How to use trigonometry for greater accuracy when slashing and spreading
Today's post is a supplemental deep dive into rotation vs. slash and spread pattern drafting, specifically for drafting a hat brim.
Hello mathy-sewing friends! I’m really excited that I have figured out a solution to a drafting problem/query using math. It’s honestly the most thrilled I have felt in a long time. 😁 This feeling of elation at solving a problem is a big part of why I majored in math.
When I first started researching hat drafting, I was disappointed that there were not clearer instructions and explanations of why things were done this way or that way. As I’ve worked on the tutorials in this series, I’ve done a lot of experimentation—drafting digitally and with paper, making paper mockups, tweaking and repeating.
In today’s post, I will compare the two drafting methods and then show how you can use math to calculate a space interval, given an angle of rotation. (This is helpful if you are drafting on paper.) We will be using trigonometry and the sine function so grab your scientific calculators!
Click here to catch up on the previous posts in the hat drafting series.
Update 02/2025: This post is now archived for paid subscribers. If you are interested in this project but don’t want to subscribe, you can purchase a pdf version of this project in my shop.