Hello, my dear sew-alongers!
For our first day, we're starting easy: today, we're taking our measurements and we're choosing our size accordingly.
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First of all, you will need to take three measurements of yourself:
- Bust: measure the fullest point of your chest. This pattern is made for a C cup, so if you are more or less busty, we might need to make some adjustments later on.
- Waist: the narrowest point of your torso, your natural waist, it's usually just above your belly button.
- Hips: measure the widest point of your hips or, if you're like me and have a big derrière, the widest point of your bum.If you have someone to help out, that would be best. If you don't, use a mirror to check that you're holding the measuring tape straight.
Wear tight clothes, like a fitted camisole and leggings, or even just your underwear. Be sure to wear the bra you plan to use with the finished dress (or a regular bra). Stay straight, don't slouch and don't hold your breath while taking your measurements.
At this point, I like to write down the measurements I just took (I use this cute chart). Then, using a pencil, I circle on the size chart the numbers that match mine more closely. If you're between two sizes, choose the bigger one.
If you find that you're not one size all over, don't worry! It's perfectly normal, and we'll see how to deal with this when we trace our pattern.
If you're European, you'll notice that the sizes are quite similar to ready-to-wear clothes.
If you're not used to metric measurements, fear not! Eléonore and I have prepared a chart with converted measurements (this is more or less you what you'll find on translated Deer and Doe patterns when they'll be out).
If you're not used to metric measurements, fear not! Eléonore and I have prepared a chart with converted measurements (this is more or less you what you'll find on translated Deer and Doe patterns when they'll be out).
You can also download the chart as a pdf here.
Finally, I put together a little glossary to help you mostly with the pattern pieces, but also with the instructions. You can download it here.
This glossary is just a little support; if you follow my posts, you won't need to translate the instructions. I'm hoping to cover everything you need to know from the booklet.
I'll see you tomorrow to talk about fabric!
In the meantime, come join our Flickr group if you haven't already! I have neglected the group a bit until now, but I promise I'll be more present from now on.