NewsMay2003

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NEWSLETTER May 2003:

According to government statistics, more than 1 in 7 children are overweight or obese. Considering these statistics, it is sad that the garment industry and pattern companies continue to direct their styles and sizes to the "smaller" children, leaving this whole segment of children with very little to choose from. The plus size child and those with measurements that are out of proportion, are a definite problem for the mothers, grandmothers, and those who would like to see them dressed in the same stylish clothes as the other children.

The solution for the plus size children is to have the patterns and clothing items made according to THEIR own personal measurements, therefore all garments made would be guaranteed to fit those measurements.

http://PatternsthatFitYou.com/childrenpm.htm currently has two pattern making classes available for plus size girls and will soon be offering a pattern making class for plus size boys, as well as altering commercial "store bought" patterns to fit the plus size children.

The plus size girl's pattern making classes include every garment that the girl would wear, from shorts, and slacks to blouses, dresses, skirts and even nightwear. For every garment you will be using the individual girls' measurements, so you would no longer have a problem of skirts hanging to the shoes, long sleeves hanging way past the fingertips, or necklines so big and out of proportion to the rest of the garment. Because each garment is made using HER own measurements, you will be assured that every garment will fit perfectly!

If you are in a clothing alteration or sewing business, it would be of benefit to you to think about offering "personal fit" patterns for the plus size children in your area. You could specialize in just a few items at first - shorts and tops, or skirts and tops, then add additional items from the classes to what you would like to make available.

*** Now that summer is upon us, if your chubby child has some shorts, slacks or skirts that would fit except that the waist no longer fits, you can easily make some "extenders" for the garment. To make the extenders, use some scrap fabrics in similar colors as the garment, and make 2" x 1" finished strips from doubled the doubled fabric. Put a button on one end and a button hole on the other end. The "extender" is the buttoned to the pants/shorts/skirt buttonhole and the new buttonhole is used on the original pants button, thus extending the waist a full inch. The "extenders" can also be made with hook and eye closures, so they can be used on pants/shorts, etc with the hook and eye closings.

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+++ This Month's Sponsors +++

http://PatternsThatFitYou.com - This site has much more than just a couple of children's pattern making classes. It has adult classes, such as skirts, slacks, quick and easy pattern making, altering and changing sleeves and neckline classes, as well as lingerie, craft and kids' classes.

http://RainSeed.com - Spring is also the time for planting trees, bushes and other plants. I've found a wonderful site with dozens of tropical plants, bushes and trees. I've ordered a bunch of the seeds from them, and I can't wait for my new plants to get big enough to flower or grow the tropical fruits. ================================================================

*** When letting down the hem of a growing child's garment, you can eliminate the unsightly white line by coloring over it with fabric crayons. You could also sew some kind of trim along the faded line, then add a couple of flowers to the bottom of the skirt or pants as additional decoration.

*** Never cut off a snag in a garment - you will be causing a hole to form. It's much better to use a "snag nab-it" or similar tool to pull the snag back through to the backside of the fabric.

Sarah Doyle is the author of "Sarah's Key to Pattern Drafting" and twenty five other sewing, alteration, craft and business books. She has been teaching pattern making classes for 24 years and now has gone the extra mile to make her sewing, craft and pattern making classes available online. You may visit her main website at http://SewWithSarah.com or visit the sewing, quilting, craft and pattern making site at http://PatternsThatFitYou.com

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