use a sloper first. This means that purchasing a sloper is the ideal choice. 

Stringcodes is a brilliant way to do this. You tell them exactly what kind of sloper you want, and they’ll provide you with a custom-made sloper, including the personal touch of the size be your name. All the prices are reasonable too, so this makes it a great way to become familiar with using a sloper, and it gives you access to over 50 sizes, including toddler and plus sizes. 

Whether you design your clothing at home, produce ready-to-wear clothing to sell, your slopers don’t fit properly to your figure, or provide a tailored service, Stringcodes can certainly help. 

They can provide you with a range of options, including Stringcodes’ Standard-Sized Slopers and a personalized size from the measurements you supply. They even have a useful Pattern-Making calculator on their site so you can easily calculate the size that you need before ordering.  

Stringcodes has two options for ordering; you can either order online or through the mail. This makes it great for those who aren’t familiar with using a computer and are not tech-savvy. 

Ordering Online: Browse through their product pages, click ‘add to cart’. Then review the items in your cart, make any changes needed, and then proceed to the checkout to complete the ordering process. There is a variety of payment options, including Paypal, echecks, debit cards, and credit cards.

Ordering By Mail: Print out their handy order form, and then send it to them with your payment. You can pay with Money order or Bank Drafts (Canada and US orders only), Personal Check (for Canada only), and then send it to String Codes Design, PO BOX 44068, Burnaby, BC V5B4Y2, Canada or email it to sales@stringcodes.com. It generally takes around 10 days for the payment to clear. Once this has happened, your order will be shipped. 

You need to order using the online method if you’re ordering from any other country other than the US or Canada.