Making A Fitted Medieval Block Using Duct Tape

In this video, watch as I use duct tape to make a full, fitted medieval block which I used as a base to make all of my medieval garb for my Maleficent cosplay last fall. While this is normally done (as most historical fitting is done) using two people, it can be done on your own—and this video shows you exactly how! Silliness ensues. You’ve been warned. Having a block (or toile, or sloper) fit precisely to your body as a basis for patternmaking is an essential and useful tool for any sewist. This is particularly handy when you start drafting patterns for historical costuming, especially if the time period you’re working in doesn’t have a lot of patterns readily available. Unfortunately, taking a standard modern toile and using it as a base for your historical costuming isn’t possible, given that the cut of clothing in the past differs greatly from cuts today--especially in the shoulders/armscyes. So how do you get a medieval block fit to your body without hours of painstaking drafting, math, and graph paper? Exhibit A: Duct tape. It’s sturdy, sticky, and has been used in the costuming and cosplay communities for years as a base for everything from hose to armor to—you guessed it—historically accurate, hand sewn kirtles. I used this block to draft a 15th-century Houppelande from the Medieval Tailor's Assistant for a historically-inspired Disney Maleficent cosplay. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/PDCCbH2sBcs I also used it as a base to draft my bust-supportive m