Hello, sewing enthusiasts!
I’m sure that you understand that exact and accurate measurement is the thing of high importance.
99% of mistakes and bad fitting are because of carelessness in measurement.
Before you are starting measuring your client, you should already have an exact plan:
- Which pattern you will use
- What techniques of sewing you will use
- What additional measurements (according to the figure of the client) will help you to achieve a perfect fit.
At the beginning you and a client are discussing the style, details, trimmings. And only then you are starting to measure.
Let me say few words before we will start. At first, we should measure a client, and then measure a pattern. We will compare the measurements and change the pattern. Believe me, when you will understand my method, you will forget all others.
It takes 1 second to calculate the pattern alterations using our software and 5-10 minutes to draw a pattern on the material. Then it takes 6-7 hours to sew, and… your client could visit you for a fitting. Then it takes 2-3 hours to complete and make small changes.
Believe me, it’s possible! It takes no more than 2 working days to sew a wedding or an evening dress. Of course, I’m talking about only sewing a dress, without spending time on hand embroidery, decorating by beads or complex skirts.
Okay, let’s measure. You should face the client, and it’s comfortable to place a mirror behind the back of the client. So you could see the way the tape measure goes, and so it’s easy to correct it.
Now, tie up two ropes: the one rope on the waist, the other on the belly. It’ll be much more comfortable for you, if you’ll place the rope at the borderline on the bottom of the corset. But there could be some differences. For example, if the corset is shorter on its sides and longer in the middle part. In that case you should place the rope at the corset’s sides.
Please pay attention how is your client standing, while you are measuring. The client should stay erect, the client shouldn’t move at all, even client’s hands shouldn’t move. Ropes should also stay at the same places, that you put them first time. And I’d like also to point out that you should place the rope at the waist, exactly where it should be at the result (it’s not always the narrowest place on the belly). The client should be dressed lightly, and she should wear brassiere. If the client likes push-ups bra, then she should put on the push-up.
(1) The first measurement is named “Bust front”. The measurement is from side to side through the most prominent parts on the bust.
