Large abdomen (stomach) is one of the main problems with plus size children, overweight children and obese children. A large abdomen will cause skirts and pants to be too short in front and cause skirts to ride up in the front.
To correct the store bought (commercial) pattern, draw a horizontal line across the fullest part of the abdomen on the pattern. Cut the line, beginning at the center front and cut to within 1/2″ from the side seam. Separate the pieces the necessary amount and tape in place, as indicated. Redraw the center front line, as indicated with dashed lines, from the bottom to the top, keeping the original line straight. This correction will make the waist larger so you will have to make the “fullness” into a small amount of gathers, which would give a little extra fullness for the large tummy.
For more in depth information about altering patterns for overweight children, plus size children and obese children, check out our book “Altering Store Bought Patterns for Hard To Fit Children”. This book contains 70 pages and covers the alteration process for every garment you’d want to make for boys and girls, including large abdomens, large hips and derriere, larger than normal chest, adjusting the crotch length and much more. Each alteration process has step by step instructions and diagrams.
If you’d like to try your hand at making your own patterns for overweight children, plus size children and obese children, we have classes available for both boys and girls! Simply take the measurements of the one you want to sew for and follow our step by step instructions on how to make dozens and dozens of patterns.