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Leena's Pattern Drafting Lesson:
Drafting Patterns For Children's Pants
 Metric
conversion table
This lesson instructs you to draft baby basic pants patterns.
With babies I mean children from 0 to approximately 2 years of age i.e.
the children who use diapers (napkins). At the end of the instructions
I give instructions of what are the differences when drafting pants for
children from 3 to 14 years. The pattern drafting method used is the Scandinavian
one but it has been slightly modified.
Measuring
To draft patterns for children's pants, you have to take
the measurements listed in the table below. To keep the pictures clear
and readable the measurements are given only in centimeters. You can change
centimeters to inches using formula 1 cm = 0.4 inches.
Adding ease
The subject would not be able to wear the pants if the
patterns were drafted exactly to his/hers body measurements. Therefore
you have to add ease to some of the measurements.
ADD EASE TO THE WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE: 2 cm
ADD EASE TO THE HIP CIRCUMFERENCE: 4 cm
ADD EASE TO THE CROTCH HEIGHT: 2 cm (for diaper, napkin)
Do not add any ease to other measurements.
Write down the measurements in the table below
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Body measurement
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Body measurement + ease
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WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE
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*
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+ 2 cm=
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HIP CIRCUMFERENCE
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*
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+ 4 cm=
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Crotch height
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*
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+ 2 cm=
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OUTSIDE SEAM LENGTH = side seam from waist to floor
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*
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CUFF CIRCUMFERENCE
The desired finished leg circumference at cuff
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*
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Crotch height is measured in the following way. Let the
child sit on a bench or a table and measure vertically from his/her waist
to the bench/table at the side. Crotch height can also be measured from
a pair of old, well fitting pants, crotch height is the difference between
the outside and the inside seam of the pants.
All measurements are body measurements. DO NOT ADD ANY
EASE when measuring. It is added later in the calculations.
Default measurements for children
It is not an easy task to measure a children or a baby.
Therefore I give here the Scandinavian table measurements for the children.
You can use these or measure your child yourself.
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Child's height,
cm
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Waist
circ
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Hip
circ
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Crotch
height
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Knee
circ
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Cuff
circ
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BABIES, 0-2 YEARS, HEIGHT 62-98 CM
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62
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48
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53
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16.5
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26
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68
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49
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54
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17
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26
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74
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50
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55
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17.5
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26
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80
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51
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56
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18
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26
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86
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52
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57
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18.5
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27
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92
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53
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58
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19
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28
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98
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54
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60
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19.5
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29
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CHILDREN, 3-14 YEARS, HEIGHT 104-146 CM (girls/boys)
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104
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55
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62
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18
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35
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29/26
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110
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56
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64
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18.5
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35.5
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29.5/27
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116
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57
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66
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19
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36
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30/28
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122
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58
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68
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19.5
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36.5
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30.5/29
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128
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59/60
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70
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20
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37
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31/30
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134
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60/62
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73/72
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20.5
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37.5
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31.5/31
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140
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62/64
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76/75
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21
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38
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32
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146
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64/66
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7978
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21.5
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39
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33
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DO THE FOLLOWING CALCULATIONS:
Round the measurements up to the nearest 0.5 cm.
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Body measurement
+ ease
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Divided by 4
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Divided by 8
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Divided by 20 = x
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Waist circumference
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*
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*
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Hip circumference
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*
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*
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*
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*
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Cuff circumference
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*
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*
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Drafting the patterns
Follow the numbers in the picture. All measurements mentioned
below are with ease.
FRONT PANT
From 1 to 2 = Start by drawing a vertical line that corresponds
to the outside length of the pants.
3 = Measure down from point 1 on the waist line a distance
equal to the crotch height.
4 = Find the point equal to 1/3 crotch height up from the
crotch line
5 = Measure up from point 2 a distance of 2-3 cm.
Draw horizontal lines to the left and to the right from
point
1 = this is the waist line
3 = this is the crotch line
4 = this is the hip line
5 = this is the cuff line
6 = Measure from point 4 to the left on the hip line 1/8
hip circumference - 1.5 cm
7 = Measure from point 4 to the right on the hip line 1/8
hip circumference + 1.5cm + 2 cm
8 = Draw a vertical utility line from point 6 down to the
crotch line
9 = Draw a vertical line from point 6 up to the waist line
10 = Measure from point 9 to the right 1/4 waist circumference
+1cm (this moves the side seam 1 cm to the back) + 3cm (this is for the
waist pleat)
11= Measure from point 8 to the left on the crotch line
"x" (calculated above) + 1 cm; distance from point 8 to 11 is
the length of the front crotch curve. Draw the curve between points 6
and 11 as in the picture.
12 = Measure from point 5 to the left and to the right
1/4 cuff - 0.75 cm (the seams move 0.75 cm to the front)
Draft the front pattern according to the picture along
points 9 - 6 - 11 - 12 - 5 - 12 - 7 - 10 - 1. Curve a bit outwards between
points 7 and 10. Measure from point 1 to the right 3 cm and mark the waist
pleat here.
BACK PANT
Draft the back pattern on top of the front pattern.
13 = Measure from point 4 up "x" +2 cm (distance
between points 4 and 13 is marked in the picture with "a").
"X" is calculated above.
14= Measure from point 13 to the left "x" (distance
between points 13 and 14 is marked in the picture with "b")
15 = Trace the hip point of the back pant by drawing a
line which equals to the length of 1/4 hip circumference + 2 cm from point
14 and meets the front hip line.
 16
= The back center line from point 14 to 16 forms a right angle against
the hip line (14-15).
17 = The back waist line from point 16 to 17 forms a right
angle against the back center line (14-16). Move a triangular ruler up
the back center line to find points 16 and 17. Point 17 is on the waist
line. Distance between points 16 and 17 is 1/4 waist -1 cm (this moves
the side seams 1 cm to the back) + 2 cm (this is for the back waist dart).
18 = Measure from point 11 to the left "x" +1
cm
19 = measure from the front cuff points (12) to the left
and to the right 1.5 cm.
Draft the back pattern according to the picture along points
16 - 14 - 11 - 18 - 19 - 5 - 19 - 15 - 17. Find the point midway between
points 16 and 17 and draw a dart there. The dart is 2 cm wide and 8 cm
deep. The dart apex is on a line which forms a straight angle against
the hip line.
Draw the back grain line: it is in the same place where
it is on the front piece.
Check that all the curved lines curve smoothly.
PANTS FOR CHILDREN FROM 3 TO 14 YEARS OF AGE
Pants for children over 3 years differ from the babies'
pants because children over 3 years do not need diapers and their figure
is somewhat different compared to the figure of the babies.
The differences are mentioned here.
ADD EASE TO THE WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE: 1 cm
ADD EASE TO THE HIP CIRCUMFERENCE: 4 cm
DO NOT ADD EASE TO THE CROTCH HEIGHT
Do not add any ease to other measurements.
The measurements between the points which are different
compared with those of the babies' pants are:
FRONT:
1-9 = 1/8 waist circumference - 0.5 cm
1-10 = 1/8 waist circumference + 0.5 cm + 1 cm + 2.5 cm; raise side seam
point with 1 cm
4-7 = 1/8 hip circumference +1.5 cm + 1.5 cm
8-11 = x
BACK:
a = x - 0.5 cm
b = x + 1 cm
14-15 = 1/4 hip circumference
16-17 = 1/4 waist circumference - 1 cm + 1.5 cm; raise side seam point
with 1 cm
11-18 = x
Calculate the place of the knee to curve the legs inwards
there. Do it with help of the inside seam length of the pants. The inside
seam length is the outside seam length subtracted with the crotch height.
The place for the knee is
1/2 inside seam length + 1/10 inside seam length measured from the floor.
The width of the leg at the knee is drafted the same way
as at the cuff i.e.
- at the front the desired finished leg circumference at
the knee divided by 2 - 1.5 cm i.e. 1/4 knee circumference - 0.75 cm to
the left and to the right from the center line
- at the back the desired finished leg circumference at the knee divided
by 2 + 1.5 cm i.e. 1/4 knee circumference + 0.75 cm to the left and to
the right from the center line.
The width of the front pleat is 2.5 cm to the right from
the front center line. The width of the back dart is 1.5 cm and the depth
of the back dart is 7 cm.
Sewing instructions are also included on this web site.
To view them
click here
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