---
title: "Brian: FreeSewing's Brian Body Block"
sidebar_label: Brian Body Block
---

<DesignInfo design="brian" />

## Designer Notes {#notes}

Brian is FreeSewing's foundational body block for menswear.  It underpins many
of our designs and has done so for many years.

It is inspired by the teachings of Gareth Kershaw, but has a number of
improvements such as handling shoulder slope, the ability to shift the shoulder
seam backward and forward on both collar and shoulder side, as well as a highly
configurable sleevecap.

Perhaps just as important as what it does, is what it does not do: It does not
fit the body. It's just straight down from the chest. No fitting of the waist
whatsoever.

This is intentional to make it easier to extend this design in a variety of
styles.

joost

## What You Need {#needs}

To make Brian, you will need the following:

- [Basic sewing supplies](/docs/sewing/basic-sewing-supplies)
- About 1.25 - 1.5 metres (1.4 - 1.7 yards) of a suitable fabric ([see Fabric
  options](#fabric))

This list is for a default Brian Block. If you have/are making changes to the
block you may need to get additional items such as closures, binding etc.

:::note
###### Brian is a block, not a pattern

A block is a basic shape on which other patterns are based.  They are sometimes
also called slopers, although purists will argue that a block and a sloper are
different things.

Blocks are typically not made as-is but rather serve as a basis for other
patterns.
:::

## Fabric Options {#fabric}

If you are making a default Brian to see how it fits we recommend a fabric such
as **Calico (Muslin)** or a cheaper fabric that matches the drape and stretch
of the fabric you intend to make a finalised version of Brian with.

You can use scraps of fabrics from your stash so don't worry about buying
fabric specifically for Brian.

## Cutting Instructions {#cutting}

- Cut **1 Front** part on the fold.
- Cut **1 Back** part on the fold.
- Cut **2 Sleeve** parts.

:::note
These cutting instructions are just for the default Brian block. Adjust your
cutting accordingly if you have/are making changes to the block.
:::

:::tip
If you do not have someone to help pin you into Brian then you may find it
easier to Cut 2 Front parts with seam allowance and sew the backs up when
constructing so you can pin in the front.
:::

## Understanding the sleevecap

In version 2 of FreeSewing, the sleevecap of Brian was redesigned to be more
adaptable to different types of sleeves and garments. As a result, the
sleevecap alone now has 20 options to control its shape. Whereas that may seem
a bit overwhelming at first, understanding how the sleevecap is drafted makes
it easy to understand what all the individual options do.

### The bounding box

The _bounding box_ of the sleevecap is a rectangle that is as wide as the
sleeve, and as high as the sleevecap. Inside this box, we will construct our
sleevecap later.

![The Brian sleevecap](sleevecap.svg)

The image above shows a sleevecap, starting at point 1, then going up until
point 4, and then down again to point 2.

:::note
###### Finding out which is the front of the sleeve(cap)

In our example, the front of the sleevecap is on the right hand side. But how
would you know?

While patterns typically have an indication that shows which side is which (a
single notch means the front, whereas a double notch means the back), you can
also recognize the front side of a sleevecap because it is more curved. The
backside of the sleevecap will also be curved, but it's a flatter curve. That's
because the human shoulder is more pronounced and curved on the front of the
body, thus the sleevecap is more curved there to fit the shoulder.
:::

The width of the sleevecap (and thus the width of the sleeve at the bottom of
the armhole) is equal to the distance between points 1 and 2. That distance
depends on the measurements used, the amount of ease, the cut of the garment
and so on. For our sleevecap, all we need to know is that we start with a given
width. And while that width can be influenced by other factors, we can not
influence it by any of the sleevecap options.

![Controlling the top of the sleevecap](sleevecaptop.svg)

The height of the sleevecap is equal to the distance between points 3 and 4.
The exact height is a trade-off between the measurements used, options, ease,
sleevecap ease, and the fact that the sleeve ultimately has to fit the armhole.
So the height may vary, and we don't control the exact value. But there are two
options that control the shape of our sleevecap:

- [Sleevecap top X](/docs/designs/brian/options/sleevecaptopfactorx/) :
  Controls the horizontal placement of point 3 and 4
- [Sleevecap top Y](/docs/designs/brian/options/sleevecaptopfactory/) :
  Controls the vertical placement of point 4

In other words, point 4 can be made higher and lower and, perhaps less
intuitively, it can also be changed to lie more to the right or the left,
rather than smack in the middle as in our example.

### The inflection points

![Controlling the inflection points](sleevecapinflection.svg)

With points 1, 2, 3, and 4 in place, we have a box to draw our sleevecap in.
Now it's time to map out our _inflection points_. These are points 5 and 6 on
our drawing, and their placement is determined by the following 4 options:

- [Sleevecap back X](/docs/designs/brian/options/sleevecapbackfactorx) :
  Controls the horizontal placement of point 5
- [Sleevecap back Y](/docs/designs/brian/options/sleevecapbackfactory) :
  Controls the vertical placement of point 5
- [Sleevecap front X](/docs/designs/brian/options/sleevecapbackfactorx) :
  Controls the horizontal placement of point 6
- [Sleevecap front Y](/docs/designs/brian/options/sleevecapbackfactory) :
  Controls the vertical placement of point 6

:::note
As you see in our example, these points do not always lie on our sleevecap line. Instead, they
are instrumental in creating the points that always lie on the sleevecap: the anchor points.
:::

### The anchor points

![Controlling the anchor points](sleevecapanchor.svg)

Ultimately, our sleevecap will be the combination of 5 curves. In addition to
points 1 and 2, the four _anchor points_ that are marked in orange in our
example will be the start/finish of those curves.

The points are _offset_ perpendicular from the middle of a line between the two
anchor points surrounding them. The offset for each point is controlled by
these 4 options:

- [Sleevecap Q1 offset](/docs/designs/brian/options/sleevecapq1offset) :
  Controls the offset perpendicular to the line from points 2 to 6
- [Sleevecap Q2 offset](/docs/designs/brian/options/sleevecapq2offset) :
  Controls the offset perpendicular to the line from points 6 to 4
- [Sleevecap Q3 offset](/docs/designs/brian/options/sleevecapq3offset) :
  Controls the offset perpendicular to the line from points 4 to 5
- [Sleevecap Q4 offset](/docs/designs/brian/options/sleevecapq3offset) :
  Controls the offset perpendicular to the line from points 5 to 1

:::note
We've divided our sleevecap into 4 quarters. We start at the front (the right
in our example) with quarter 1, and make our way to the back to end with
quarter 4.

Like the offset option, the last options to determine the shape of our
sleevecap will just repeat so you can control each quarter individually.
:::

### The spread

![Controlling the anchor points](sleevecapspread.svg)

We now have all the start and end points to draw the 5 curves that will make up
our sleevecaps.  What we're missing are the control points (see [our info on
Bézier curves](https://freesewing.dev/guides/prerequisites/bezier-curves) to
learn more about how curves are constructed). These are determined by the
so-called _spread_.

For each of the anchor points (the ones marked in orange, not points 1 and 2)
there is an option to control the spread upwards, and downwards:

- [Sleevecap Q1 downward
  spread](/docs/designs/brian/options/sleevecapq1spread1) : Controls the
  downward spread in the first quarter
- [Sleevecap Q1 upward spread](/docs/designs/brian/options/sleevecapq1spread2)
  : Controls the upward spread in the first quarter
- [Sleevecap Q2 downward
  spread](/docs/designs/brian/options/sleevecapq2spread1) : Controls the
  downward spread in the second quarter
- [Sleevecap Q2 upward spread](/docs/designs/brian/options/sleevecapq2spread2)
  : Controls the upward spread in the second quarter
- [Sleevecap Q3 upward spread](/docs/designs/brian/options/sleevecapq3spread1)
  : Controls the upward spread in the third quarter
- [Sleevecap Q3 downward
  spread](/docs/designs/brian/options/sleevecapq3spread2) : Controls the
  downward spread in the third quarter
- [Sleevecap Q4 upward spread](/docs/designs/brian/options/sleevecapq4spread1)
  : Controls the upward spread in the fourth quarter
- [Sleevecap Q4 downward
  spread](/docs/designs/brian/options/sleevecapq4spread2) : Controls the
  downward spread in the fourth quarter

:::note
Attentive readers will have noticed that point 4 is not an anchor point. In
other words, there is no guarantee that it will lie on the sleevecap line.
Which also means that the upwards spread in quarters 2 and 3 will influence the
height of the sleevecap. Reduce the upwards spread, and the curve will dip
below point 4. Increase it and the curve will rise above it.
:::

### Takeaways

While the sleevecap in Brian (and all patterns that extend Brian) have a lot of
options, understanding how the sleevecap is constructed can help you design the
exact sleevecap shape you want. To do so:

- Start with placing the top of your sleevecap
- Then determine the inflection points
- Next, use the offset to control the steepness of the curve
- Finally, use the spread to smooth things out

What's important to remember is that you're only ever controlling the shape of
the sleevecap.  Whatever shape you design, it will be fitted to the armhole,
meaning that its size can and will be adapted to make sure the sleeve fits the
armscye. However, the shape you design will always be respected.


