[paula]

In general, do most of the O+S patterns run small? I have a 7 month old who is wearing a 9-12 mo size and I squeezed her into a 12-18 mo hopscotch dress. When she was younger, wearing a 3 mo size the 6-12 mo pajamas fit her with no room to spare. My son, who wears a 10-12 is too big for the size 12 nature walk pullover and sketchbook shirt.

Anyone else experience this? I guess I need to size up!

[Brittney]

I think the hopscotch runs a little small, in my experience, but the rest I have made (and there are many) are spot on for the measurement chart. Did you check the body measurements before you chose your size?

[Nicole]

I find I like to add a wee bit of length as my children wear singlets and I don’t like them showing.

Otherwise,they seem fine. Do go by measurements rather then the size they wear in RTW.

I am still sizing down,that is the big advantage of home sewing.

[Brittney]

Same here Nicole, I sew a smaller size than RTW clothing, per the measurement chart. (adding length, of course)

[sayiamyou]

I made my 3 yr old size 5 hopscotch shirts last fall. Granted, she’s tall, but this pattern and the music class I’m always sizing up for. Otherwise, I’m adding length only to compensate for her above average features.

[KarenK]

I find that they’re mostly consistent but there are a few that I have to adjust, the Hopscotch shirt being one. I often add length to the shirts I make, though, just to get more life out of them and because my kids all have their dad’s long torso.

I often hold the pattern piece up to my child before cutting just to make sure I like the length.

[beachmom]

I really think it depends. My 2 youngest (5 and 7) are basically the same height and their measurements are very close too. But the 5 year old has a muscular build and the 7 year old is skin and bones. So, even though they both wear the same size, certain styles don’t fit the same. For example, the Family Reunion dress fit my 5 year old better as she is broader through the shoulders. And the Puppet Show shorts never looked right on my youngest but fit my middle girl through last summer. Regarding the Nature Walk and the Sketchbook…the 12 NW was too snug for my son’s liking but he fits fine in the 12 Sketchbook (with added length to the body and sleeves). He’s almost 12 and wearing a 14 in RTW boy clothes. And last year my oldest daughter (13) was still wearing a size 8 Jump Rope dress with extra length added. You never know!

I usually trace off the size pattern that fits my kid’s measurements best then hold up the pattern pieces to said kid and make adjustments from there.;)

Cindy

[with love Heidi]

I’ve made a couple of hopscotchs and probably could have sized up with one and definalty needed to size up with the other, but everything else I’ve made so far has fitted very well. Sometimes a guess a size if the see the child all the time but mostly I measure, and the measurements come out great.

[Justine J]

I love O+S patterns as they fit my children so well. If anything, I size down from RTW. The only exception is the Hopscotch dress/top (I size up), and I do usually add length to the tops but not the dresses or pants)

[meleliza]

Overall, I find my kids wear mostly the same sizes in OandS as in rtw. If anythingm I find the patterns a smidge more generous. Of course I can customize to the kids measurements, which is great. However, I find rtw is different in the UK clothes my MIL sends so maybe the sizes are different in other countries too?

[Tamara]

I am finding that some rtw sizing is grossly out of sync! My son is just in a 10 with the Oliver and s patterns but rtw would have him in a 12! The poor boy is only 7.5 years old! My daughter on the other hand wears a 14 rtw but is just getting to the point of going past the 12 with the Oliver and s patterns. I haven’t really sewn with other companies for her so am unsure as to how the sizing would go with them.

The one thing we do find though is that they are tricky to get on. The sizing is right and fabric type is correct and the measurements are right but they tend to be tricky to actually get on.

Ways around this are to put a zipper in the pants and skirts at a seams (in the case of the pants where the fauz fly is) . I do have to alter the patterns slightly for my kids only because they are taller than average for their age and so with that comes just slight alterning at the appropriate areas.

Other than that though these patterns are great!

[Sarvi]

For my kid they pretty much all fit well straight, as it were. I tend to add a bit of length just to get a bit more use out of them but the only time I have had to make significant alterations is if I am also significantly changing the pattern …. Making it with a very heavy fabric, adding extra layers, etc. it occurs to me that I so rarely buy rtw any,ore that I don’t actually know her size. Hooray for O+S!

[meleliza]

Interesting. My super tall 7 year old wears about a 10 rtw, though brands vary, and still about an 8 for Oliver and s, with some adjustment. I’m guessing rtw sizes are different in Oz. I know the UK ones run a little bigger than ours.

[cybele727]

Hmmm…. I find that they according to the chart. I mean, sometimes my daughter measures 18 mo and other times for other patterns she measures 3T. Although she always needs more length in the torso because of her long torso. I think that the key to picking the right size is too look at the garment and see where it’s fit is tightest.

For Hopscotch… the chest is the important measurement as that is the most fitted. Same with music box. Fairy Tale.. the chest and waist count. For pants the waist and hip. Etc. I don’t go by age or by RTW sizing for any patterns b/c RTW sizing and pattern sizing have absolutely no relationship.

I also find most patterns generous and not tight fitting, with the exception of the hopscotch but then again, that is the cut and the drape of the material. 🙂

[Tamara]

It all depends on the fabric, yes I agree. I made the one and only Nature walk top out of (don’t know the technical term for it) what I call tracksuit material. I think my daughter wore it once and claimed it was just too hard to get on. Now had I used a stretch fabric the story would have been a lot different. Same with the pants I used fabric with lycra in it thinking they would do well but they ended up being three quarter pants by the time I was done! The fabric choices do help to determine how the sizing goes. I know the badminton pattern is predominantly made for wovens but I made the top using the fabric I use for t shirts and also a woven for the neckline etc. It worked pretty well and has given her more room but I wouldn’t recommend it for any old thing.

My daughter started out measuring a ten but I did make her that size and we just couldn’t justify it. So I have basically been making her 12’s all the way along. It has got alot to do with changes in body shape as they grow too – my daughter is starting to develop a more grown up figure so I have to adjust the patterns accordingly for that also.

Not everyone is going to fit exactly to a pattern because of our bodies all being unique. It isn’t criminal to alter them to fit you, to et the best usage, you basically have to do it.

The hopscotch pattern is one that I have to size up as it has become snug but then if I use a different stretch fabric I may get a different result.