I've tried three times to send a message to the Pattern Drafting post, and cannot get it through. Let's see if this works.
Farml, I found Jacqueline's critique curious, too, considering she claims to be an experienced drafter. Silhouette, size, or perfect figure proportions have nothing to do with manipulations. Once a sloper is perfected, the manipulations for different styles stay the same.
Someone else said that the book had errors. The first edition of the book had errors that caused the resulting sloper to have too much ease. These errors were corrected in subsequent editions.
Two things that potential patternmakers should consider. (1) All darts point at the bust or hip. That is true whether the dart is transformed into pleats, tucks or gathers. (2) All designs, from bras and bathing suits, to heavy coats, are developed from the basic sloper. I had my students develop a basic four-piece sloper, a pants block, a jacket block, and a bra and bathing suit. We also did knits and stretch knits.
My favorite chapter in the Armstrong book is the asymmetrical manipulation of darts into seams. My students came up with fantastic variations, and built wonderful, color blocked garments that showed no darts. What fun!
Teri