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Directions for making the measurements needed for a 'design-your-own-smocked-dress'

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TAKING MEASUREMENTS

The child to be measured should stand erect and steadily. The child to be measured must not try to give help in taking the measurement, because any movement on her part may change the apparent length of a line and lead to inaccuracy of the measurement. When taking measurements to or from the waist, it is best to begin by determining the position of the child’s waist line. Tie a piece of cord tightly round the waist of the child, pressing the cord well down into position.

 

Please note that some measurements do NOT always translate into a particular measurement on the dress.

For example, some dresses have no waist. 

The measurements that are needed most often are as follows:— Shoulder to waist {front). — Starting from the neck point of the shoulder line measure to near the middle of front waist.

waist

measure from shoulder to waist line
measure shoulder to waist
Neck to waist {back}. — Starting from the nape of the child’s neck measure to the waist at the middle of back.

 

Neck to waist on the back

measure from neckline to waist line
neckline to waist line

Measuring neck size

measuring neck size
Neck.—Measure round the base of the neck easily. It may be more accurate to wrap a piece of cord around the neck easily and then measure the length of cord.

chest width measurement

measure chest width
Chest.—Starting 2 or 3 inches below the neck line, measure horizontally from armhole to armhole. This starting point line gives the usual level of a plain straight yoke.

circumference at chest

measure circumference at chest
This is usually called the bust measurement

shoulder to hemline

measuring from shoulder to hemline
measure from shoulder center line near neck to bottom edge of dress.

width of back at shoulders

measure with of back at shoulders
width of back at shoulders

Measuring neckline to sleeve line

measuring neckline to sleeve line
neckline to sleeve line

circumference at waist

circumference at waist
waist

locate waist line

locate waist line
waist line

Chart of Approximate Body Measurements (taken in inches) for Various Ages. The sizes may vary among styles. The patterns are designed for the girl who has not yet begun to mature.

 

Size Height Shoulder to Waist Waist to Knee Shoulder to Knee Shoulder to Ground Neck Chest Waist Hip ArmLength ArmholeWidth

6 months

28

7

9

15

22

7 ¼

 

9

19

20

8

9

1 yr

31

7

10

17

25

7 ¼

9

20

21

9

9

18 months

33

8

11

18 ½

 24  8  9  21  22  9 ½  9 ½

2

34

8

12

20

28

9

9

22

25

10

10

3

36

9

13

22

31

9 ½

9 ½

23

26

11

10

4

39

10

14

24

34

10

9 ½

24

27

12

11

5

41

10 ½

15

25 ½

37

10

10

24

27

13

11

6

43

11

16

27

39

10

10 ½

25

28

13

11

7

45

11 ½

17

28 ½

41

10 ½

10 ½

25

29

14

11

8

47

12

17

29

43

10½

10½

25

31

15

12

10 47½ 12 17½ 29 43¼ 11 11 25½ 31¼ 15½ 12¼
12 48 12¼ 18 29¼ 43½ 10½ 11½ 26 31½ 16 12½
16 41¼ 18¼

 

 Chart of Approximate Body Measurements (taken in centimeters) for Various Ages. The sizes may vary among styles. The patterns are designed for the girl who has not yet begun to mature.

Size

Height (cm)

Shoulder to Waist (cm)

Waist to Knee (cm)

Shoulder to Knee (cm)

Shoulder to mid calf (cm)

Shoulder to Ground  (cm)

Length of skirt from waist to mid calf (cm)

Neck (cm)

Chest (cm)

Waist (cm)

Hip (cm)

ArmLength (cm)

ArmholeWidth (cm)

6 months

71

18

24

32

42

56

31

18

 

23

48

51

20

23

1 yr

79

18

25

43

52

63

35

18

23

51

53

23

23

18 months

84

20

27

47

59

66

36

20

23

53

58

23

23

2

86

20

31

51

60

71

41

23

23

56

63

25

25

3

91

23

33

56

66

79

44

24

24

58

66

28

25

4

99

25

36

61

72

86

48

25

24

61

69

30

28

5

104

27

38

65

78

94

52

25

25

61

69

33

28

6

109

28

41

69

83

99

56

25

27

63

71

33

28

7

114

29

43

72

87

104

59

27

27

63

74

36

28

8

119

30

44

74

90

109

61

27

27

63

79

38

30

 

Note: the hemline should fall at mid calf for many smocked dresses.

That would be midway between knee and the ground.  That would put the shoulder to hemline for an 8 year old at about 36 inches. 

 Other size charts used by BumbaBella: 

Bonnet sizes for extra small babies. Earlobe to Earlobe over the top of the head.

Size Description Length (inches) Length (cm) Blocking length (inches) Blocking length (cm)
Extra extra small Preemie 7 18 10 25
Extra small New born 7 ½ 19 10 ½ 27
Small 6 months 8 20 11 28
Medium 12 months 8 ½ 22 11 ½ 29
Large 18 months 9 23 12 30
Extra large 2 Toddler 9 ½ 24 12 ½ 32
Extra extra large 3 Toddler 10 25 13 33

Dolls and Premi measurements:

Size

M (Micro)

T (Tiny)

P (Preemie)

NB (Newborn)

Weight (lb)

1 – 2

2 – 3

3 – 5

5 – 8

Weight ( kg)

0.45 – 0.9

0.9 – 1.4

1.4 – 2.3

2.3 – 3.6

Length (from shoulder to hem)

6 “ (15 cm)

11½” (29 cm)

14” (36 cm)

16” (41 cm)

Abdomen (circumference in line with their belly button)

7½” (19 cm)

9½” (24 cm)

11” (29 cm)

1½” (35 cm)

Circumference around the neck

4” (10 cm)

6” (15 cm)

7½” (19 cm)

7¾” (20 cm)

Chest (circumference around the chest under their arms)

6” (16 cm)

9” (23 cm)

10½” (26 cm)

12” (30 cm)

Arm Length (from shoulder to wrist)

3½” (9 cm)

4½” (11 cm)

5½” (14 cm)

6½” (16 cm)


Boys Romper sizes:
Size 6 months 12 months 18 months 2T 3T 4T
Inseam (inches) 1 ¾ 2 2 2 ½ 3 3 ¼
Length shoulder - hem (inches) 17 18 18 ½ 19 ½ 21 22
Width (widest point across) (inches) 11 ¼ 12 12 ¼ 12 ½ 12 ¾ 13 ¼
In measuring children for garments, it must be remembered that children are expected to grow.

 

A child's average yearly height growth is 2 inches. Regarding the length of the garment, to size for the next year after the measurements are taken, the length of the garment should be made 1 or 2 inches larger than the present measurement.

The change in width, such as chest, waist or shoulders, due to growth, is much slower. An estimated measurement made of width, over clothing, is probably sufficient to last for some time.

Children outgrow their clothes rapidly. However, Bumba Bella’s hand smocked dresses have an advantage. The hand smocked dresses have “grow features” because of the nature of the smocking stitch. The natural elasticity of the smocking stitch allows the garment to ‘expand’ and ‘grow’ with the child to some extend.

Also, the hemline of our dresses usually has enough extra cloth so as to allow the hemline to be lowered by 2 inches. 

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