Betsy is the patternmaker behind Skinny Bitch, Curvy Chick Patterns (SBCC), a company making patterns for petite ladies in sizes XXS-3XL. With years of experience in the design industry, and inspired by a lack of patterns designed specifically for petite ladies, she created SBCC – because, as she says, “Sometimes it is just about the right proportions- not just making clothing shorter.”
Today Betsy is sharing a technique she uses to “fake an FBA” (full-bust adjustment) in a knit t-shirt – to get rid of those wrinkles that appear at the underarm when the knit fabric has to stretch over a big bust. If you don’t have a t-shirt pattern already to try this on, you can try the SBCC Tonic Tee for free!
How to Fake an FBA for knit tops
Is there anything worse than finishing a basic knit top only to find you are unhappy with the fit? The bigger the boobs, the bigger the fit problems. Woven blouses have darts in every available position to form and shape around your curves, but for a flat knit panel of a t-shirt, what’s a gal to do?
One of the great things about knit fabric is that it is the equivalent of Play-Doh. You can shape it, mold it and stretch it to do what you want. T-shirts are super fast to whip up and if you find that you have excess fabric pooling under the armholes just remove the side seam stitches and follow the steps below to improve the fit.
Has anyone tried something like this before?
I did something similar when making T Shirts a few years back – it’s a technique from ‘Kwik Sew: Swim & Action Wear’ by Kerstin Martensson. Kerstin uses it for Swuimsuits, but it works just as well for T Sirts. I can’t remember the exact details but you added extra length to the front in the boob area and gathered/eased it to fit the back. There is a limit to how much room you can add this way as you will end up with gathers in the sideseam just under the armpit – but unless you go around with your arms in the air people are not likey to notice!
I love this, how clever, had never really thought about it before but plan to do this on my next knit top!
Thanks, interesting post. I have sort of done a cut front longer and stretch back to fit FBA (after bodging my first ever attempt at a FBA) so I can understand the principle. My only concern with the method is the “just remove the side stitches” part. I have real trouble unpicking knit seams without getting holes in fabric! Although I suppose it might be easier on a shop bought one that’s been overlocked.
This is where the really nice seam ripper comes in handy. Usually one side’s stitches are looser than the other. And sometimes, you just have to open the seam up and unpick them right down the middle.
My problem is altering nonseamed tshirts. And you know, this does not end well.
Non seamed t shirts would be tricky. Shop bought seams are easier to unpick but the stretch stitch on my machine is a nightmare to fiddle with.
This is super clever. It also occurs to me that if one were busty but in that way where the bottom part is far too big, while the side seams were unpicked a quick reshaping could be easily achieved. I avoid T-Shirts because I just hate the shapes on me, but now I my reconsider!
I basically use this method to avoid having darts in my t-shirts (when I overcome my laziness and do a real FBA). I never thought about using it retroactively to get rid of those folds, though!
BTW–for those who aren’t familiar with SBCC patterns, Betsy has a really nicely drafted t-shirt pattern available for free on her site!
Wow, this is fantastic, the girls thank you. Funny how I have become used to seeing those wrinkles across my boobs and underarm in purchased T’s though. When I don’t see them I tend to think the T shirt is too big!!
I think there is a typo in the tutorial. I understand the concept, but if you lower the back notch and raise the back hem, you are making the back pattern piece shorter between the hem and the notch, not between the notch and the armpit where the diagram says you will need to stretch to fit. Are you actually supposed to raise the back notch, or am I missing something?
It makes no difference. If you match the tension of the fabric back up to the waist, then all the fullness will be in the front waist to arm section. I think the notch thing is to get an idea of how much one can afford to cut off the back. Although the back will need rehemming so allowing for a hem would help.
Yes, you’re right. I was trying to work it out. Easier to see from the diagram. The trouble is, I’m tall and can’t usually afford to take any length off, but a slightly shorter top is a small price to pay for a better fit.
This reminds me a lot of how Stanley Hostek talked to a group of us about tailoring and adapting pieces between front and back to curve around the shoulder. Basically the same principle just on a larger scale. I was just thinking about doing an FBA on some T-shirts. I’m also going to do an FBA on my XYT top using Melissa’s methods here (http://www.fehrtrade.com/article/875/common-xyt-workout-top-bra-adjustments) I’ll have to try the technique you list here Sophie-Lee. Thanks!
I just decided to leave out the bralet part of the XYT top – I tried it once with both layers of powernet and couldn’t get it on (well, I JUST managed to get it on. But I almost had to cut myself out of it). Then tried again with just one layer and it pulled the neckline so much I decided I’d just wear a sports bra.
Sounds just like the effort it took to get in and out of my rental wetsuit for surfing lessons. Geesh. Then try putting on a slim fitting sports bra while wet. Oh girl, I can SO relate.
That is so cool! I have never come across that tip before, thank you!!
Kathyh, you are right. Ottobre magazine does this on all of their t shirt patterns. Actually so does Loes Hinse in her patterns. She calls it her “boob bubble. Works very well for me. That is probably why my 2 favorite knit top patterns of all time are the sweater set from Loes Hinse, and a Ottobre T shirt.
In which magazine is the Ottobre T-shirt you’re talking about?
Lois Hinse has a lot of this sort of smartitude in her patterns. Off topic example:the pull-on elastic waist skirt has darts in the back, and the waistband is finished about two inches smaller than the hip, because nobody pulls the skirt straight up over their hips. And my butt and my mompouch are not at the same level, so even though I have to measure to cover them both, I don’t have to use that number for the waistband. Works for pants, too (looks down). Yup. got em on right now.
More than a year ago I finally got my Renfrew T-Shirt pattern to fit the way I like with a vertical only FBA. I add the length in the top and stretch the back between the under arm and notch to fit. It works like a trick! I use Communing with Fabric’s Method: http://communingwithfabric.blogspot.com/2013/03/vertical-only-fba.html
Interesting! When I look at the before picture I don’t see a long back hem but a short front. Which makes sense, because the front goes over the curves and therefore needs extra length. When I’m doing a cheater FBA I usually add two cm to the front and ease it in at the side seams. Could it be that Betsy’s method only works for petites?
You can’t add length to an existing garment, the only option is to shorten it in order to gain the extra ease in the front.
True! But since t-shirts are so easy to whip up I think it’s worthwhile to regard your first one as a muslin and make the changes you need to your pattern as well. For beginner knit sewists it may be useful to know there’s also a method for dealing with these wrinkles by adding length to the front.
Not exactly. Ottobre’s basic tshirt is constructed this way with a slight gathering on the front (4″?) to match the back length. The gathering allows for a bust.
Because it’s a knit, the little gathers don’t show as gathers.
Years ago Sandra Betzina’s show had something similar. She added a curve between the armhole and the notch, so you eased the curve, not stretch it. I’ll try this tip and compare the two, thanks!
Please let me know how it works out. Do you have any links to Sandra’s method?
I have the shows on VHS tapes hahahaha! Very old fashioned I know. The basic technique is also described in this Threads link (figure 4)
http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3742/not-your-ordinary-t-shirt/page/all
You rock. thanks!
I even add French darts to my t-shirts to get a better fit. Will have to try this and see if it works. Thank you for the post.
Ohh, LOL! and a bonk on the head! Thank you so much ;D
Sorry Sheila, I should have included that in the post! I’ll edit to include it.
I know I’m going to bonk myself on the head when you answer my question but what what does FBA mean?
Full bust alteration/adjustment