One of the most confusing things about the fashion industry is how each brand has their own sizing. If you've spent any time shopping, you already know this. For children, Old Navy, Baby Gap, and Gymboree tend to run bigger than say, Carter's in the same size.
Well, if you're sewing a CKC pattern, how do you know what size to make for your child? If you haven't made one of our patterns yet, you may not know the fit of our designs, so you should probably measure before cutting your fabric. Each pattern includes the measurements for the finished garment in each size. Once you measure your child, you should choose the garment size that is closest to her measurements, and when in doubt, size up!
We've created this super handy chart for you to use while measuring your little one. Print it out and fill in her/his measurements to keep them on hand, and update it when needed. Here is the link to the full size document.
A. Measure chest with child's arms down, slip tape under arms and across chest and
shoulder blades holding tape firm and level at the widest part of the chest.
B. Measure waist around the natural waistline, normally just above the belly button.
C. To see where the hem will fall on your child for a top or dress, consider the type of top/dress for which you are measuring. For example, Helen's or Cora's Maxi Dresses, which sit under the armpits and are tied by straps need to be measured from that point across the chest down, but a peasant dress that sits on top of the shoulders needs to be measured from the middle of the top of the shoulder down.
D. To measure hips/seat, measure around fullest point of the seat with the child standing.
E. If you have difficulty measuring your child's inseam, measure a pair of pants that fit your child well. Lay them flat with the front and
back creased smooth. Measure along the inseam from crotch to bottom of leg hem.
If, after you've measured your child and checked the finished garment measurement chart, you realize your child is a different size on top than on the bottom, you may decide you want to make adjustments to the pattern for better fit. Shannon and Tiffany wrote and extensive blog post thoroughly explaining how to do this here.
We hope this helps those of you who are struggling to decide which size to make. And don't forget about our sewing forum, it's a great place to ask questions and get help from expert seamstresses!!! Happy Sewing!
