Why 2 Inches Becomes 3.38 (Joseph-Armstrong)

Video Transcript

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Hi. In this video, I'm going to show you why, even though only two inches ease is added to the bodice block within the Joseph Armstrong method, at least the fourth and fifth editions, the standard figure actually ends up with three and 3/8 of an inch ease at the bust level.

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So to repeat that only two inches ease is added within the instructions, a quarter of an inch ease is added to the front block, and three quarters of an inch ease is added to the back block.

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that's one inch for the half block, which means two inches for the full block.

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But every size in the standard figures measurement chart ends up with about three and 3/8 inches ease. That extra one and 3/8 of an inch ease is significant. And furthermore, when you use custom measurements, the amount of ease can vary quite a lot from person to person, so not everyone ends up with three and 3/8 of an inch.

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ease

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Sophie here ends up with only about one and one eighth of an inch ease total across her block at the bust level. Jackie here ends up with over 4.5 inches ease.

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So let me stress this. The extra one and 3/8 of an inch that the standard figure ends up with is not the only issue.

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It is actually an important point, given that I think many people think that two inches is the expected amount of ease. But the more significant issue is that once custom measurements are used, the amount of ease can change dramatically depending on the relationship between the front and the back high bust arc.

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So in this video I'm going to show you WHY the standard figure ends up with more ease than some people may expect, and why custom figures can end up with very different amounts of ease altogether. I want to stress three things up front. Point number one, if the standard figure ends up with three and 3/8 of an inch ease, then that is effectively the intended amount of ease in the system.

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That's the logical conclusion. So figures that end up significantly less or significantly more are no longer ending up with the same effective ease as the standard figure. Now, of course, ease is a personal preference. So somebody ends up with less and likes it. I'm not arguing that they should add more,

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I'm just pointing out that it is not the expected amount of ease for the system.

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Point number two, I am not criticizing the Joseph Armstrong system.

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As I've said in previous videos, these systems were developed for the mass production of garments, and in those systems they must use a standard figure. These instructions are fit for purpose for the fashion industry, but they are not specifically designed for custom fitting figures that deviate significantly from the standard figure.

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There are usually additional fitting instructions added later in the textbook to try to address the issues that arise

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when nonstandard measurements are plugged into the system,

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and point number three. Some people watching this may already know exactly what I'm talking about here, particularly those who studied the system formally. But I also know from speaking to others online that I wasn't the only person who made certain assumptions, or who may not have followed the instructions exactly as intended.

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So before going into The Nitty Gritty, a brief history of what led me to this ‘Mystery of Expanding Ease’ in the Joseph Armstrong system. I'm Maria and I've been drafting my own sewing patterns are quite some time.

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I studied some pattern making subjects at Sydney TAF as part of a fashion technology course back in 2004 and 2006, when it came to drafting my own blocks, I ran into so many fitting problems that eventually led me to create my own system that would work better than on standard figures, particularly including the high bust measurement and getting the bust cut drafted within the block.

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Making instructions. Over the years, I dissected a number of different block making systems to better understand the issues involved in creating well-fitting blocks for nonstandard figures. One of the many things I looked at was the amount of ease included in the bodice block. The amounts of ease seem to differ between systems, and I just wanted a reference table showing how much ease each system actually used.

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I am that kind of person, and many people,

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Most people would probably be horrified by the number of comparison type spreadsheets I have, but that's how I learn. I like detail when people talk about ease in the bodice block, the focus is usually on the bust. Bust ease isn't the only thing that matters for fit, but it's what I'm focusing on.

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In this video, I will cover high bust ease in an upcoming video or two, upcoming videos - ‘The Large Bust Adjustment Gotcha’ and “The Overlooked Measurement - The High Bust Measurement’. But ... in this video, I'm focusing on the bust measurement. Anyway, when comparing the amount of bust ease used in different systems, I realized that the only definitive way of knowing exactly how much ease uis included at the bust level was to actually draft the blocks, using the standard figure measurement from each system in question, with the instruction from that system, then comparing the final block measurements to the body measurements.

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So when I looked at Aldrich, for example, it was no surprise to me that although four inches eases added in the drafting process, the final ease at the bust level ended up smaller - three and 3/8 of an inch.

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I could clearly see why that would be, but when I measured the final Joseph Armstrong blocks that I had drafted using the standard figure measurements from her chart, the block ended up with about three and 3/8 of an inch.

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ease only two inches were added in the instructions, but I ended up with three and 3/8 of an inch ease, and that didn't make sense to me.

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couldn't account for it.

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It was a puzzle. I was so very puzzled

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in the instructions. Quarter of an inch is added to the front, and three quarters of an inch is added to the back. That extra one and 3/8 of an inch just can't appear out of nowhere. There has to be a reason. At first I thought it's just because the bust line sits lower.

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Perhaps some additional width was gained there, but that did not account for one and 3/8 of an inch.

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or 11/16 of an inch for the half

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It just can't appear from nowhere. Because.... Maths! At first I thought I must have made a mistake. So I checked, rechecked, redrafted, checked again, I thought I was going crazy, I stepped away, I came back a week later, then a month later,

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still couldn't work it out. Until... the first penny dropped.

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Looking carefully at the measurement chart, I finally noticed something. The front bust arc and the back arc do not add up to the bust circumference.

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So, for example, from her fourth edition book Measurement Chart, taking the size 12 measurements, the bust stark is ten and one eighth of an inch, and the back arc is nine and 3/8 of an inch. The total for the half block is 19.5in, and the total for the full block is 39in, but the bust circumference is 37.5in.

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and this happens across all the standard figure sizes.

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The arcs add up to more than the bust measurement, about 1.5in more. And yes, earlier I said one and 3/8 of an inch, but I'll explain that slight difference shortly. So that explained where the extra ease was coming from. The block width here started out as 1.5in more than the bust circumference.

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But now I had a new question...

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Why do the arcs add up to more than the bust measurement?

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At first I thought it must be an error in the measurement chart, and at that point I only owned the fourth edition textbook, which I had purchased back in 2006.

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So here it was probably about 2014 when I started doing this ease comparison, and I bought the fifth edition textbook just to check this.

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in 2014, the fifth edition was the latest edition available.

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I have to say that spending that extra $100 on a textbook I already owned was not an easy decision. I just didn't have money to throw around. But I really, really, really wanted to know whether this was just a mistake. And that's the only way that I knew how. So the same thing appeared in the fifth edition textbook.

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Although the amount was slightly different, the arcs still added up to more than the bust measurement, but in the fifth edition they exceeded it by 1.25in rather than one and a half.

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So if you notice me referring to slightly different amounts throughout this video, that's why - it depends on the edition.

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So I was still confused ... until the second penny dropped. I had assumed that the block was based on the bust circumference. It's not. It's based on a combination of the bust and high bust measurements.

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when I carefully reread the measuring instructions and let me repeat that, when I carefully reread the measuring section, I realized that the front block is based on the front bust arc, and the back block is based on the back HIGH bust arc. I had always assumed that the two arcs used to draft the block were simply the two halves of the bust circumference

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That assumption was so ingrained because most block making instructions are based on the bust circumference, that I just didn't notice the text saying otherwise. And I suspect others have probably made the same assumption, because I've spoken to people online

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who were also surprised when I pointed this out. So the arcs used to draft the block do not add up to the bust circumference, and they are not meant to.

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which explains why the final block for the standard figure ends up with three and 3/8 of an inch EASE, even though only two inches is added in the drafting instructions.

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So if we look at the proportions of the standard figure, the front bust arc is significantly larger than the back bust arc. And the back high bust arc is slightly larger than the front high bust arc

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When those proportions are combined,

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the front bust arc, plus the back high bar stark end up larger than the actual bust circumference, and that extra width carries through into the final block.

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But these relations will not be true for everyone, which means the final amount of ease can vary significantly from person to

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So looking at Sophie, Sophie’s proportions differ significantly from the standard figure.

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Her front bust arc is 9.25in. Her back high bust arc is also 9.25in. Together. They total 18.5in. Times two is 37in. So that's the width on the block 37in. But her bust measurement is actually 37.75in, which means before any drafting eases even added, the block is already starting out smaller than her bust measurement,

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Once the drafting eases added, Sophie only ends up with about one and one eighth of an inch total ease, which is significantly different to

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to

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three and three eighth of an inch ease found in the standard figure. Now, there are still other factors that can affect the final measurement. For example, the bust level position.

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If Sophie had a really, really low bust, she might end up with some more ease and it might be enough ease.

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But the important point is still the same. The starting relationship between those arcs dramatically changes the final amount of ease when custom measurements are used.

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and this issue also works in the opposite direction.

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Here is an example of Jackie. Jackie’s proportions cause the opposite effect. Instead of ending up with reduced ease, Jackie ends up with over 4.5in total ease despite following the exact same drafting instructions. So once custom measurements are introduced, the final amount of ease is no longer consistent. So final summary. In three points - Point

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The system uses the front bust arc for the front block and the back high bust arc for the back block.

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Point number 2: For the standard figure, this combination produces a starting block width that is already larger than the bust circumference, which, when combined with the drafting ease, results in about three and 3/8 of an inch total ease.

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Point number 3: When custom measurements are used, body proportions can significantly change the final amount of ease.

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So if you want those measurements and calculations in a downloadable file, let me know in the comments so you can check that out for yourself.

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So this is the end of this video. I have an upcoming video about the high bust, how important it is to fit, and how overlooking it can create problems.

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In that video, I'll also go into the ease at the high bust, which is another issue entirely. So it's ciao from me.