Tailoring

Keywords :

Measuring measurements

When making clothes, you need to know how to take measurements!

The curved lines of the body have to be converted onto a pattern mapping out horizontal and vertical lines.

The vertical measurements are reflecting the length of the body, torso and limbs.

The horizontal measurements are circumferences, the widths and the shoulder span.

These measurements will allow us to adapt or create a pattern tailored to our own measurements.

Supplies

Tools

1 pencil to note measurements

Materials

1 tailor's tape measure
1 length of string/ thin elastic (etc.) to locate and mark the waistline.
Paper

Directions

Download a a blank measurements table (in french) to record your measurements.

Find the waist by tying a string around the slimmest part of the waist. The string should by comfortably snug but not tight, allowing a couple of fingers to slide between waist and string. This margin is called the ease.
Take the measurements in the following order :
Waist size, along the string (the natural waist line).
Bust size passing over the cleavage, parallel to the floor.
Hip circumference around the fullest part of the hips and derriere.
Upper hip circumference.
Abdomen height, measured from the waistline down to the abdomen. For an average adult women this is 18 to 21 cm, and is located 4 to 5 cm above the crotch.
Hip height, between the waistline and the upper hip circumference.
Chest height, starting from the shoulder, at the base of the neck and down over the bust.
Breast distance, from one nipple to the other.
Chest circumference (under the bust).
Back waist height, taken from the nape of the neck to the waist.
Front length, starting from the shoulder, at the base of the neck, passing over the bust and down to the waist.
Back width, shoulder to shoulder from the arm joint.
Front width, shoulder to shoulder at armpit level.
Neckline, around the base of the neck. Different to collar size, passing lower down around the hollow at the base of the neck.
Collar bone, from the base of the neck to the shoulder tip.
Arm length, measured with the arm slightly bent, from the shoulder tip down to the wrist.
Shoulder to elbow length, measured with the arm bent, from the shoulder to the elbow tip.
Biceps circumference, around the widest part of the upper arm.
Forearm circumference, around the widest part of the the forearm.
Wrist size, around where the wrist bends.
Outside leg/ outseam, the the length of the waist to the ground along the side.
Inside leg/ inseam, from the crotch to the ground.
Total rise to calculate: the difference between the inside and outside leg.
Knee to waist height, from the waist to the center of the knee.
Crotch length, from the front of the waist, down past the crotch, to the back of the waist.
Ankle circumference.
Knee circumference, around the kneecap.
Thigh circumference, around the fullest part of the upper leg, about 10 cm (4inches) down from the crotch.

To learn how to draw a pattern, get started on a specific case, the first exercise this time: the skirt base, right.

Tips

The person being measured should wear underwear but not shoes.
The measurements are taken on the front of the side and the back, with a tailor's tape measure.
The tailor's tape measure should sit snuggly against the body, not tightly.