[goldsud]

this is my first time using a bought pattern for clothes, though over the last 2 years i have sewn countless skirts, dresses and tops from self drafted patterns for my niece using her measurements. i made the sunday brunch skirt for my niece, she just turned three but her waist is 18 1/2″ (I measured her waist with just her underwear at least 3 times before i started and twice after i tried it on her.) so i lengthened the 6-12m size, according to the sizing guide 6-12m is for waist 19 1/2″. but once i finished sewing it the waist of the skirt is only 18″. i don’t know if there is anything i missed.

when I printed the pattern pages the test box was exactly 1″ in both directions.

I cut it with a rotary cutter to get straight accurate edges.

I sewed with a perfect 1/2″ seam using the guide on my machine and then measured the sewn seam allowances to double check.

I followed all the instructions step by step as i sewed.

I’m going to take out and resew the two side seams with a 1/4″ seam to give me an extra inch and might put in an invisible zip, which should be a perfect fit but am now worried about making it in any other sizes and buying any of the other patterns as i can’t figure out where i went wrong.

[Sarvi]

Hi there, sorry you’re having some trouble with this. Since I have a different version of the pattern than you, could you try measuring the length of the waistband pattern piece? Mine is 9.75″, and meant to be cut on the fold, for a total length of 19.5″. To get that down to 18″ in a finished garment I’d have to sew with a three-quarter inch seam allowance. I know there was an errata issued for the first paper version of the pattern but that was corrected for the PDF. Is the size 6m portion of the pattern piece all on one sheet?

[goldsud]

its the pdf download, the front skirt panel is one page besides for a bit of length, the back panel and waistband are two pages. i only bought it a few weeks ago on the 4th sep.

the waistband piece does measure 9 3/4″, i’ve just remeasured the finished skirt all the way round (as apposed to flat and doubling it) and it is just under 18 1/2″, which makes sense as i was just able to get it on her but she she said, “it’s way too small”.

my problem is the size guide is to fit a child with 19 1/2″ waist plus it’s supposed to be elasticated which i obviously didn’t put in yet.

[with love Heidi]

I haven’t made the skirt yet, but from your measurements something went wrong. The pattern says that the final waist/hip measurement should be 21″, so somehow it’s 2.5″ too short. I would double check the1″ grid on the pattern piece, I have had it print incorrectly after doing my first trial run print to check the square. I hope you can work it out!

[Nicole]

I do remember the smallest skirt size being very very tiny, I sized up the skirt-to-top ratio the second time I made it.

Does your sister use cloth nappies? That was my problem.

[goldsud]

it’s the waist that is 18 1/2″, the hips are wider and Sarvi’s confirmed for me that my waistband is the correct length, ive checked the squares on all the pages and when sewing everything matched up perfectly so it’s not that one pattern piece was wrong.

i didn’t think to, and didn’t expect to need to measure the pattern pieces before i started to check i would get the right size if i chose based on her measurements compared to the size guide.

she’s toilet trained, (she’s a very slim 3 year old)

i really do love these skirts and want to make them again in the future, is it small on all oliver+s skirt patterns or only this one? coz i bought the sailor one at the same time and want to make it for her but dont want to waste my time or material.

[Nicole]

I can understand your frustration

I know the tiny Sailboat trousers are a good fit, so I would assume the skirt is too

[Sarvi]

Did it sound like I was saying you should be measuring each pattern piece before you sew, every time? Sorry if it did, I’m actually just trying to troubleshoot this specific issue.

I’ve only made the size 4 of this pattern and don’t think I measured. I’ve been sewing O+S for about four years now so when my kid outgrows her clothes I just make the next size up, irrespective of which pattern I’m using. I don’t make her a 2 for one pattern and an 8 for another or anything like that. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.

Good luck!

[jay_1965vw]

The only other thing I can think of is if your fabric shrank when you were pressing the waistband. I’ve had some (usually synthetic) fabrics shrink huge amounts under the iron.

I’ve made the Sailboat skirt, and it is a little snug on my daughter, but she wears cloth nappies, so you shouldn’t have a problem.

Good luck from me too – I hope you work out what the problem was!

[goldsud]

Sarvi, not at all, it was beneficial to me to know that my pattern pieces were the right size, i guess it’s just like Nichole said and that the smallest size just runs small, though i may measure just the waistband pieces in future just to double check that it will be the size i need, i hadn’t thought to measure the pattern pieces…

jay-1965vw, good to know the sailboat skirt should fit, (i used corduroy which shouldn’t shrink so don’t think it’s that)

now that i can assume it wasn’t me but just this size of this pattern i look forward to making more oliver+s patterns.

thanks everyone for all you’re help

[Nicole]

You are most welcome

[Sarvi]

Glad you’re feeling more confident! The patterns really are so darling, and there can be so many different kinds of looks. Have a peep at the flickr pool if you haven’t already — one tip: you can search within the group for the name of a specific pattern, and you can not only see how your ideas might look (“What if I did a dark bodice and light skirt? Wonder if anybody’s made it in wool/linen/silk/denim?”) but also people will often include helpful notes (“I made a size 3 with 4 inches added length for my tall, slim 7 year old”).

[Liesl Gibson]

Hi all! Thanks for your responses to this! I should say that this particular skirt does run small. It’s a very slim-fitting skirt, so even if your child is measuring small you probably shouldn’t size down very much. The elastic at the back waist will cinch up any extra width, and smaller kids will want the extra room for movement anyway. Those little bellies and all.

But this discussion reminds me of something that I’ve been meaning to emphasize to you anyway: I would suggest not sizing down TOO much from the age of the child. While S technically measures a size 4 or 5 through the chest, waist, and hips (super skinny kid), I still sew her a size 7 or 8 because her height is closer to a 10. If you size down TOO much you’ll lose the proportion of the style. The dresses and tops will be too short through the armhole, and that’s not much fun to adjust. Plus, ease isn’t always a bad thing, especially when it comes to kids’ clothes. They need a little room to move, so it’s usually better to choose a size that will allow a little extra room if you’re unsure.

I hope that helps!

[goldsud]

I guess i was worried it would be too big as i had just had a marathon skirt sewing day and had made her 4 other skirts, mostly upsizes of what i had made for her previously only to find out they were all too big as she has grown taller but slimmed down, loosing an inch and a half from her waist 😉 so thanks for that info.

if it helps anyone else, what i did with this skirt when lengthening (after messing up on an a-line for myself that ended up more like a straight skirt so when lengthening an a-line in particular) was to grade from the size i was making to a larger size starting at the hips until the hem so that the silhouette should have the right look.

[Nan]

I’m late to this discussion but have just made the Sunday Zbrunch outfit for my grandaughter’s first birthday. Jacket fits well and looks lovely but we couldn’t get the skirt over her disposable nappy. I made the 12-18mths size and am thinking of making another skirt 2 sizes up, and possibly adding a button placket at the centre back for ease of putting on. Any other suggestions?