Foundation blocks

The blocks every pattern begins with

A block - sometimes called a sloper - is a close-fitting master pattern with no style lines and no ease beyond what the body needs to move. It carries no seam allowance and makes no fashion statement. It simply records the shape of the body with precision.

Every other pattern in the Pattern Palace catalogue is drafted or altered from one of these foundations. Starting here means starting right.

All foundation blocks are drafted to your individual measurements. Each is currently in development and will be available to waitlist members first.

The patterns

Bodice Block

In development

The fitted upper-body foundation from which virtually every bodice pattern is derived. Drafted with a precise bust dart and clean shoulder line to match your individual measurements.

Fitted through bust, waist, and shoulder
Dart placement mapped to your figure
No seam allowance - ready to adapt
The starting point for blouses, jackets, and bodice overlays

Skirt Block

In development

The straight-skirt foundation, fitted through the waist and hip with a clean, unadorned silhouette. Every flared, pleated, or draped skirt style can be developed from this base.

Fitted waist-to-hip curve drafted to your measurements
Balanced front and back panels
No hem or seam allowance included
Foundation for A-line, pencil, and full skirt variations

Sleeve Block

In development

The set-in sleeve foundation, drafted specifically to match the armhole of your bodice block. Correct sleeve-head ease and pitch mean the block behaves predictably in every variation.

Drafted to correspond with your bodice armhole
Sleeve-head ease calibrated for set-in construction
Single-piece block, adaptable to two-piece or shaped styles
Foundation for tailored, casual, and shaped sleeve designs

Trouser Block

In development

The trouser foundation, drafted through the waist, seat, and crotch curve to your measurements. A well-fitted trouser block is one of the more demanding drafts - and one of the most rewarding to get right.

Crotch curve and rise drafted to your body
Balanced front and back leg panels
No seam allowance or hem included
Foundation for tailored trousers, wide-leg, and cropped styles

Dress Block

In development

Bodice and skirt joined as a single foundation for fitted dresses. The waist seam is present as a construction reference, but the block reads as one continuous piece - the cleanest starting point for shift, sheath, and princess-line styles.

Bodice and skirt integrated at the natural waist
Fitted through bust, waist, and hip in one draft
Ideal foundation for princess seams and waist-cut designs
Removes the need to match separate blocks at the waist

What is a block?

A block (also written as a sloper, particularly in American pattern-making) is the most elemental form a pattern can take. It fits the body closely, carries no seam allowance, and includes no decorative lines. It is purely structural.

The logic of working from blocks is simple: once a block fits correctly, every pattern derived from it inherits that fit. Style lines, added ease, pleats, and silhouette changes are all applied on top of a foundation that already works. The alternative - fitting each new pattern from scratch - is slower and less reliable.

Blocks are not garments you sew directly. They are instruments of the drafting process. When a block is right, pattern-making becomes a matter of design rather than fitting correction.

Blocks are drafted without seam allowance so they can be traced and modified freely.
Each block in this collection is drafted to your submitted measurements, not to a generic size.
A set of blocks - bodice, sleeve, skirt, and trouser - covers the vast majority of garment types you will ever want to make.

Want these first?

Create an account to save your measurements once and keep every waitlist in one place.

Create your account See the foundation blocks