Harriet Pepin is a Genius...

This post will be much shorter than intended because blogger in association with my sickly broadband connection (off more than its on and very slow) conspired to lose my entire post.  I am hoping that I am some way toward resolving the broadband issue, but haven't quite got there yet. 

The sloper I made from my curtains has worked.  I used Harriet Pepin's book, Modern Pattern Design, published in 1942, as a guide for how to drape it.  The resulting sloper fits close but I can still raise my arms without any binding or discomfort.  Of course, the sloper is currently sleeveless.  I am sure the fun will start when I try to add sleeves.  But I'll worry about that when I get there. 

Flushed with success I drafted, from Pepin's instructions, a skirt sloper, which also succeeded.  I am planning to draft the bodice sloper to my measurements, using the book, and see how closely the drafted one comes to the draped one.  I think the comparison will be interesting.   Although I've tried to make both draped and drafted slopers before, I've never had much success, so I was thrilled when this worked as well as it did.   Of course, I've not drafted a sleeve yet.  Always my major stumbling block.

The Pepin book is a fabulous resource.  I gather it was originally used for College students as a text book and explains pattern design in great detail but is very readable and one of those books that you get something new from each time you read it.  Unlike some text books, this one seems to contains sufficiently clear explanation that it should be possible to work through it alone.  It is written in a style that makes one feel that the teacher is in the room with you and giving a very informative lecture.  Some of the line drawings, despite the age of the book, include detail which is very current.  For example, there are at least two drawings which show details which I had seen recently in Marfy catalogues.

Throughout the book figure flattery and the importance of pleasing design proportions are emphasised.   I believe it has been republished reasonably recently in a spiral bound, modern version, however, my version is an original hardback with soft, thick pages, slightly coloured by the passage of time and with that lovely smell of old and much loved book clinging to it.  I like to imagine  the life it has had and my favourite story involves the book being owned by a young lady from a small town with a love of clothes from a young age.  She studied at college in the local area before settling down in her home town in a small house with a studio at the back and making  her living creating  flattering garments for local ladies until she retired.  I don't have any evidence for this particularly, but its a story that pleases me. 

I've had the book for a year or two and often look at it as the line drawings are very inspiring.  Its designed to be worked through from first principles and includes many, many exercises and clear explanations of what is required.  I've wanted to work through this book properly from the first time I got it but never found the time.  Well, there is no time like the present is there?  So my next adventure will be to teach myself to draft patterns using this book.   Probably with a few dashes forward through the book to create a garment or two.