Author: Lerayne

5. Why Your Body Shape Matters

Lerayne

4. Pattern Drafting | 28 Pant Measurements You Need To Take That Will Make You A Better Pattern Drafter “How to Take Accurate Pants Measurements”

Lerayne

HOW TO TAKE ACCURATE PANT MEASUREMENTS

Today, we’re going to focus on taking accurate measurements to draft a pants sloper or alter a commercial pants pattern.

Are you having issues fitting your pants? Are your pants bunching at the crotch? Are they too tight across the hips? Do your inseam pockets bulge out?

Issues of this type are caused by either taking or using incorrect body measurements when drafting the pant sloper or altering a commercial pant pattern.

If you are learning how to draft or alter a pattern and experience FIT ISSUES, your first step should be to verify that you have taken accurate measurements.

If you fail to take accurate measurements you will have fit problems with your slopers, patterns, and finished designs – guaranteed!

First, let me share THREE BASIC FACTS OF PATTERN DRAFTING with you.

1. To measure the body accurately for drafting or altering a pattern, you ABSOLUTELY MUST, know WHAT to measure and WHERE the measurements are to BEGIN and END [point to point].

2. If you are inconsistent or sloppy when taking your measurements you will have inconsistent or sloppy results – sad but true. . .

3. Learning to take accurate measurements is a SKILL that you can develop through skillful, deliberate, and consistent practice – kind of like learning to play the piano.

So, today, we’re going to master the skill of TAKING ACCURATE PANT MEASUREMENTS!

LOWER TORSO CIRCUMFERENCE MEASUREMENTS

We begin with the Torso Circumference Measurements. When referring to the “Torso Circumference Measurements” in pattern drafting, we are referring to measurements “around” the torso.

The “torso” is simply the “trunk” of the body, meaning it is the body without attachments such as the arms, legs, and head.

Record the measurements on the worksheets as you take them.

For the bodice measurements, we took “Upper Torso” measurements, but for the pants, we are taking “Lower Torso Measurements” – measurements “Below” the waist.

LOWER TORSO HORIZONTAL MEASUREMENTS – FRONT

Now we move to the Lower Torso Horizontal Measurements

4. WAIST ARC – Measure from the center front waist to the side waist

5. HIGH HIP – Measure from the center front high hip to the side on the high hip line, starting 3-inches down from the center front waist

6. HIP ARC – Measure from the center front on the hip line to the side on the hip line

7. DART PLACEMENT – Measure from the center front waist to the side front along the waist at the “princess seam line.” [To establish the “princess seam line” divide the waist arc by 2 and subtract .25-inches, then measure this distance from the center front waist, along the waistline towards the side
front]

LOWER TORSO HORIZONTAL MEASUREMENTS – BACK

8. WAIST ARC – Measure from the center back waist to the side waist

9. HIGH HIP ARC – Measure from the center back high hip to the side on the high hip line, starting 3-inches down from the center back waist

10. HIP ARC – Measure from the center back on the hip line to the side on the hip line

11. DART PLACEMENT – Measure from the center front waist to the side front along the waist at the “princess seam line.” [To establish the “princess seam line” divide the waist arc by 2 and subtract .25-inches, then measure this distance from the center back waist, along the waistline towards the side back]

TORSO VERTICAL MEASUREMENTS – SIDE

Vertical Lines – go up and down, or down and up

12. SIDE HIP DEPTH – Measure from the side waist to the hip line [measure the right and left sides, if the measurements differ by more than 1/8-inch, the hips are asymmetric, and you would draft the pattern differently].

13. WAIST TO KNEE – Measure from the side waist to the knee

14. WAIST TO ANKLE – Measure from the side waist to the ankle

15. WAIST TO FLOOR – Measure from the side waist to the floor

CROTCH DEPTH MEASUREMENT

The “Crotch Depth” measurement is one of the most misunderstood areas of drafting pants or altering a commercial pattern. To achieve a good crotch fit when drafting your pants block or altering a commercial pattern, you must understand how to accurately take the crotch measurements, which include the crotch depth, length, and crotch level.

Now, let’s do the crotch measurements

25. CROTCH DEPTH – Place a belt or strip of elastic around the waist, measure below the belt/elastic to the base of the chair

CROTCH TERMINOLOGY

I’m going to take just a moment to discuss some crotch terminology that you’ll run across when drafting the pants foundation.

The crotch is an area where many drafters and sewists run into problems. If the measurements for the crotch area are inaccurate or skipped, you will have fit issues, such as “camel toe” in the crotch area.

Let’s quickly touch on FOUR points for clarity affecting the crotch area.

CROTCH – base of the torso where legs join the body

CROTCH EXTENSION – An extension of the crotch line beginning midway between the center back and front waistlines that curve outward to provide coverage for the inner thighs

CROTCH POINT – End of the crotch extension

CROTCH LEVEL – Dividing line separating the torso from the leg line of the pant from the front crotch point to the back crotch point

Okay, now that you know how to take accurate pant measurements – it’s back to the drawing board. First, be sure you use a good measuring tape, wear tight-fitting clothes or a leotard, and have someone assist you.

Record your measurements on the worksheets that are included in my EBOOK – “PATTERN DRAFTING FOR WOMEN | HOW TO TAKE ACCURATE PANT MEASUREMENTS.”

Get in the habit of checking your measurements a couple of times a year to update your worksheets, for body changes due to weight gain or loss and gravity shifts.

Once you’ve mastered the skill of taking accurate “pant” measurements, you’re ready to draft your “basic pants foundation” – BTW this process is known as “flat patternmaking.”

You can also view the YouTube video at: CLICK HERE. . .

Get your FREE eBook by subscribing to my newsletter: “Design, Draft, Sew & Go!” Click the subscribe button, below. . .

ANALYZING BODY SHAPES

You don’t want to miss my 5-part Series on “ANALYZING YOUR BODY SHAPE!”

I discuss five different body shapes and the impact that body shapes have on designing, drafting, and sewing patterns.

Knowing your BODY SHAPE is essential when designing, drafting, and sewing custom or me-made garments.

Wearing a garment with style lines that flatter your body shape, enhances your appearance, and makes you feel confident when wearing the garment because you know you look fabulous in it, which elevates and boosts your confidence.

Understanding your body shape can help you choose clothing styles that fit well, looks fabulous, and feel comfortable on you – Elegance, Style, and Comfort are what we at Lorayne Style strive for!

To get started with “How to Analyze Your Body Shape” CLICK HERE. . .

3. Pattern Drafting | 9 Arm Measurements You Need To Take That Will Make You A Better Pattern Drafter “How to Take Accurate Arm Measurements”

Lerayne

ARE YOU HAVING PROBLEMS FITTING YOUR SLEEVES?

Are you having problems getting your sleeves to hang properly, or have bunching at the sleeve caps or underarms?

Accurately drafting armholes and sleeves can be problematic.

Problems such as the armholes being so tight that you can’t articulate your arms, or you might have a gaping space at the front or back of the mid-armhole area, or the fabric bunching at your underarms.

Sleeve caps may be too high or too low, causing fit problems.

Accurately measuring the ARM AND ARMHOLE DEPTH will eliminate most sleeve fit problems and allows the garment to fit comfortably against the body.

If you are learning how to draft or alter a pattern and experience FIT ISSUES, your first step should be ensuring that you have taken accurate measurements.

If you fail to take accurate measurements you will have FIT PROBLEMS with your slopers, patterns, and finished designs – GUARANTEED!

First, let me share THREE BASIC FACTS OF PATTERN DRAFTING with you.

1. To measure the body accurately for drafting or altering a pattern, you ABSOLUTELY MUST, know WHAT to measure and WHERE the measurements are to BEGIN and END [point to point].

2. If you are inconsistent or sloppy when taking your measurements you will have inconsistent or sloppy results – sad but true. . .

3. Learning to take accurate measurements is a SKILL that you can develop through skillful, deliberate, and consistent practice – kind of like learning to play the piano.

So, today, we’re going to master the skill of TAKING ACCURATE ARM MEASUREMENTS!

CAP HEIGHT NOTE

BICEP LENGTH/CAP HEIGHT* – Tie a string or strip of elastic around the bicep. Measure from the bicep to the shoulder tip and see “NOTE” below.

NOTE: For the Cape Height measurement, there are additional measurements to be used when you are drafting a sleeve, which is covered in my video on “How to Draft a Basic Sleeve.”

[*Sizes 3 – 6, add 3/8 inches. Sizes 7 – 8, add 1/2 inches. Sizes 9 – 10, add 5/8 inches. Sizes 11 – 12, add 3/4 inches. Sizes 13 – 14, add 1 inch. Sizes 15 – 16, add 1 – 1/8 inches. Size 18, add 1 –1/4 inches.]

Okay, now that you know how to take accurate Arm Measurements – it’s back to the drawing board. First, be sure you use a good measuring tape, wear a sleeveless garment – no loose-fitting clothing, and have someone assist you.

Record your measurements on the WORKSHEET included in my eBook “PATTERN DRAFTING FOR WOMEN | HOW TO TAKE ACCURATE ARM MEASUREMENTS.”

Get in the habit of checking your measurements a couple of times a year to update your worksheets, for body changes due to weight gain or loss and gravity shifts.

Once you’ve mastered the skill of taking accurate “ARM” measurements, you’re ready to draft your “BASIC SLEEVE FOUNDATION” – BTW this process is known as “FLAT PATTERNMAKING.”

You can also view the YouTube video: CLICK HERE. . .

Get your FREE eBook by subscribing to my newsletter: “DESIGN, DRAFT, SEW & GO!” Click the SUBSCRIBE button, below. . .

2. Pattern Drafting | 17 Skirt Measurements You Need To Take That Will Make You A Better Pattern Drafter “How To Take Accurate Skirt Measurements”

Lerayne

HOW TO TAKE ACCURATE SKIRT MEASUREMENTS

Today, we’re going to focus on how to take accurate measurements to draft a skirt sloper or alter a commercial skirt pattern.

Are you having issues fitting your skirts? Do your skirts show stress lines over the hips or are the seams not aligned, do the seams pull and pucker at the sides?

Issues of this type are caused by either taking or using incorrect body measurements when drafting the skirt sloper or altering a commercial skirt pattern.

If you are learning how to draft or alter a pattern and experience FIT ISSUES, your first step should be to verify that you have taken accurate measurements.

If you fail to take accurate measurements you will have FIT PROBLEMS with your slopers, patterns, and finished garments – GUARANTEED!

First, let me share THREE BASIC FACTS OF PATTERN DRAFTING with you.

1. To measure the body accurately for drafting or altering a pattern, you ABSOLUTELY MUST, know WHAT to measure and WHERE the measurements are to BEGIN and END [point to point].

2. If you are inconsistent or sloppy when taking your measurements you will have inconsistent or sloppy results – sad but true. . .

3. Learning to take accurate measurements is a SKILL that you can develop through skillful, deliberate, and consistent practice – kind of like learning to play the piano.

So, today, we’re going to master the skill of TAKING ACCURATE SKIRT MEASUREMENTS!

Okay, before we get started, you will need:

1. To wear tight-fitting clothes, a body suit, or a leotard – no loose clothing

2. A good measuring tape,

3. An extra pair of hands to help take the measurements, and

4. A worksheet to record your measurements.

LOWER TORSO CIRCUMFERENCE MEASUREMENTS

We begin with the Torso Circumference Measurements. When referring to the “Torso Circumference Measurements” in pattern drafting, we are referring to measurements “around” the torso.

The “torso” is simply the “trunk” of the body, meaning it is the body without attachments such as the arms, legs, and head.

Record the measurements on the worksheets as you take them.

For the bodice measurements, we took “Upper Torso” measurements, but for the skirt, we are taking “Lower Torso Measurements” – measurements “Below” the waist.

TORSO CIRCUMFERENCE MEASUREMENTS

1. WAIST – Measure around the waist front and back waist

2. HIGH HIP – Measure around the abdomen, 3-inches below the waist

3. HIP – Measure around the widest part of the hip with the tape parallel to the floor

LOWER TORSO HORIZONTAL – BACK

8. WAIST ARC – Measure from the center back waist to the side waist

9. HIGH HIP ARC – Measure from the center back to the side seam, starting 3-inches down from the waist

10. HIP ARC – Measure from the center back to the side seam on the hip line

11. DART PLACEMENT – Measure from the center front waist to the side front along the waist at the “princess seam line.” [To establish the “princess seam line” divide the waist arc by 2 and subtract .25-inches, then measure this distance from the center back waist, along the waistline towards the side back]

LOWER TORSO HORIZONTAL – FRONT

4. WAIST ARC – Measure from the center front waist to the side waist

5. HIGH HIP ARC – Measure from the center front to the side seam, starting 3-inches down from the waist

6. HIP ARC – Measure from the center front to the side seam on the hip line

7. DART PLACEMENT – Measure from the center front waist to the side front along the waist at the “princess seam line.” [To establish the “princess seam line” divide the waist arc by 2 and subtract .25-inches, then measure this distance from the center front waist, along the waistline towards the side
front]

LOWER TORSO VERTICAL – SIDE – 1

Vertical Lines – goes up and down, or down and up

12. SIDE HIP DEPTH – Measure from the side waist to the hip line [measure the right and left sides, if the measurements differ by more than 1/8-inch, the hips are asymmetric, and you would draft the pattern differently].

13. WAIST TO KNEE – Measure from the side waist to the knee

14. WAIST TO ANKLE – Measure from the side waist to the ankle

15. WAIST TO FLOOR – Measure from the side waist to the floor

TORSO VERTICAL MEASUREMENTS – FRONT

16. FRONT HIP DEPTH – Measure from the center front waist down to the hip line

TORSO ARC

What the heck does bust arc, back arc, waist arc, high-hip arc, and hip arc mean?

We measured the “circumference/torso” of the body in the first step taking the whole measurements around the body.

So, when I refer to arcs, I’m talking about measuring a quarter section of the body. Measuring from the center front or center back to the side of the torso.

WHAT IS MEANT BY ASYMMETRIC HIPS?

I’ve mentioned “Asymmetric Hips” a couple of times. Asymmetric hips occur when one side-hip depth is 1/8-inch higher or lower than the opposite side-hip depth, which is why we measure both the right and left side-hip depths.

TORSO VERTICAL MEASUREMENTS – BACK

17. BACK HIP DEPTH – Measure from the center back waist down to the hip line

Okay, now that you know how to take accurate skirt measurements – it’s back to the drawing board. First, be sure you use a good tape measure, wear tight-fitting clothes or a leotard, and have someone assist you.

Record your measurements on the WORKSHEETS that are included in my eBOOK – PATTERN DRAFTING FOR WOMEN | HOW TO TAKE ACCURATE SKIRT MEASUREMENTS.”

Get in the habit of checking your measurements a couple of times a year to update your worksheets, for body changes due to weight gain or loss and gravity shifts.

Once you’ve mastered the skill of taking accurate “SKIRT” measurements, you’re ready to draft your “BASIC SKIRT FOUNDATION” – BTW this process is known as “FLAT PATTERNMAKING.”

You can also view the YouTube video: CLICK HERE. . .

Get your FREE eBook by subscribing to my newsletter: DESIGN, DRAFT, SEW, & GO!

Click the SUBSCRIBE button, below. . .

Subscribe to the Newsletter

UP NEXT – HOW TO TAKE ACCURATE ARM/SLEEVE MEASUREMENTS

If you are experiencing difficulty getting your Armholes/Sleeve slopers to fit properly, don’t miss PART 3 of this 4-PART SERIES “HOW TO TAKE ACCURATE ARM MEASUREMENTS.” CLICK HERE. . .

1. Pattern Drafting | 31 Bodice Measurements You Need To Take That Will Make You A Better Pattern Drafter “How to Take Accurate Bodice Measurements”

Lerayne

If you are learning how to draft or alter a pattern and experience FIT ISSUES, your first step should be to verify that you have taken accurate measurements.

If you fail to take accurate measurements you will have FIT PROBLEMS with your slopers, patterns, and finished designs – GUARANTEED!

First, let me share THREE BASIC FACTS OF PATTERN DRAFTING with you.

1. To measure the body accurately for drafting or altering a pattern, you ABSOLUTELY MUST, know WHAT to measure and WHERE the measurements are to BEGIN and END [point to point].

2. If you are inconsistent or sloppy when taking your measurements you will have inconsistent or sloppy results – sad but true. . .

3. Learning to take accurate measurements is a SKILL that you can develop through skillful, deliberate, and consistent practice – kind of like learning to play the piano.

So, today, we’re going to master the skill of TAKING ACCURATE BODICE MEASUREMENTS!

GETTING STARTED

Okay, before we get started, you will need:

1. To wear tight-fitting clothes, a body suit, or a leotard – no loose clothing

2. A good measuring tape

3. An extra pair of hands to help take the measurements, and

4. A worksheet to record your measurements

TORSO MEASUREMENTS

We begin with the Torso Measurements. When referring to the “torso measurements” in pattern drafting, we are referring to measurements “around” the torso.

The “torso” is simply the “trunk” of the body, meaning it is the body without attachments such as the arms, legs, and head.

Record the measurements on the worksheets as you take them.

We’re taking “Upper Torso Measurements” for the bodice – measurements from the waist up.

TORSO CIRCUMFERENCE MEASUREMENTS

1. NECK – Measure around the upper neck and divide that number

by 5

2. UPPER CHEST/BUST – Measure around the upper bust-chest and back

3. BUST – Measure around the bust and back

4. UNDER BUST – Measure around your front and back upper midriff with the measuring tape snug but not tight

5. WAIST – Measure around the front and back waist

11. WAIST ARC – Measure from the center front waist to
the side waist

12. DART PLACEMENT – Measure from the center front waist to the side front along the waist at the “princess seam line.” [To establish the “princess seam line” divide the waist arc by 2 and subtract .25-inches, then measure this distance from the center front waist, along the waistline towards the side front]

17. WAIST ARC – Measure from the center back waist to the side waist

18. DART PLACEMENT – Measure from the center front waist to the side front along the waist at the “princess seam line.” [To establish the “princess seam line” divide the waist arc by
2 and subtract .25-inches, then measure this distance from the center back waist, along the waistline towards the side back]

PRINCESS SEAM LINES

I mentioned “Princess Seam Lines” for the dart placement measurements.

Princess Seam Lines refer to 2 vertical seams placed between the bodice’s side and center back seams and the center front line.

The Princess Seam Lines replace the darts for a closer-fitting bodice. There are two common types of Princess Seams:

1. Shoulder Princess Seam – starts from the shoulder’s center curving down to the waist, and

2. Mid-Armhole Princess Seam – starts from the mid-armhole curving down to the waist.

UPPER TORSO HORIZONTAL MEASUREMENTS | FRONT

When taking “HORIZONTAL” measurements, we are measuring from right to left or left to right.

6. ACROSS SHOULDER – Measure from shoulder tip to the
center front neck – hollow point at the neck

7. BUST ARC – Measure from the center front, over the bust,
ending 2-inches below the armpit

8. BUST SPAN – Place the tape across the bust points, divide
the amount in half for this measurement

9. SHOULDER LENGTH – Measure from the shoulder tip to
the shoulder/neck

10. ACROSS CHEST – Measure from the center front to 1-inch
above mid-armhole

UPPER TORSO HORIZONTAL MEASUREMENTS | BACK

13. BACK NECK – Measure from the center back neck joint to the shoulder/neck

14. ACROSS SHOULDER – Measure from the shoulder tip to the center back neck

15. ACROSS BACK – Measure from the center back to 1-inch above mid-armhole

16. BACK ARC – Measure from the center back to the bottom of the armpit

TORSO ARCS

Okay, so I’ve mentioned “ARCS” a couple of times and by now you might be wondering “What the heck does bust arc, back-arc, waist arc, high-hip arc, and hip arc mean?

We measured the “UPPER TORSO CORCUMFERENCE” in the first step, taking the measurements around the torso.

An “ARC” is part of the circumference of a circle, cut in half by the diameter, which cuts through the center of the circle giving us a front and back torso, then cut the front and back torso in half for a “quarter section.”

So, when we refer to bust arc, back-arc, waist arc, high-hip arc, and hip arc, it simply means that we will be measuring a “QUARTER SECTION” of the circumference [diameter] of the torso, meaning we only measure from the center front or center back to the side of the front or back of the body.

UPPER TORSO VERTICAL | SIDE

When taking “VERTICAL” measurements, we are measuring up and down or down and up.

19. BUST DEPTH – Measure from the shoulder tip to the bust point

20. BUST RADIUS – Measure from the bust point around the bust mound, ending at the rib below

21. SIDE LENGTH – Measure from 1/2 – 1-inch below the armpit to the side waist

UPPER TORSO VERTICAL MEASUREMENTS | FRONT

22. FULL LENGTH – Measure from the shoulder/neck to the waist, parallel with the center front line

23. MID-ARMHOLE – Measure from the shoulder tip down to the center of the armpit, then divide that number in half

24. CENTER LENGTH – Measure from the hollow of the neck down to the waist, over the bust

UPPER TORSO VERTICAL MEASUREMENTS | BACK

27. FULL LENGTH – Measure from the shoulder/neck to the
waist, parallel with the center back line

28. MID-ARMHOLE – Measure from the shoulder tip down to
the bottom of the armpit, then divide that number in half

29. CENTER LENGTH – Measure from the neck joint down to
the waist

30. SHOULDER SLOPE – Measure from the shoulder tip down
to the center front waist [measure the right and left sides,
if measurements differ by more than 1/8-inch, the
shoulders are asymmetric, and you would draft the pattern
differently]

25. NEW STRAP – Measure from the shoulder/neck to the
bottom of the waist at the side seam, to the side of the
bust mound, not over it.

26. SHOULDER SLOPE – Measure from the shoulder tip down
to the center front waist [measure the right and left sides,
if measurements differ by more than 1/8-inch, the
shoulders are asymmetric, and you would draft the pattern
differently]

ARMHOLE DEPTH

Accurately drafting armholes and sleeves can be problematic.

Problems such as the armholes being so tight that you can’t rotate your arm, or you might have a gaping space at the front or back of the mid-armhole area, or sometimes the fabric bunching up under the armhole.

Sleeve caps may be too high or too low, causing fit problems.

Accurately measuring the armhole and arm will eliminate most fit problems you have with the armhole and allow the garment to fit comfortably against the body.

For this lesson, we will only measure the front and back “ARMHOLE DEPTH.” The arm measurements are covered in detail in Series 3 – “HOW TO TAKE ACCURATE ARM MEASUREMENTS.”

WHAT IS MEANT BY ASYMMETRIC SHOULDERS?

Sometimes our bodies are asymmetrical – meaning one side of the body differs slightly from the opposite side of the body.

Asymmetric shoulders occur when one shoulder slope is 1/8-inch higher or lower than the opposite shoulder slope, which is why we measure BOTH the right and left shoulder slopes, front and back.

If your shoulders are asymmetric, your pattern draft or commercial pattern will need to be adjusted accordingly.

31. ARMHOLE DEPTH – Measure the front and back armhole depth from the shoulder tip to 1/2 – 1-inch below the bottom of the armpit at the side seam.

NOTE: Armhole depth should not be too high or too low because it would pull the sleeve up into the armpit or make the armhole drop too low. Test fit with the sleeves attached, and make adjustments.

Okay, now that you know how to take accurate bodice measurements – it’s back to the drawing board. First, be sure you use a good tape measure, wear tight-fitting clothes or a leotard, and have someone assist you.

Record your measurements on the WORKHEETS that are included in my eBOOK – PATTERN DRAFTING FOR WOMEN | HOW TO TAKE ACCURATE BODICE MEASUREMENTS.”

Get in the habit of checking your measurements a couple of times a year to update your worksheets, for body changes due to weight gain or loss and gravity shifts.

Once you’ve mastered the skill of taking accurate “BODICE” measurements, you’re ready to draft your “BASIC BODICE SLOPER” – BTW this process is known as “FLAT PATTERNMAKING.”

You can also view the YouTube video at: CLICK HERE. . .

Get your FREE eBook by subscribing to my newsletter: “DESIGN, DRAFT, SEW, & GO!” Click the SUBSCRIBE button, below. . .

Subscribe to the Newsletter

UP NEXT – HOW TO TAKE ACCURATE SKIRT MEASUREMENTS

If you are experiencing difficulty getting your Skirt slopers to fit properly, don’t miss PART 2 of this 4-PART SERIES “HOW TO TAKE ACCURATE SKIRT MEASUREMENTS.” CLICK HERE. . .