The first step to creating a well fitting garment is to measure yourself correctly. The perfect tool to use for this is a flexible measuring tape. There are retractable ones and flat ones, so pick whatever you like! They can be found cheaply at any craft store or my favorite, Amazon. Check it out here.

If you are measuring yourself for a custom Lucky Lemon Dress and don’t see yourself using your measuring tape again, you can also use a piece of string and hold it up to a ruler to get your measurements. If measuring with a string and ruler, always make sure not to pull the string and distort your true size.

Before you measure, make sure you are wearing whatever you would normally wear under the garment you are planning for. If you are sewing a dress and usually wear a padded bra, make sure you put that bra on before you measure. If you are making a swimsuit, measure yourself naked.

Measuring Your Bust

The bust measurement is around the fullest part of your chest. Make sure the measuring tape is not pulled tight. The back of the tape should be around where your back bra strap would sit. The front of the tape should be around the fullest part of your chest.

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Measuring Your Waist

Where exactly is your waist??? The waist is the smallest part of your torso. I hear a lot of women say “I don’t have a waist!” – but it’s not true. Even if your waist is bigger than your bust, it is still a waist. I like to feel for the tops of my hip bones and measure between my hip bones and the bottom of my ribs.

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Measuring Your Hips

I feel like this is the easiest one to get wrong because most people measure too high. The hip measurement should be taken around the fullest part of your booty. It helps to look in the mirror for this one. Also be careful to not pull the measuring tape too tight.

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Measuring Your Arm

There is nothing that ruins a garment faster than having it too tight around your arms! To take your arm measurement, measure about 1/2 way between your armpit and your elbow. Take the measurement with your arm pressed against your body. If you hold your arm out, the measurement will usually be a little too small.

Now make sure to write this all down! I recommend updating your measurements at least every 6 months if you are sewing for yourself. For my boys, who are 3.5 and 2 years old, I measure every time I make them something! You can keep track of all your measurements on these handy and free measurements charts that I made for you.

CLICK HERE, enter your email and measure away!

Thanks so much and happy sewing!

ASHLEY

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