Sewing is fun, but it costs both time and fabric, so you want to make sure that the garment you are about to sew will fit the child.

It can be difficult to know which size to choose when you are using a new sewing pattern, but most sewing patterns will have a table where various body measurements are listed depending on what is important for that particular pattern.

The sizes in sewing patterns for children's clothes are usually listed based on the child's height, but since all children are different, you should measure your child and check if, for example, chest width, waist width, bodice width, back length, shoulder length and leg length fit.

Also keep in mind that children grow quickly - if the child is between two sizes, it may be a good idea to take the slightly larger size. It is usually also easy to adapt a pattern a little on, for example, the length.

If you are unsure where to measure the waist then you can ask the child to tip slightly to the side - the waist is where an angle occurs. Some measurements are based on the wais - my tip is to tie a band around the waist so you can easily measure to it.

Tip: If you are unsure about the fit, you can perhaps sew a test garment in a cheap fabric that has roughly the same properties in terms of stretch and thickness before you cut the fine fabric.

I have made a pdf with pages for you to record your children's measurements. Ther's a page with a girl, a page with a boy plus a short guide on how to measure. Fill out the form below to get the pdf. 😀

If you want to save on paper, just print the current page that you need that day. It's also a good idea to get a folder dedicated to your patterns and sewing notes where you keep all these measurements to refer to when you sew.

In just a few years, you can look back at your records and see how the children have grown. 🌱➡️🌳