Taking Your Measurements

For the Pattern-Making software I'm using to work correctly, measurements MUST be taken while one is wearing proper undergarments. The first step in measuring yourself, is to locate your shoulder point.



The shoulder point should be located high on the shoulder. With your arms at your sides, find the crease formed where the arm attaches to the torso and follow this crease up to the top of the shoulder. (It's basically the point where your collarbones end and your shoulder begins.) Mark this point on both sides of your body, either with a magic marker or with a piece of masking tape.

Also:
Place a mark or a piece of tape at the base of the neck at center front (at the split of the two collar bones.)
Place a mark at the center back on top of the spine(at the portruding bone at the base of the back neck.).

Next, locate your waistline and tie a piece of ribbon or elastic around it. (The waist should be marked about an inch above the navel and be parallel to the floor.) With that done, you're finally ready to begin measuring... ( Please copy and paste this measurement form into an e-mail and fill it out as you go. Try to be as accurate as you can.)

Center Front Length



Measure from the base of the neck at the "wishbone" to the waist. (The Center Front length, incidentally, should be around 1.5" shorter than the back length. Don't worry if it isn't exactly. That's just an average ballpark figure for the average figure. Just try and be as accurate as possible with your measurements.)

Front Shoulder Width



From shoulder point to shoulder point across the front of the body.

Front Shoulder Slope



From the shoulder point to the center front at waist. (Be sure to pass it over the the center of the breast).

Shoulder Length



From the base of the neck below the hollow of the ear to the shoulder point.

Bust or Chest



Around the chest, crossing the bust points, and parallel to the floor.

Under Bust



Around the chest, directly under the bust.

Shoulder to Bust Point



From the neck/shoulder intersection to the apex of the bust. (Getting tired of taking these measurements yet?)

Bust Point to Bust Point



From apex to apex.

Center Back Length



From the protruding bone at the back of the neck to the waistline. (The Center Back Length will, as a general rule, be around 1.5" longer than the Center Front Length.

Back Shoulder Width



From shoulder point to shoulder point across the back of the body.

Back Shoulder Slope



From the Shoulder Point to the Waist

Neck Circumference



The measurement around the neck. (Around 13" for the average woman)

Natural Waist Circumference



The measurement around the natural waist and parallel to the floor.


That's it for the top of the body. Now we move on to the measurements for the lower part of the body. (I know, I know. You're tired. Go take a break. Eat a sandwich. Watch some TV. When you've rested, come back and click the link below and fill out the rest of the form. Don't worry. All this trouble will be worth it.)

Click here to continue to the next page.