Aquarium Airline Tubing & Measuring??

Who would have guessed that airline tubing for aquariums would come in really handy for helping us to measure accurately.

One of the things I see most frequently when ladies send photos for a 'fit opinion' is that the shoulder seam is too wide.  Identifying and visually marking your shoulder width is greatly enhanced by use of a couple of pieces of this flexible tubing.

Cut a piece of airline tubing about 15" long.  Set it on your shoulder, wrap it underneath your armpit and I secured the ends together with a little black connector/coupling (also sold in the aquarium store).

It's a little hard to do this yourself, maneuvering it into place and getting it to stay put. You're best off doing this with a measuring buddy.

The great thing about this tubing is that it really does give you a great visual of where you'd want your armhole seam to sit on your body.  This tubing has a tendency to slip off, so have your measuring buddy mark the top of your shoulder bone.

Then you can easily measure from neck point to shoulder bone.  Notice that I've placed a chain around Kelly's neck.  Usually a necklace or chain will ride in a comfortable place on your neck where your neck stops and the shoulder begins.

 And, if you place a piece of tubing on both shoulders, then this also gives you a visual reference for measuring your upper chest width.  If you have narrow shoulders and upper chest width going into a fuller bust, you may be needing to 'scoop' the armscye slightly for your personal body shape.

Depending on how wide you are across the back, you may need to check this width as well in comparison to what your personal pattern gives you.  This tubing provides a great visual guide.

This tubing idea was shared with all of us at the April SFD Fit & Sew Retreat by Kay W. from Georgia.  Thanks so much Kay; we all learn from one another.

There is also a video in the Sure-Fit Designs Learning Center that addresses shoulder length and how best to measure it.  In this video, I use blue painter's tape.  The concept is still the same, but I think the tubing is more accurate because it's narrower than the tape.