A few weeks ago I went to get myself measured properly by a professional dressmaker and pattern designer. Sandra runs
Sewanista Fashion Workshops in Malaga, where she runs weekly group sewing classes and individual one on on lessons- it was one of her one on one sessions that I booked my self for.
So why pay (or get) someone else to measure you? Well for a start it's a heck of a lot easier! You can measure yourself on your own but some positions are just easier if there is another person there to hold tape, mark things etc. Also another pair of eyes means they can tell you if you are going to throw your measurements out by slumping over or sucking in. As I was getting a friend to take my pictures I was tempted to suck my tummy in but as Sandra said you need to relax when being measured for it to be accurate. Who wants to spend hours working on something only for it to bust a seam first time you slouch? Last but not least the main reason why I wanted someone professional to measure me is that I wanted someone who had a clue WHERE and HOW to take the measurements to measure me. I have a long back so what I defined as a waist has changed considerably over the years depending on how much weight I put on. For some reason I always thought your waist was the smallest spot between hips and ribcage (well for me anywhere the smallest circumference in that general area) but actually it is the mid or pivot point between hipbone and ribcage - most easily found by bending to the side like this:
To make measuring easier I brought along some (very unflattering) black leggings and a form fitting singlet to wear, plus my copy of Anna Zapps "
The Zapp Method of Couture Sewing" to write the measurements in (it has a very in depth measurement recording page). It is one of my favourite sewing-related books so I thought I would be less likely to lose my measurements if they are in there :)
So here are the rest of the pics- just in case you were wondering what being measure should look like:
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| Marking shoulder point |
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| Upper arm depth |
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| Neck circumference |
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| Bicep circumference |
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| Shoulder to shoulder |
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| Front waist length |
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| Pants side seam length |
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| Total thigh circumference |
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| Full thigh depth/ crotch depth |
Sandra is a very knowledgeable teacher of dressmaking and fashion pattern design who very often kindly provides her studio workspace for the
Perth Burdastyle Meetups. A lovely lady who is always generous of her time and
information - whether you are a newbie sewer or a somewhat more seasoned
one - I cannot recommend her tuition high enough ;)
