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Frequently Asked Questions
| WHO uses custom slopers?
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Entrepreneurs: Home-based businesses that supply personal patterns for recreational sewing enthusiasts provide both a product and a service. Personal slopers and styled personal patterns are very difficult to find and very satisfying to use.
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CAD (Computer-Aided Drafting) Labs: Drafting teachers and students enjoy computer-assisted patternmaking as yet another practical application of CAD (Computer-Aided Drafting) skills. This particularly benefits those interested in fashion, theatre arts and apparel in general.
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WHY would I want a custom sloper?
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Patterns that start with custom (personal) slopers can become the basis of a personal made-to-measure wardrobe. Well-fitting clothes feel great and help to build self-confidence. These qualities are especially important for special occasion garments such as wedding gowns, graduation dresses, and other formal and informal events.
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HOW would I use a Custom Sloper?
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A fitted personal sloper can be used as:
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An alteration tool to adjust standard sized patterns for personal fit: Alter the fit of commercial patterns by laying a tissue pattern over a personal sloper then adjusting the pattern at reference lines and points such as bust line and bust point.
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A personal template for styling and designing new clothes: Style new patterns using flat patternmaking techniques with manual or Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) tools and techniques. Manual techniques involve cutting and spreading a sloper, requiring a paper sloper pattern, a comfortable work table, paper, pencils, erasers, rulers and drafting tools. CAD techniques require a computer, a patternmaking program (or sloper drawing files) and a CAD program.
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Whichever way they are styled, patterns that start with personal slopers can become the basis of a personal, made-to-measure wardrobe.
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WHAT is Personal Patternmaking?
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A sloper is a basic flat pattern that is drafted to standard measurements and can be modified to change the style of a garment. TARSEAM slopers, drafted to personal measurements for personal fit, can be used for personal patternmaking in a variety of ways.
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Create wardrobe basics: Use < b>slopers as patterns for classic wardrobe basics. Coordinate fabrics and finishes to enhance a particular "look", then vary fabrics, finishes and hemlines . . . Wow!
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Style basic variations: Accomplish subtle styling in the very generation of a sloper by modifying the ease allotment. The automatically calculated default amount of ease represents the recommended minimum for wearing comfort. Add or remove ease for special fabric, fit or style requirements and preferences
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Fit other patterns: Adjust tissue patterns to fit using a personal sloper created with either < b>Pro or Lite. Simply lay the tissue pattern over your personal sloper adjusting pattern reference lines (such as bust line) and reference points (such as bust point) to correspond with your own figure. Reference lines and reference points are clearly marked on TARSEAM slopers.
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Style new patterns at the cutting table using TARSEAM Lite: Print slopers directly from TARSEAM to use as personal patterns for classic wardrobe basics. Add variety by styling slopers manually using traditional cut-and-spread flat pattern design techniques and pattern drafting tools. Each variation becomes a separate personal pattern.
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< to use as personal patterns for classic wardrobe basics. Add variety by styling slopers manually using traditional cut-and-spread flat pattern design techniques and drafting tools. Each variation becomes a separate pattern.< Lite: Print directly from font>Style new personal patterns at the computer using TARSEAM Pro plus a CAD program: Export sloper drawings to a CAD program for styling. Using traditional patternmaking techniques together with CAD tools, style countless new personal patterns before printing or plotting. Use each new pattern as a base for further development of more new styles yet.
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| With WHICH CAD programs can TARSEAM personal slopers be styled?
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TARSEAM will work with either AutoSketch or AutoCAD as well as other CAD and drawing programs that accept drawing files in DXF format. TARSEAM Pro is tested extensively for use with AutoSketch and AutoCAD.
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Patternmaking tutorials are written specifically for use with AutoSketch but can be adapted for use with AutoCAD or other CAD programs. The most notable differences will be in terminology. Tutorials are generously illustrated to facilitate patternmaking with ANY CAD program.
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HOW do I tape the sloper printout sheets together?
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General
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TARSEAM places small arrows in the corners of the printed area of each sheet
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The points of the arrows mark the corners
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Printouts are arranged in vertical strips, with sheets being individual tiles on these strips
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Each sheet is numbered with the strip number and the tile number
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Strips are numbered left to right and tiles from top to bottom as follows:
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Strip 1
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Strip 2
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Strip 3
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Strip4
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Tile 1
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1-1
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2-1
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3-1
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4-1
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Tile 2
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1-2
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2-2
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3-2
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4-2
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Tile 3
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1-3
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2-3
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3-3
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4-3
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Tile 4
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1-4
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2-4
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3-4
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4-4
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Single Sheet Feed Printers
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Most laser printers leave a border around each sheet
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If necessary, trim the left and top sides of each sheet back to the sheet corner marks
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Tape the sheets together with transparent tape
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Tractor Feed Printers
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Cut the printout at the joint between strips. e.g. In the example above, cut between sheets 1-4 and 2-1, 2-4 and 3-1, 3-4 and 4-1
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Trim the left side of each sheet back to the sheet corner marks
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Tape the sheets together with transparent tape
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WHAT makes Tarseam different from other patternmaking programs?
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The central PURPOSE of TARSEAM is to TEACH, LEARN and APPLY personal patternmaking at a standard Windows based personal computer. This differentiates it from many patternmaking programs that provide specific styles in a "cookie-cutter" method whereby you access patterns already styled for you.
Four features of particular note about TARSEAM:
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TARSEAM enables you to create personal slopers with the input of as few as FOUR PERSONAL MEASUREMENTS. It has been our experience through the years that the first and most prevalent problem that people usually encounter with computer patterns involves measurement taking. Because of this, TARSEAM calculates complete patterns with the input of a minimum number of measurements. In addition, calculations at several specific figure locations can be modified for specific figure irregularities. Other irregularities can be addressed by draping (pinch fitting) the test garment and transferring any changes to the sloper drawing that you use for fitting or styling other patterns.
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TARSEAM accepts UNLIMITED EASE variations at a number of specific figure locations. Accomplish some styling and fitting variations within the sloper itself! This can be particularly beneficial for establishing your Signature Cut for your own Signature Styles.
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TARSEAM has a Lite version available to test program function and suitability for your needs. Lite is a stand-alone program useful for manual pattern styling, using traditional Cut and Spread techniques of flat patternmaking. The Lite version can be upgraded to Pro.
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Using TARSEAM Pro, you are able to export your Ready-to-Style Sloper into a recognized INDUSTRY STANDARD CAD (Computer-Aided Drafting) program used by architects and engineers as well as a wide variety of other drafting careers.
Use the companion CAD program for designing brochures, posters, emblems, batik, beadwork, trapunto, embroidery…and so forth. An entry-level CAD program such as AutoSketch gives you the highest level of ease, accuracy and flexibility you might ever need. A sophisticated program such as AutoCAD LT or AutoCAD gives you added opportunities beyond entry level, such as 3-dimensional experimentation.
Other applications of the companion CAD program can be of particular interest to someone who chooses to apply their creativity and talent beyond apparel, such as interior design, landscaping, woodwork, etc. Computer-Assisted Patternmaking provides yet another application with which
to learn and apply basic CAD.
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Is Tarseam only for those who operate BUSINESSES making patterns and sewing?
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By all means NO, though it would be a great tool for someone with a home-based business to have in the sewing workshop.
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Will the program FIT a person with heavier upper arms and a protruding tummy and derriere?
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TARSEAM will make the pattern for a Ready-to Style Sloper to match any set of measurements that you input. In order to keep the program friendly for recreational sewers and computer users, the number of measurements used to calculate and draft the slopers is limited, with a correspondingly limited number of measuring mistakes that could be made.
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If you do have figure irregularities (and most commercial patterns make everyone think that they do) you may need to do some additional "pinch fitting" to redistribute locations of greatest fullness. We have found that most people can do most of the pattern changes that they need by modifying the measurement or ease inputs used to calculate the sloper.
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Can Tarseam be operated by someone with no TRAINING in any CAD program?
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TARSEAM itself is very easy to operate. As you can see at the Website, there are only 3 main steps:
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Input personal information including height, bust and waist measurements.
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Modify measurements and ease, if desired. (This step can be eliminated for the first test pattern to establish where changes need to be made.)
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Preview sloper pattern and print.
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Is the Lite version a PRE-REQUISITE for the Pro version?
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The Pro version automatically includes the Lite version. The necessary addition to PRO is a CAD program. We recommend the introductory CAD program AutoSketch for the easiest and least expensive CAD companion to TARSEAM.
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Some information for getting started with combining TARSEAM and AutoSketch for styling other patterns is included in TARSEAM Pro. More tutorials are planned for access on-line. They will appear gradually, starting by September 1999. These tutorials will be step by step instructions for using AutoSketch to style personal slopers into personal patterns.
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What’s the difference between a pattern and a sloper?
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First, consider that every daisy is a flower but not every flower is a daisy. So too, every sloper is a pattern but not every pattern is a sloper.
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Slopers are very basic apparel patterns without style lines, seam allowances or hems. Garment manufacturers use slopers at the beginning or repeatedly throughout the evolution of fashion to develop patterns for new styles. They are also called standard patterns, foundation patterns, master patterns and blocks.
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TARSEAM slopers can be used as patterns for Wardrobe Classics by including seam allowances and hems. These can be styled with fullness adjustments using ease modifications and enhanced using signature design and finishing techniques.
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Hems and seam allowances can be set or toggled on and off from the TARSEAM Configure menu. Fullness can be adjusted by modifying length and width ease allotments in the Measurements folder.
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How do you grade the patterns? |
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With utilization of technology, now we can do away with traditional grading procedures. Every
piece of pattern is individually sketched from body measurements, not down or up graded from another size. |
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Tarseam Scientific Base Patterns do NOT include seam and hem allowances. We recommend adding 3/8 - 3/4 inch
for seams and 3/4 - 2 inch for hems on final patterns. |
| How much ease is included? |
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Tarseam Scientific Base Patterns include wearing ease to fit around the body and permit movement.
They increase proportionally according to the size. Any additional style ease is NOT included. |
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Yes. We process the online order via Paypal, currently the world largest online secure payment service.
PayPal uses SSL technology to keep your information safe. In addition, when you send a payment,
we won't receive your financial information like your credit card or bank account number. Paypal
will notify us your order and the address to send the purchased items. For more information about
Paypal, goto: http://www.paypal.com |
| Is PayPal available internationally? |
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Currently, Paypal supports orders from these following countries:
Anguilla, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada,
Chile, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel,
Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand,
Norway, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Taiwan, United Kingdom, and United States. Please refer to Paypal website
for the most recent list of countries supported. |
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