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    Taking Accurate Body Measurements

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    Resty
    The document provides instructions for taking accurate body measurements needed for sewing, tailoring, and customizing clothing. It recommends using a flexible measuring tape and getting assistance. Key measurements include bust, waist, hips, front and back waist length, shoulders, under arms, and arm length. It also offers a trick of using elastic to mark measurement points for consistency. An accompanying chart and online course are referenced for using the measurements.

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    Taking Accurate Body Measurements

    Uploaded by

    Resty
    308 views6 pages
    The document provides instructions for taking accurate body measurements needed for sewing, tailoring, and customizing clothing. It recommends using a flexible measuring tape and getting assistance. Key measurements include bust, waist, hips, front and back waist length, shoulders, under arms, and arm length. It also offers a trick of using elastic to mark measurement points for consistency. An accompanying chart and online course are referenced for using the measurements.

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    The document provides instructions for taking accurate body measurements needed for sewing, tailoring, and customizing clothing. It recommends using a flexible measuring tape and getting assistance. Key measurements include bust, waist, hips, front and back waist length, shoulders, under arms, and arm length. It also offers a trick of using elastic to mark measurement points for consistency. An accompanying chart and online course are referenced for using the measurements.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    308 views6 pages

    Taking Accurate Body Measurements

    Uploaded by

    Resty
    The document provides instructions for taking accurate body measurements needed for sewing, tailoring, and customizing clothing. It recommends using a flexible measuring tape and getting assistance. Key measurements include bust, waist, hips, front and back waist length, shoulders, under arms, and arm length. It also offers a trick of using elastic to mark measurement points for consistency. An accompanying chart and online course are referenced for using the measurements.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 6
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    The article discusses how to accurately take your own body measurements for sewing and patternmaking by describing the six key measurements to take and providing tips for measuring yourself.

    The six key body measurements discussed are: neck and bust, waist and hips, front waist length, back waist length, shoulder, and arm length.

    Your waist is measured at your natural waist, the smallest part of your torso underneath your rib cage near your belly button. Your hips are measured around your largest hip area, not where your hip bone is located.

    A Seamstress Offers Her

    Tricks to Taking Accurate


    Body Measurements
    Plus, download a copy of our handy chart that breaks it down step-
    by-step.

    By Meg Healy 

    Updated November 04, 2019


    ADVERTISEMENT
    SavePinMore

    CREDIT: KATE MATHIS


    Want to know the secret to perfectly fitting clothes? Easy - it's your
    measurements! These will determine your pattern size when sewing,
    tailoring, and embellishing your own clothes.

    Before you measure anything


    Decide: Bra or no bra? Your bust level and circumference
    measurement will change with and without a bra on, so if you plan
    on wearing a bra with your finished garment, make sure you wear
    one during the measuring process. Otherwise, make sure you are
    wearing form-fitting clothing (like a tank-top and leggings) and your
    typical day-to-day undergarments.

    Get help. Stand in front of a mirror and have someone on standby to


    assist you (especially for those back measurements.)

    Use the right tape. More specifically, use a flexible measuring tape


    (rather than a fabric one, as those tend to stretch out over time.)

    Check your posture. Stand upright in a relaxed position with your


    feet together. When measuring, breathe normally and make sure the
    tape is comfortably fitted to the body. (Don't suck in that tummy - you
    will just end up with a tight-fitting garment!)

    STEAL THIS TRICK

    When I measure myself, I pin 1/8" of wide elastic material to a tight


    spandex dress that I slip on. I mark the center front and center back,
    then tie the elastic around my natural waist (about belly button level),
    hip (widest part), and bust (fullest part). This makes it easy to
    measure to the exact same place twice, so when you are determining
    your front waist length, you know the exact measurement. It also
    gives me a side seam reference so I can also determine my front and
    back waist length as well as my side seam length!
    Related: Try Out Our Measuring Tricks When Making This Tunic
    Dress

    Follow This Body Measurement


    Chart
    Ready to get started? These six measurements are the key reference
    points that most sewing pattern company size charts have
    - download a copy here for later reference.

    1. NECK AND BUST


    To measure your neck, pull the tape around the middle, coming from
    the back to the front. It should sit at the base of the neck above the
    collar bone.

    To measure your bust, bring the tape around your back and around
    to the front. Pull it around the apex (or fullest) point of your bust. It
    should be aligned parallel to the floor, making a straight,
    horizontal line across both your front and back. If you have someone
    to help, you record the measurement at the front with your hand
    down at your sides.

    2. WAIST AND HIPS

    To measure your waist, don't measure where your pants finish - this
    is not your natural waist! Your waist is the smallest part of your torso
    and right underneath your rib cage near your belly button. Make sure
    the tape is even across the front and back and parallel to the floor.

    To measure the hips, keep this in mind: it is not where the top of your
    hip bone is, it is actually around the largest part of your hip area.

    3. FRONT WAIST LENGTH

    Start measuring from the side base of your neck, at the top shoulder
    line, and going down towards your waist level passing over your bust
    point. Try to keep the tape as straight as possible. To measure bust
    depth, use the same starting point on the shoulder as your front waist
    length, measuring down to the apex of your bust point.

    Related: Try Our Stylish Sewing Projects

    4. BACK WAIST LENGTH

    This one is definitely a two person job, so call a friend and have them
    measure from the nape of the neck, down your spine and to your
    waist. To measure the back width, measure horizontally between
    your arm attachment points (underarm).
    5. SHOULDER

    This is your shoulder seam length. Measure from the base of your
    neck right in the middle of your shoulder (from a bird's eye view) and
    along to the tip of your shoulder. If you have trouble determining your
    shoulder tip, find a garment in your closet that fits well and has a
    collar and sleeve. Then measure the shoulder length of the garment.

    To measure under the arm, wrap your measuring tape around the


    fullest part of your arm above your elbow.

    6. ARM LENGTH

    Have your arm just slightly bent, and measure from the tip of your
    shoulder over the elbow to your wrist line. You will also need a friend
    for this measurement.

    ONE LAST TRICK

    Another great way to utilize your own personal body measurements


    is to draft your own set of slopers! Slopers are base sewing patterns
    used to establish fit and are then modified to create stylized sewing
    patterns perfectly fitting to your body. I teach on online
    course Slopers 101 where I show you how to take these body
    measurements and draft your own bodice, sleeve, and skirt pattern
    from scratch. As a special offer to Martha Stewart readers, you can
    get 50% off registration using code MSPROMO50, register here to
    join me!

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