Another Long Distance Fitting Challenge

I've started another Christmas project: an outfit for our grandson. He's a cute blue-eyed blonde boy, just 3 1/2 years old, and very lean in build. Patterns just don't work straight out of the paper envelope for him. I have to alter them before I start to allow for his lean frame, so I email my daughter-in-law with a list of measurements I'd like to have. She's a Physical Therapist and understands what I'm looking for.

I asked for these measurements: circumferences of chest, waist, hips, neck, wrist, and upper arm. Also the length from side waist to bottom of ankle, length from bump at back of bottom center neck to wrist over a slightly bent arm, back shoulder width from shoulder to shoulder across the back. I know that he's not overly tall just yet so I think I've got enough length in the pant and jacket patterns. Knowing what measurements to ask for depends on what is going to be sewn. I'm going to make a lined, loosely fitted hooded jacket, long pants with pockets and a long sleeved shirt that buttons down the front. Even though the jacket pattern has an off-the-shoulder sleeve seam I still needed the total length from the back of the neck to the wrist. The jacket sleeve is turned back to expose a contrasting fabric so it is "adjustable" somewhat in length. All of the circumference measurements will apply, and the side waist to ankle one is critical to get the correct pant length. If I was making, say, a girls dress with an Empire waistline (one right under the bust) I would need that circumference measurement for sure. Smaller children's patterns are usually fairly simple and obvious in measurement requirements. The larger sizes, and of course adult garments, are more involved.

The fabric is beautiful cotton baby-wale corduroy and a cotton print of cute monkeys (appropriate for an active little boy) in white, brown, blue and camel that I purchased from Chadwick Heirlooms in Richmond, VA. The jacket will be lined with the monkey fabric. The jacket pattern is Casey from Children's Corner. It runs a little large so I measured it and decided the Size 2 would work best. But the off-the-shoulder seam meant I had to line up the jacket front and sleeve pattern to get the center back neck to wrist measurement. Here's what that looks like:

You can see I've matched the seam lines, not the cutting lines.

Next I measured from the fold line of the sleeve bottom to the center back neckline. The measurement will work, especially since the bottom of the sleeves just folds up (or down).

The pants and shirt pattern are Simplicity 4760. I measured the pants, shirt sleeve and front and back of the shirt. I had to fold up the tissue pattern pieces to make them short enough. Here is a photo of the pants. I folded the tissue along the adjustment line that's across the leg, then measured the length minus the seams (5/8"), then subtracted the hem depth to get my final measurement. I did the same with the sleeves and the front and back of the shirt.

                                                       Then it was time to sew, and sew fast to get these all done.  Here's the completed outfit, perfect for a cute little boy who loves his sock monkey and cowboy boots!