✂️👚How to find your perfect fit👚✂️

Asalam u alaiqum (peace be upon you) Beautiful People ♡

How you are doing! This post is about how to take your dress size measurements on a piece of paper and use it for any dress style. This is how I started making my own clothes. I am explaining with pictures and I will leave a link below for a video so get along...

Firstly, you will need these basic things...

Ruler, pen

Sharp dressmaking scissors

Any clear sheet (I use gift-wrapping paper)

Tape measure (preferably with cm and inches)A standard 150cm/60” length is fine unless you are very tall he-he I have these rulers but if you do not have simple ruler do the same job...

MEASURE LENGTH ON DRESS

Take the measuring tape from top corner of your dress neckline to the desire length of a dress / shirt / kameez plus adding 3-inches seam allowance (1/2 to 1-inch on top and 2 to 3-inches bottom. Keeping extra seam allowance is better; you can always cut the extra fabric when finished)MEASURE BUST ON DRESS

Where your dress armhole ends (over bust), take the measuring tape from one side to other plus add 2 to 3-inches seam allowance (see the picture below) roughly right it down on a piece of paper. Making sure also write down half of the size number (for example if your bust comes to 14-inch, half of that is 7-inch. I am making a half size dress chart, for full width chart just fold sheet into half)

MEASURE BUST ON YOURSELF

Measure your own bust. You will need to measure the fullest part of your bust to get the proper measurement. Make sure that the measuring tape goes under your arms. Keep the measuring tape snug but not too tight. If you do it, too tight (if your bust is popping out over the tape) then you will get the wrong measurements and your dress will not fit properly...

MEASURE WAIST ON DRESS

Put measuring tape from over bust straight down to the hips. You will see a curve of waist on dress. Mark the distance of waist and hips (For example you can roughly see in this picture. A waist curve comes up to 5-inches and a hip comes up to 11-inches)...Now from the mark you put on for waist take the measuring tape from that point to the other side of waist. Adding 2 to 3-inches seam allowance. Again making sure right down, half of the size number too (for example if it comes to 12-inches of waist, half of that is 6-inches and when we add 2-inches seam allowance it comes up to 8-inches)

MEASURE WAIST ON YOURSELF

Bend to one side (does not matter which) and find your waist's natural crease. At the crease, measure around your waist, making sure that the measuring tape is a bit loose. You can also find your natural waist by measuring 2-inches up from your belly button. It is usually the smallest part of your waistline...MEASURE HIPS ON DRESS
Waist to above hips, the mark we put on take the measuring tape from one side straight to other side of hips.

MEASURE HIPS ON YOURSELF

Stand with your feet together. Measure around the fullest part of your hips and rear...MEASURE BACK SHOULDER ON DRESS / ON YOURSELF

Leave about 2 to 3-inches space from top of the shoulder. Take your size measurements. Moreover, add 1-inch seam allowance…MEASURE ARMHOLE ON DRESS / ON YOURSELF

This is one way of doing it. Shoulder to over bust, stretch the dress and measuring tape together and go along the seam...Another way is that pretend there is an L shape. Taking the measuring tape from top to bottom point of L (which is top shoulder to over bust example 1) write down your length size (for example in the picture below it is 5-inches. Do not half the number of armhole). Than take the measuring tape from left bottom point of L shape to right bottom point (example 2) plus add 1 to 2-inches seam allowance (for example in the picture below it is 2-inches adding 2-inches seam allowance 4-inches)

Top shoulder to over bust (L shape example 1)...Left bottom point of L shape to right bottom point (L shape example 2)1-inch seam allowance (example 3)MEASURE NECKLINE ON DRESS / ON YOURSELF

Take the measuring tape from left corner of your neck or dress neckline to right (see example - 1) Than from the middle of dress neckline straight down to desire length (see example - 2)
Example - 1...Example - 2...I also take the measurement of shoulder seam...Size of your bottom dress depends on style...MEASURE SLEEVES ON DRESS

Take the measuring tape from shoulder seam to wrist (or up to desire length)...Measure armhole - Shoulder to over bust, stretch the dress and go along the seam...Then measure bicep, fore arm and wrist fitting (just as it shown in pictures below)...Here the fun part begins to work on a sheet...Making sure sheet is straight from the edges...

I am using this measuring ruler (if you do not have, measuring tape or simple ruler will work too) I draw a straight line leaving about 1-inch space, which is seam allowance. I am measuring neck and shoulders here (have your written measurements in front of you)...Start from left to right. First two lines you see in picture below is neckline. Remember I said whatever measurement you get also write down half of that number. My dress neckline came up to 5-inches, half of 5 is 2.5-inches. I have put two lines, first line I measure about 2.3-inches (this is a neckline seam allowance about 0.02-inch) Neckline seam allowance depends on a style. This is just an idea of round neckline). Second line is dress actual neckline, which in half were 2.5-inches. Let us move on to other two lines on right side of the picture. First line, is dress back shoulder measurement, which was 11-inches, half of 11 is 5.5-inches. Second line will going to be 1-inch seam allowance (you need to put your measurements here)...This is again an idea of simple round neckline. (You need to put your front neckline measurements, the same way in picture below on the left side straight down)...Over here, I am measuring armhole. Remember the L shape we discuss up when we were taking measurements of a dress armhole, well we have to draw an L shape on a sheet. Top point to bottom point of L shape which is top shoulder to over bust (See L shape example 1 again) write down your length size. Than take the measuring tape from left bottom point of L shape to right bottom point (see L shape example 2) plus add 1 to 2-inches seam allowance (for example in the picture below it is 2-inches adding 2-inches seam allowance 4-inches)In the middle point of L shape I draw diagonally 1-inch line (which is seam allowance of armhole see example 3 on top)...We have to draw armhole shape on L shape. I joined the points from top shoulder to L shape middle point. From over bust point to L shape middle point then combining it all and draw armhole line...It is time to measure waist and hips. I put ruler from over bust straight down to the hips and draw a roughly straight line. Remember the distance of waist and hip we measure on dress, need to mark the distance of waist and hips on the line we draw...Now it will be easier to put marks of waist and hips, also mark the seam allowance. Once you mark your waist and hips, join the points from over bust to waist then waist to above hips with the help of ruler...You can keep the length of a dress chart to your own liking but I prefer keep it to 4-5-inches below hips. There are many different dress styles but I can assure you this chart will work with any style. The basic measurements for any dress style is on this chart. You can style the rest of your dress to your own liking (In the end you can see the pictures of me using this chart on fabric)…There are many different neckline styles, cutting for chart depends on it. This is an idea of simple round neckline...I draw a diagonal line from neckline to shoulder seam (I also put marks on the lines which need to be cut)...You do not have to but it is better to write down the measurements. In future, you can always change it, an inch up or down by putting this chart onto new sheet This is how I write it down...How to cut sleeves on a piece of paper

Putting mark on armhole sleeve

Making sure edges of sheet is straight. I put a mark unto 3-inches...I put ruler in an arbitrary position on the mark and marked again about 3.5-inches. Also marked armhole measurement - Shoulder to over bust...Joining the marks (making sure to give a curve)...

Putting marks for wrist sleeve

Mark sleeve length plus 1-inch seam allowance. Mark bicep, forearm and wrist fitting (add 1 to 2-inches seam allowance on wrist fitting)...I draw a line from wrist mark to armhole mark - (Shoulder to over bust)...This is how it looks before cutting...It is always better to write down the measurements on it...There you have it. Your own dress chart. Time to put on a fabric and cut out your any dress style...

This is my coming project - Spring BlazerI fold fabric in half and put the half chart on top of the fabric (folding the fabric in half makes it easier to cut two of the same piece at once)

To get the measurement marks unto fabric I pushed my pen thru sheet and marked unto fabric then I join the marks with the help of ruler...I did not cut neckline because I am working on different style...I hope this was helpful. Make sure to tag me if you tried this. I will upload about my project soon. Till then remember me x!
A ♡ O

My youtube video - How to find your perfect fit...