Balance in the Rundschau system

[peterle]

As it came out lately,  when it comes to balance the terminology differs between the several traditions of pattern making. Especially the terms "Back and Front balance " seem to be not in common and therefore need some explanation.

So I try to shed some light on the concept and terminology of balance in the Rundschau system. Just in a nut shell.

Generally the Rundschau system starts with drafting a proportional pattern, based on the main measurements and  adapting it to the client's individual requierings in a second step.

One of these adaptions is the balance. It's aim is a horizontally run of of the chest/waist line around the body.
This adaption can be based on supplemental measurements, the Back and Front Balance measurements:

How to measure:
First you have to determin the neck point on your client: Find your client's 7th vertebra an mark it with crossing pins. From there measure the back neck hole width towards the front and mark with crossing pins ( Formular for a lounge coat: 1/10 of half the chest width +3cm). This is the neck point (NP) where the shoulder seam begins and Back and Front meet.
Back balance measurement: measure the vertical distance between NP and the floor, guiding the tape over the shoulder blade. Note the amount.
Front balance measurement: do the same at the front, guiding the tape over the chest and belly volume. Note the amount.

The actual balance measure: We are not interested in the amounts themself but in their difference. It tells us wether the front or the back must be longer and how much it must be longer.

How to controll it in the pattern:
Take the drafted proportional pattern and measure the balances:
The back balance: from the back NP vertically to the chest line.
The front balance: from the front NP vertically to the chest line.
Compare these measurements and look wether their difference is the same as the calculated difference of the Body Balance measurements.
If yes: congrats, no further action needed.
Otherwise you have to adapt the pattern.

How to adapt the pattern:
The goal is to get the same balance difference in the pattern pieces as calculated from the body measurements.
This is usually done by slashing the front and back paper patterns horizontally above the chest line  and spreading or/and overlapping them.

Here the art comes in. You have to analyze your client 's posture and body form and the distribution of the volumes. It tells you at wich level to slash the pattern pieces and wether you spread/overlap the slashes equally or spread it more at the center than at the armhole.
How ever you do it, you want to reach the calculated difference in your pattern. Reference lines are the vertical Front and Back balance lines from the NPs to the chest lines.
There is a rule of thumb: you should alter both pattern pieces to reach the necessary difference: for example your drafted proportional Back balance is 1cm longer than your Front balance but your measurements require it to be 4cm longer. The remaining 3cm difference should be distributed to front and back. So overlap 1,5cm at the front and spread 1,5cm at the back. This ensures, that the armhole keeps it's proportional size.

So this is the background where the terminology and the concept of Back and Front Balance comes from. And it is also used in fitting only, no matter wether you take the supplemental measurements and do a balance adaption in advance or rely on fitting only.

[TSjursen]

Interesting that they measure to the floor now. In older editions the measure is taken to a tape that marks the chest line on the client, and applied directly to the pattern.

[peterle]

Yes, there are different approaches. I followed the instructions of the 1968 Rundschau men's wear edition. Maybe today they prefer to measure from NP to a chest tape.
There is a special tape for the floor measurement with a heavy lead at one end wich is put on the floor.
https://kurzwaren-shop.de/kurzwaren/schneiden-messen-markieren/bandmasse/8048/profi-massband-lotmass-200-cm-mit-gewicht

Other tailors make horizontal chalk marks on the client's front and back some where at hip Level. They use a yard stick to ensure they exactly same height.

The Einheitssystem takes both balance measures from the 7th vertebra to a horizontal waist tape and also incorporates it directly into the draft.