Singer Adjustable Dress Form

The Singer Adjustable Dress Form comes in two sizes. The Small/Medium fits sizes 10-16, and the Medium/Large fits sizes 16-22. Each unit has 12 adjuster dials, making it a cinch to adjust the form to the perfect proportions. It even features torso height and neck adjustments, which make it perfect for accommodating long or short waists and various neck sizes. These are things that few dress forms have, but they are crucial for optimal construction and some alterations. Measurements adjust as follows:

Small/Medium:
* Bust - 33-39 inches
* Waist - 25-31 1/2 inches
* Waist to neck length - 16 to 19 inches

Medium/Large
* Bust - 40-46 inches
* Waist - 30-37 inches
* Waist to neck length - 16 to 19 inches

The dressform has a thick foam back, which provides for easy pinning. Its dials are sturdy and easy to adjust. It's also surprisingly lightweight, making it easy to move around as needed.

The Singer Adjustable Dressform has a 2-year manufacturer's warranty, so you can't go wrong with it. It has all the features that a professional seamstress needs, at a price that even the most casual sewing hobbyist can both justify and afford. This versatile dressform is a great help to anyone who sews.

Sewing for children can be tricky. There's the matter of finding styles they will wear, but that's only a small part of the battle. Finding the right pattern size can be quite difficult, especially for children who are short, tall, thin or heavy for their age.

Some inexperienced tailors assume that the size a child wears in ready-to-wear clothing is the size of pattern they should use. But that's not always the case. Sizes vary among clothing manufacturers, so the size of your child's best-fitting jeans may or may not be the size of pattern you should use to make him a pair of pants. And for children who do not conform perfectly to the sizes you find in the store, going with the closest match is a recipe for disaster.

Measuring for Children's Patterns

The first step to getting a good fit is getting good measurements. Here are the measurements you need to get started:

* Length - For tops, you'll need to know the back waist length. This measurement goes from the back of the neck to the back of the waist. For pants, you'll need to measure the inseam from the crotch to the ankle. It's also wise to measure the outseam, which will run from the waist to the ankle.

* Chest - Measure around the fullest part, running the tape under the arms and across the shoulder blades.

* Arm length - This is one of the most common problem areas when using a standard pattern. Measure from the neckline to the tip of the shoulder bone, then bend the arm and measure from the neckline to the wrist. Then subtract the shoulder width to get the best arm length measurement.

* Waist - In most cases, it's best to measure around the natural waistline, as this is where most patterns assume you are measuring. But if your child likes the waists of her pants or skirts lower, you could drop down an inch or so.

* Hips - Measure around the hipbones or the fullest part of the abdomen, whichever is larger.

It would be nice if all of these measurements always pointed to the same size, but it doesn't always work that way. So we must often go by one measurement and make adjustments for the others.

For shirts, dresses and jackets, the chest measurement is the best indicator of size. If the waist and hips are fuller, you can make adjustments as needed. For pants and skirts, the hip measurement is usually the best indicator of size. If the waist is larger, however, you'll be better served by using that measurement.

Kids grow quickly, so it's best to err on the side of caution. If you find that your child's measurements fall between two sizes, it's often a good idea to go up to the larger size. It should only be a little bit on the large side, and he will probably grow into it in no time.

Children come in all shapes and sizes, and you never know when they'll experience a growth spurt. But that doesn't mean that we can't sew for them. It just means that we might need to adapt patterns a little to make them work. With good measurements and a size chart, sewing for kids doesn't have to be a chore.