The Magic of a Well-Fitting Sloper: Recreating My Favourite Dress in No Time

I used my sloper to recreate my favorite dress—and it was super easy! Here’s how I did it.

We’ve all been there: special occasion looming, closet full of clothes but “nothing to wear,” and the clock ticking down faster than you can say “fabric shopping spree.” When my nephew’s christening appeared on the calendar, I found myself in exactly this predicament. But this time, I had a secret weapon in my sewing arsenal: my perfectly fitted Wyman Sloper that I developed during Cashmerette Sloper School.

I decided to recreate a dress I love, and it was the perfect opportunity to use my sloper, and skip all the muslins—because I knew it would fit! I found an awesome print on Spoonflower, traced off my sloper, and then made a few simple measurements and adjustments to turn my sloper into my new dress design (keep reading to get all the deets). It was super quick and easy, and now I can recreate this dress as many times as I like!

If you’re tired of the fitting merry-go-round and ready to transform your sewing journey, Sloper School is your ticket to freedom. You’ll learn how to fit and use the Wyman Sloper pattern specifically designed for curves (in sizes 0-32, cup sizes C-H), get personalized feedback from me and my team of fitting experts, and join a supportive community of curvy sewists on the same path. Imagine fitting a pattern to your body just once, then using that pattern to create an entire wardrobe that fits perfectly every time. No more endless revisions or disappointing results—just the confidence to sew clothes that truly celebrate your body.

Enroll in Sloper School

What is a sloper?

A fitting sloper is a basic, closely fitting pattern that you refine until it fits your body really well. Think of it as your personal blueprint, crafted just for you (and by you!), with your unique measurements and curves.

Using a sloper helps you to skip endless fitting rounds every time you try a new pattern. Fit your sloper once, and then use it to alter new patterns, or even create new designs that you know will fit you!

Here’s my sloper:

How I turned my sloper into the dress of my dreams

Because I know my sloper fits me really well, I only needed to make style changes (not fit changes) to my sloper in order for it to look like the ready-to-wear dress that I have that I love.

The bodice

I compared the bodice of the dress to my sloper, and found that it was very similar in length and width, as well as at the shoulder, but with a different neckline.

I copied that neckline onto my sloper.

I used the new neckline to create a facing.

The skirt

I measured the skirt of the dress and found that it was longer and wider that my sloper’s skirt.

So to get the same look, I lengthened my sloper’s skirt, and used the slash-and-spread method to make it flowier.

The sleeve

I compared the sleeve of the dress with the sleeve of my sloper, and found that it I needed to shorten it and widen it, so I again used the slash-and-spread approach to create additional volume, which I brought back in with an elastic channel.