Bodice
Front and back bodice with darts, seamlines, and grainlines.
Tailor Base Patterns
Your measurements.
Your pattern. In seconds.
A hand-drafted bodice sloper takes an experienced patternmaker 1–3 hours. Tailor Base Patterns generates yours in under 10 seconds.
Generate a professional bodice, sleeve, or skirt block from your exact body measurements - posture-adjusted, print-ready.
Not sure how to measure? See the illustrated guide →- ✓Backed by a professional drafting method Read more
- ✓Your own measurements, or a standard size (XS–XL) to start from
- ✓Posture detection included — Normal, Hunched forward, or back
- ✓A4 and plotter PDF for home printing, SVG for cutting machines
- ✓1,900+ patterns generated so far
Real output, not a mockup
Built for people who already draft patterns — tailors, patternmakers, and students who know how to read a sloper, manipulate darts, and take accurate body measurements. This tool generates base blocks; turning them into a finished garment is on you.
This is what you actually download
Generated by the app itself from the built-in “Sample Person” measurements — fitted, posture-detected automatically. Every dart, seamline, and grainline is calculated, not drawn by hand.
Bodice + Sleeve
A one-piece sleeve generated to match the bodice armhole.
Skirt
Front and back skirt blocks with calculated darts and grainlines.
Posture & fit, automatically
The pattern adapts to your body
Three real saved measurement sets, same bodice block, three different results — not just a different size. Posture is detected from the gap between your front and back waist length; bust size scales the front panel and dart directly from your own measurements.
The problem with drafting by hand
Same sloper. A fraction of the time.
Every base block starts the same way — measure, calculate, draft, true the lines, and redo it when a measurement was off. Tailor Base Patterns skips straight to the result.
By hand
- –Take and record every measurement
- –Work out ease and dart math by hand
- –Draft the block point by point on paper
- –True the lines, check the grain, square the corners
- –Notice a measurement error — start over
~1–3 hours per block
With Tailor Base Patterns
- ✓Enter measurements once, reuse them forever
- ✓Ease and darts calculated automatically
- ✓Pattern generated instantly from your inputs
- ✓Lines are true and squared by construction
- ✓Fix one number, regenerate in seconds
Under 10 seconds
Draft once, generate forever — save your measurements and every future block starts from zero effort, not zero information.
How it works
From measurements to pattern in 4 steps
1
Enter measurements
Fill in your body measurements with illustrated guides, or start from a standard size (XS–XL).
2
Choose garment & fit
Pick a pattern scope and dial in your fit level.
3
Generate
Posture-adjusted pattern calculated instantly.
4
Download
A4 PDF, plotter PDF, or SVG — ready to print.
Measure with confidence
28 measurements, each with a diagram
A pattern is only as accurate as the measurements behind it. The free illustrated guide shows exactly where to place the tape for every measurement — read it before you sign up, no account needed.
For tailors & repeat clients
Built for repeat business
Every measurement set can be saved for future use — if you’re a tailor, save your clients’ measurements once and reuse them anytime.
One named set per client
Save as many measurement sets as you like — a client, a family member, a project — each under its own name.
Reorders in seconds
No re-measuring for a repeat order, a new garment, or a fit check. Load the saved set, generate, done.
Always up to date
A client's measurements change — update the set once and every future pattern for them uses the new numbers.
Questions & answers
Is this the right tool for you?
Who is Tailor Base Patterns for?
Tailors, home sewists with pattern-drafting experience, and design students who need a fast, accurate base block instead of drafting one by hand.
Do I need to know what a sloper/block is?
Yes. The output is an unstyled base pattern (sloper), not a finished garment pattern — you're expected to add ease, style lines, and seam allowance yourself.
Will it move darts for me?
No. The tool generates the base dart positions from your measurements; dart manipulation (rotating to princess seams, French darts, etc.) is a technique you apply afterward.
How important is measurement accuracy?
Critical. The pattern is only as good as the input — see our illustrated measurement guide before you start, and take measurements over close-fitting clothing with a helper if possible.
I'm new to patternmaking — can I still use this?
You can, but expect a learning curve turning the sloper into a wearable garment. We recommend pairing it with a beginner sloper-fitting resource first.
What's the difference between this and a sized pattern (S/M/L)?
Standard sizes assume a “typical” body. This generates a block from your measurements and posture, so fit issues come from technique, not the size chart. If you don’t have measurements yet, you can start from a standard size and switch to your own later.
Does it adjust for posture or spine curve?
Yes. It compares your front and back waist-length measurements to detect Normal, Hunched forward, or Hunched back posture, then shifts the shoulder seam and dart angles to match — see the real comparison above, generated from three different saved measurement sets.
Can I save measurements for multiple people, e.g. clients?
Yes. Save as many named measurement sets as you like — one per client, family member, or project — and regenerate any of their patterns instantly without re-measuring.
Is this based on a real tailoring method, or something custom?
Yes. The drafting engine is based on Единая методика конструирования одежды СЭВ (ЕМКО СЭВ), known in English as the EMKO CMEA method — a garment pattern-drafting system developed in the USSR between 1975 and 1985 by the Central Research Institute of the Garment Industry (CNIISHPI) for standardized mass-production clothing manufacturing across the Eastern Bloc. Tailor Base Patterns uses it as the base for bodice, sleeve, and skirt block (sloper) generation, which is why precise, accurate input measurements matter so much for the result. See the full history of the method.
How our pattern construction works
Most home-sewing pattern generators start from a small handful of measurements (bust, waist, hip) and scale a standard block to fit. Our drafting engine takes a more detailed path:
- Extended bust measurement set. Instead of one bust circumference, the method uses four separate bust-level measurements — taken through the armpits, through the bust points, at bust height, and at the under-bust — so the draft accounts for bust projection and shape, not just overall girth.
- Automatic posture correction. Before drafting begins, the method compares your front and back waist lengths and classifies your posture (upright, forward-rounded, or erect/arched), then shifts the neckline and center-back/front lines to compensate — a correction most basic block methods skip entirely.
- Level-based construction geometry. The pattern is built level by level — chest, waist, hip — with the back, side, and front sections constructed in relation to each other at every level, keeping the whole block internally consistent rather than drafting each panel independently.
- Proportional ease distribution. Fabric ease at the waist isn't dumped into a single dart — it's split proportionally across the back-center seam, back side dart, side seam, and front dart, producing a more balanced, wearable shape.
- Low-bust and hip corrections. Additional automatic corrections re-balance the armhole when the bust point sits low, and cut-and-spread the hip line when the drafted hip width doesn't match your actual hip measurement — refinements that are typically manual, fitting-stage adjustments in other methods.
The result is a first-draft block tailored to your actual body shape and posture — not a generic size adjusted after the fact.
Background
History of the method
In short: this is a real, decades-tested industrial drafting standard — not something we invented — which is why getting your measurements right matters so much for the result.
The method used to construct patterns comes from the USSR era, and is called Единая методика конструирования одежды СЭВ(ЕМКО СЭВ), which translates to the "Unified Method of Clothing Design of the CMEA" (EMKO CMEA). It is historically one of the most significant, scientifically grounded, and comprehensive methods for mass-production garment pattern making.
About the method
The method was developed with the primary goal of unifying and standardizing industrial clothing manufacturing. Its core characteristics include a scientific approach — the draft construction is based on extensive anthropometric studies and precise mathematical calculations — and universality — it provides a single algorithm, notation system, and approach for any type of clothing.
The creator
The method does not have a single individual author; it is the result of a massive collaborative scientific effort developed between 1975 and 1985 by specialists from the CMEA (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance) member countries. The development and technical management were spearheaded by the Central Research Institute of the Garment Industry (CNIISHPI) under the Ministry of Light Industry of the USSR. Professor Valentin Medvedkov (Валентин Медведков) is historically recognized as one of the chief editors and coordinators of the methodology.
Distribution and usage
Historical distribution: the methodology was introduced as the mandatory standard for mass clothing production across the entire Eastern Bloc (USSR, Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia, etc.). All large-scale apparel factories in these regions utilized these principles.
Current usage: although the CMEA and the USSR dissolved in 1991, EMKO CMEA remains one of the fundamental methodologies taught in universities and technical colleges across Eastern Europe and CIS countries. It is still used in large-scale manufacturing due to its unmatched precision in size grading for mass-market body types. However, professional pattern makers note that for bespoke, made-to-measure tailoring, its formulas can be overly complex and time-consuming.
Tailor Base Patterns uses this method as the base of the bodice, sleeve, and skirt block (sloper) generation — precise measurements are extremely important for this method to produce an accurate draft.
Built for accuracy
Patterns that actually fit
Fit level & ease
Choose Very tight, Fitted, Semi-fitted, or Loose — the ease allowance for bust, waist, hip, back, front, and armhole is calculated automatically and shown in cm before you generate.
Shoulder padding
Dial in shoulder padding thickness and the pattern reshapes to fit over it, with the value shown before you generate.
Posture-aware
Auto-detects Normal, Hunched forward, or Hunched back posture and adjusts the pattern.
Illustrated guides
Every measurement has a diagram — no guessing where to place the tape. Browse all measurements →
Save your measurements
Store named sets and reload them any time. Try the built-in Sample Person, or pick a standard size XS–XL.
cm and inches
Switch units whenever you like, without re-entering values.
Output formats
Print-ready, every time
Free
A4 PDF
Tiled pages with assembly guide and print-check square. Print at home on any printer.
Paid
Plotter PDF
Single-roll format for wide-format printers. Professional, studio-grade output.
Paid
SVG
Scalable vector file for digital cutting machines and design software.
Start with a free pattern
New accounts include 1 free pattern generation. No credit card required. Additional credits available when you need more.
Try a free pattern →