This website can generate a relatively good customised block or pattern from your own measurements. It may need a little tweaking later for larger sizes or unusual proportions, but it’s fairly adaptive. Really, it’s mostly dependant on the accuracy of the measurements. In the last version of this section, people’s measurements were a great deal most restricted in order to eliminate some of the more unusual shapes that ended up requiring more technical support than I had the time to offer. I’ve now opened up the choices for more variable shape because I’m not going to provide support for the lazy area at all anymore (come on, if you are too lazy to do it the manual way then why should I do the tweaking for you as well 
).
In order for my server to generate a customised block or pattern from your measurements, first you need to enter them below so the server can store them in your browser (you need cookies enabled for this system to work). This way you can go back and forth through the pattern choices over time and not have to re-enter your measurements until the cookie expires. Your measurements are not displayed to anyone except you!
While most women know how to measure their bust, waist and hips but few have ever taken the complete set of measurements necessary to make custom fitting patterns. I suggest reading the information on how to measure before starting this page. If your bust, waist and hips are outside the available selections below (over Australian size 20) you’ll need to follow the manual pattern making instructions on this website because with increasing size there is significant increased shape variation, making standard blocks a less accurate and you will need to know how to tweak the block to get a good fit. Really anyone over a 94cm bust should make a block manually but this will go up to 108cm.
Once you have finished, click “Submit Measurements” and they will be stored automatically, then just choose either blocks or patterns from the Lazy People’s Menu. The patterns are created in SVG format for three reasons:
- It can be imported directly into most cad programs for tweaking (you can’t do that with PDF files).
- It can be printed directly from your browser (your printer will need poster print capability as the patterns are obviously larger than A4 size!)
- SVG is the accepted format standard for fully scalable vector images online.
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Hi . I am really interested in learning to make a latex catsuit.
problem is measuring.. I have the material already I bought from mj trends.
Is it possible to measure myself .. I am looking to make a comfortable fitting catsuit I can just slip on. can someone please help.
I would like to be able to draw out the panels paper then transfer them some how to the latex then cut the pieces out.
I have been think ing about doing this for many many years. but what has always stopped me is the correct process.
Hi Stuart,
Thanks for the site and the information contained within, I’ve found it really helpful.
I plan to use the manual method, but wanted to try the lazy person’s one piece block, as a reference point, and so fed in my wife’s measurements, clicked submit, then went into the blocks section, however when I try the “get block” button I get a hyperlink saying “click here for full size or right click to save”, if I click the link I get an error 403 forbidden.
Is it a problem with the site or could it be that my other half’s measurements are outwith the acceptable deviations possibly?
Thanks
John
Your site is great, thanks so much. I’m really looking forward to trying it as soon as I get properly measured. The “contact me” button on thw “about” page doesn’t seem to work for me, but for stretch fabric in the UK, three good places, all aimed at dancewear and all, I think, shipping abroad, are
DSI – http://www.dancesport-international.com/?sid=v1bem9cp8i60chjuk3evqhgbc7
Crystal Clover – http://www.crystal-clover.co.uk/default.aspx
Chrisanne -http://www.chrisanne.com/
They all have a big range of 2 and 4 way stretch fabrics, laces, etc.
Hi Brandon. The about the authour page is still there and you can leave comments on it still … not sure what your trying to do there?? The data sets are going to stay confidential for the time being
stuart, excellent site! i tried to contact you through your contact link in the About the Author page, but it says file not found. Please email me at my address. I am interested to see if I can get a copy of the 27,000+ data points to do some statistical analysis on my own of women shapes.
Hi,
I have an unusually long torso which is why I’ve decided to venture into making my own swimsuit pattern. I am trying to use the measurement input but the numbers for the waist to waist, waist measurement etc arent going quite long enough. Do you have a suggestion for what I can do?
Hi Jnetti, it’s based on the actual bust measurement in the position you want the bust to be … ie; measure the bust in an unpadded bra and at the correct height. This method is used by many schools teaching lingerie and by a few pattern makers I know … I don’t teach enough lingerie myself to know how suitable it is for students, but it is done successfully by others.
Dear Stuart,
I am looking creating a block bra pattern from your pattern block maker. I am in the U.S.A. and am not sure if I put my actual bust measurement or my bra size in metric measurement. I am putting in my actual measurements. Please let me know if that is wrong. I already can take a bra pattern and design my own from it but is that enough to change the style and the pattern and then be able to use the pattern (sized appropriatly of course) to teach women bra making? Thanks for at least considering my questions.
Your website is so great thanks for sharing all this information.
Jeannette
Susan, as you’ve mentioned you’re interested in patterns I’d suggest trying to complete the one piece block manually first … you’ll get a better fit and learn something in the process
Hi Stuart,
Am bust 107
Waist 97
Hips 122
Any hope for me here?
Agustina, if you have a look at the Women’s size page you can click on each of the measurements and get an illustration of where each one is
Hi Stuart,
Just having a little difficulty knowing what some of the required measurements are, hope you can help me out:
Nape to waist: is this from nape (back of neck) to waist on the back, I usually take this measurement for both back and front so not sure which one you need, assuming back but not sure.
Gusset: not sure how you take this measurement!
Waist to waist ??..
is shoulder to BP (bust point) measured from the middle of the shoulder or closer to the neck?
Many thanks, really love your website I’m so happy I found it. Do you have any recommendation for a CAD programme that is easy to use from home and free to download? and another question sorry!!! what is the stretch of the fabric used for your cat suit (wet suit) and can this be made on a domestic sewing machine?
Looking forward to your next post!
Agustina
Hi Max,
I’m a pattern maker trained in womens wear. You’re asking your jaguar mechanic to fix a problem on your heavy duty CAT Bulldozer … sure both things are machines but it’s something entirely different. I’m still having trouble with men who are upset with the waist poisition I define and are actually trying to get me to change how I do things to become more about what seems natural to them (ie; they still believe the waistline should be whatever arbitrary waist band position they are used to). Can you imagine the trouble I’m going to have when I complete the rest of the body??? There is a guy at http://www.stretchy.org/ who does mens wear.
I mentioned on the men’s bottom block I was considering putting up the mens block by the manual method, but there is no way on this eart I’d try to automate something I didn’t know enough about … it’d just be irresponsible. Remember, this site is about teaching fashion students stretch fit pattern making and I’ve already covered what the industry expects for stretchwear in mens. I’ve got to be careful not to try and be all things to all people or I’ll have no time outside this site!!
Cheers
Stuart
Hi Stuart
Love everything about your site except the fact that I can’t enter my measurements on this page ‘cos I’m a man!
I did try, but some of the measurements are out of the range offered.
I’m an average 6 foot male, lean build and of standard proportions – not fat nor too skinny.
Can you do something for us guys, please?
Thanks,
Max
Just a quick comment. Since opening up the allowable measurement combinations (it use to be restricted to four deviations from the mean) I’ve seen some really bizarre shapes that simply can’t exist and aren’t going to work as patterns. A closer look at these measurement sets shows that people clearly do not know how to take measurements which I find concerning to say the least. It’s either that or they don’t know how to convert from inches to centimeters. While my script is stripping anyone outside four deviations from being stored in my database I’m worried that people will think the pattern system doesn’t work.
I’m going to leave it open for a bit longer, but in the mean time I’m forcing everyone to actually select every measurement rather than just selecting bust, waist and hips and ignoring everything else. I know that’s going to annoy some people but I need to establish what’s going on for the greater good. In the end we may have to return to restricting selections to a four deviation envelope again but let’s wait and see before jumping to that conclusion.