Good afternoon, dear ones! Today, we at the Curvy Sewing Collective are kicking off a new long term series: The Beginner’s Guides. From comment trails and e-mails, we’ve learned that many in our community are newbie seamstresses or women returning to the craft, after a long sabbatical. To that end, we thought a curvy-specific series on beginning sewing and fitting techniques would be a great addition to the site. Every other week, one of the editors will be back with a post that is specifically targeted at curvy beginners. These tutorials and resource posts will be detailed, image heavy, and give you all the secrets that sewing books gloss over!
First up in this series, I’m going to talk about the dreaded Full Bust Adjustment. Did a chill just skitter up your back? That’s to be expected. During my first year of sewing, I avoided this technique like the plague! I’d add width to side seams, perform mind-bending grading feats, and do unspeakable things to seam allowances, just to prevent taking scissors to my pattern piece. Unfortunately, none of those fixes worked very well. Bodices still pulled and armscyes continued to gape. When I finally bit the bullet and learned to do a proper FBA, I was amazed. Not only did I produce garments that suddenly fit, but the adjustment itself was so much easier than I’d feared! Today, I’ll walk you through my own FBA process and answer any questions you may have about fitting a bodice to your curves. This is going to be a long post, so grab a cup of tea, a snack, and let’s start adjusting!
First off, who needs an FBA? It’s going to depend on the pattern you’re using, but most Big 4 patterns are drafted using a B-cup bodice and it’s rare that Indies are drafted larger than C-cups. If your bra size falls outside this range, then an FBA is for you! Even if your measurements are exactly identical to those on the pattern envelope, chances are weird fitting issues will crop up with a large cup size. It’s astounding the number of these issues a good FBA can fix, from floppy shoulders to gaping button bands. Today, we’re going to walk through the most basic of FBAs, for a two-dart bodice, but virtually every pattern design can be adapted for large cup sizes.
Before we start the adjustments, however, let’s pick a pattern size. For the purposes of this tutorial, I used McCall’s 6696, which is a classic two-dart shirtdress pattern with multiple cup sizes. All of the Big 4 pattern companies have introduced pattern lines with multiple cup sizes, which is great because it does a lot of the FBA work for us! This particular pattern goes up to a D cup, which means I still need some room to accommodate my ample 36E bosom.
This pattern goes up to a size 24, or bust measurement of 46 inches (47 for the D-cup piece). It’s tempting to look at a pattern size chart and pick based on your usual bust measurement, but that way danger lies. If I made a size 24, it would be a gaping mess everywhere but my girls! Instead, the best method is to choose a bodice based on your high bust measurement.
In a well-fitting bra, measure yourself all the way around the very top of your bust line, under your arms and over the beginning of your décolletage. That’s your high bust! Now, measure around the fullest part of your bust line. Tada! That’s–surprise, surprise–your full bust.
If you’re a large cupped woman, these two numbers will be pretty different. My own measurements are a high bust of 41 inches and a full bust of 46 inches, which lines up with my 36E bra size. Above, I’ve marked my own high bust and full bust, in a side profile picture. See how different those two parts of my bust are? If I pick a size with my high bust measurement, I’m between the size 18 and size 20 bodice, rather than our original size 24. Since my shoulders are wider than average and my waist is a solid size 20, that’s the size I usually choose to perform an FBA on.
Note: You may have to grade between sizes at the waist and hip, depending on your proportions and measurements. It’s not rare at all to need a size 20 bodice with an FBA, then a size 24 elsewhere. Women, no matter what fashion tells us, are not a standardized shape. That’s why we sew, right? The important thing here is getting the right size upper bodice base for your shoulders and upper chest. You can easily grade out to other sizes, for your waist and hips.
Now, let’s adjust!
Preparations:
To get started we’re going to need a few materials.
-
Your pattern! Instead of using the original tissue pattern, I highly recommend tracing your pattern onto a more durable type of paper. We’re going to be slashing and spreading this baby, after all. Tissue paper is just too flimsy to handle that workmanship! Besides, if you end up wanting to change the fit, it’s nice to not have irrevocably messed up the original bodice. Personally, I use Swedish Tracing Paper, which is not only easy to trace on, but sewable for quick fitting checks.
- A clear ruler!
- Pattern weights! I use large metal washers, which are both weighty and have slim profiles that make cutting around them a breeze.
- A sharpie or pen!
- Scissors!
- Tape!
When you trace off your pattern, be sure to transfer all pattern markings, especially your horizontal lengthen/shorten line and the pattern’s bust apex. We’ll be using both of those markings to make our cuts in the pattern.
Step One:
The goal of an FBA is to add fullness to your pattern piece, without sacrificing the fit at your shoulders and waist. To do that, we’re going to draw a few lines on our pattern, then cut them to specific points, so that the piece only gets larger where we want! Are you ready? Grab that sharpie, my dear. (Note: Because my own markings were faint for teaching purposes, I will be showing you this process with bright computerized lines, to make it easier for us all!)
First off, draw a straight line through the middle of your waist dart (that one on the bottom) up to the pattern’s shoulder, through the bust apex point. Above, you’ll see my black bust apex and this first line in bold, bright red.
Step Two:
Now, draw Line #2 from your bust point out to your armscye, about 1/3 of the way down from the shoulder. (Show above in bright blue.) The reason we only go 1/3 of the way down the armscye is to prevent over-distortion of our armhole, which would give us too much blousing on the side.
Step Three:
Next up, we’re going to draw a line through our side bust dart to the bust apex. There are two main types of side bust darts you’ll encounter: those positioned horizontally to an apex and those which angle up. For both types of dart, we draw Line #3 from the middle dart edge, through the dart tip, over to the bust point. If you’re working with a horizontal dart, this will be a perfectly straight line. How easy! If you have an angled dart, as I do, there will be a hinge in your line like my purple one above.
Step Four:
The final line we’re going to draw is an easy one. From your center front, draw a straight horizontal line to Line #1, just above where your waist dart ends. I’ve done this in black above!
Woohoo! All your FBA lines are drawn! Not so hard, right? Now, onto the fun cutting parts…
Step Five:
For our first cut, we’re going to go up through Line #1 to the bust point, then pivot right there and continue along Line # 2 to your armscye. At the end of Line #2, stop cutting just before the line ends, leaving a small bit of line left intact (about 1/8 inch). We don’t want to cut our pattern piece in two, just make it mobile enough that we can spread it out a bit. Leaving this little bit left gives us a “hinge,” to move the bodice around.
Step Six:
For our next cut, we’re going to cut along Line #3, starting at the dart side and stopping again just before the bust apex, leaving another hinge. See how you can now spread your bodice pieces out quite a bit? The step below shows our new pattern piece, complete with hinges and cuts!
Brief Interlude of Math
Now that your pattern piece is all hinged, we can add in the fullness needed to compensate for our full bust measurement. How much extra room do you need, however? There are a few ways to determine how much extra fullness you need, but I go with the simplest version. How much difference is between your Full Bust and the stated Bust measurement on the pattern size? Since I’m using a Size 20, D-cup pattern piece, there is a two inch difference between my measurements and those of the pattern size. (Stated measurement: 44 inches; My full bust: 46 inches) That means I need to add an extra two inches to the bodice pattern! Easy, right?
Since a bodice pattern piece is only half of a full bodice, however, this means I’m making a 1-inch FBA.
2 extra inches needed ÷ 2 bodice halves = 1 inch FBA
(Extra Room Needed ÷ 2 Bodice Halves = FBA width)
Now, let’s start spreading!
Step Seven:
The extra fullness we’re adding in gets directly added to Line #1, the bright red one that went up from our waist dart. To do this, secure the center front of your pattern piece, then spread your hinged lower bodice down and to the left. Being careful to keep the slash along Line #1 straight, spread your pattern piece out until there is one inch* separating the split Line #1.
See how your dart and armscye have also moved to accommodate your new Line #1? That’s exactly what we want. Now, make sure every part is laying flat and your split Line #1 is still straight, with an inch separating it all the way down, then put pattern weights all over the place!
*Use the measurement you got from our Math Interlude. If you’re doing a 2-inch FBA, spread it 2 inches, and so forth.
Step Eight:
Now that your pattern piece is slashed and spread, it’s time to make our final cut. You know Line #4? Cut clean through it, from the Center Front all the way to the red line, as demonstrated in black above.
Step Eight:
Move that little bodice piece down, until your horizontal lengthen/shorten line is once again even. Secure with a pattern weight!
Step Nine:
Very carefully put scrap paper underneath all the holes on your pattern, without shifting it around. (Hooray pattern weights!) Tape this scrap paper down. At each dart, leave extra paper past the pattern’s end. We’re going to redraw these darts next and will need the extra room!
Step Ten:
Are you excited about redrawing darts? We’re so close to the end. First off, however, we need to mark your bust apex on the new pattern piece. To do this, hold the piece up to yourself and mark the fullest point of your bust on the pattern piece. I’ve marked my own in blue in the image below.
Now, there are some standard rules with darts that nobody tells you. You definitely don’t want these puppies going all the way to your bust apex. That’s how dreadful, pointy hideousness happens! The standard rule of thumb is to position the dart tips one inch away from your bust apex. For curvy women, however, this rule doesn’t always hold true. If you have a large bosom, your actual bust apex takes up more room, after all. Over time, you will find what works best for you, but for large busts, I like the dart tips to be two inches from the apex instead.
To mark these, measure two inches to the left of your bust apex, then mark that dot for your side bust dart. Then, measure two inches below your bust apex, and mark that dart for your waist dart. I’ve marked these dots in purple in the above image.
You have new dart ends! Woohoo!
Step Eleven:
It’s now time to redraw your side bust dart! To do this, use your ruler and draw two straight lines from the original dart ends, to your new dart tip. I’ve done this in purple above. Completely ignore the original dart legs. You’re blazing your own path and don’t need to follow those! Just go straight to your personal dart tip.
Step Twelve:
Repeat the same process for your waist dart. Beginning at your original dart ends, draw two straight lines up to your new dart tip. Once again, completely ignore that you’re not following the original dart legs. Those don’t matter for your needs.
Step Thirteen:
We’re so close to the end! We just need to get rid of all that extra paper.
To do this, fold your new dart legs together, as I have done above on the side bust dart. Once you’ve folded them together, cut across the end of your pattern piece, noted in black in the above image. Voila! A complete dart is formed! Repeat this process for your second dart.
Step Fourteen:
Finally, trim that extra paper along your armscye!
Step Fifteen:
You’re done! Do a happy dance!
Then, make a muslin of your new bodice and see how you like the fit.
There are, of course, more advanced FBA techniques to cover, but this is a good basic process. You will be amazed by what a simple FBA can do to fix fitting woes! After completing this exact FBA, I ended up with the perfectly fitted bodice of my latest shirtdress above. It’s so worth the effort, don’t you think?
Over the next few months, we’ll also address how to lower or raise a pattern’s bust apex, how to split up unwieldy darts, and plenty of other bodice fitting techniques for beginners. If there’s anything else you’d like to see in our Beginner’s series, just leave a note in the comments below! We’ll find someone to cover any topic you desire!
Hi’ I habe just found this Website via Pinterest and I am SO pleased. This is the first tutorial in FBA that has made me feel “I can do this”. I would love to wear more dresses but have always been defeated by my G-cups… I think I’ll clear my dining table and make a start. No time like the present… Oh yes, I will definitely be registering for this Website so I can follow your adventures in sewing. 🙂 Once again, my thanks. If I manage to make that dress I will send you a picture 🙂
Thank you for the tutorial. I have one question. We adjust the front bodice piece, but the back piece can remain un-altered? Thanks!
to me if the front bodice got lengthened the back would also have to be lengthened because now the seams are not going to match up. Correct?
If you followed this tutorial, the side seams haven’t been lengthened on the front, only the center placard (button) area has been lengthened when you cut on line four and lowered it. The side looks longer, but the bust dart is bigger so the side seam actually stays exactly the same length as it was when you finish making the dart.
The lengths of side seam and shoulder seam are unchanged, so it doesn’t affect the back – unless there is some weird sort of construction, of course. 🙂
Hi, I’ve just discovered FBA after lots of sweat, tears and ruined fabric, thank you so much. I’ve just finished my muslin and still have gaping at the armholes and neck. I would really appreciate some help. Deborah
Hi , great tutorial. I hope it not too late to add another question? I am 5’11 so need to add 2.5″ length into patterns and the pattern I want to use only goes up to a size 20 and I need a 24. Am I right in assuming I scale the pattern to the desired size, do the fba and then add the length .
That’s the order I would suggest. It might be worth figuring out where exactly you need the length – I’m also tall (5’10.5″) and I add it at the hem because I don’t need any more length in the bodice, but you may need some of that extra length in the bodice or over the hips.
Hi there! I’m a curvy girl myself, and I have a full bust myself. I’m looking to purchase a vintage dress for my wedding and thought maybe you could give me some advice. The dress has darts on the bust, and I was hoping to be able to let the bust out. How can I let out the bodice without damaging the dress?
Tia
BV
What happens if your apex is significantly lower than the pattern apex? In your example, the dart barely moves vertically. If I were to connect dart legs to my apex, I end up with a dart that points downwards towards the apex instead of the original which is nearly horizontal. I worried this will be an issue.
Hi Wickets – you’re right, you probably don’t want the dart pointing down – a horizontal line or dart pointing up creates a better optical illusion (“lifting” everything rather than dragging it down), and you may get problems with weird pulling of the dart. I think you’d want to lower where the dart legs start as well, either to a horizontal position or slightly lower than your apex (for a french dart).
When you do that, you’ll need to make sure to true up the edge of the pattern (create the dart fold in the paper and draw a line or cut across it, so you get that weird little triangle off the side). This will also give you an idea of whether the dart is in a good place with relation to the grainline.
Thanks! So you are recommending just rotating the dart, for clarity? Thanks again, I’m excited to try this out. 🙂
Yes exactly! You could probably do the ol’ “create a hinge and rotate” but I think I would just draw it in, making sure to keep the legs the same distance apart.
This is genius! For years I couldn’t get anything to fit and thought I was shapeless and horrible. Anything that fitted my boobs swam on my shoulders. With a 4″ fba it is perfect! Thank you! X
Hi there,
I’m hoping that someone can help me. I want to do a FBA on a two piece sweetheart bodice, that has no darts and does not have straps.
Where do I start? Do the same rules apply as for a 2 or 1 darted bodice with a armscye?
Hi Michelle – does it have princess seams or any kind of shaping?
Yes, it has the princess seams in front with the sweat heart neck line….
Thank you! This makes a lot of sense and I’ll be trying it soon. A question, though — if I needed to grade up to a larger waist size than the size for my high bust, would I do that grading first and then the fba? I don’t have my table measure nearby, but I believe my HB is 40, and 45/39/…something, haha. (Obviously I’d measure again before sewing).
Tape, not table. I don’t know what a table measure is, haha. Can you tell it’s 3:30am?
Hi Brittany – actually, doing an FBA automatically adds width to the waist (when you spread the pieces it adds width through the whole piece), so you should do the FBA first and see if that’s already added what you need – usually it works for me. Then, you can always do a large waist adjustment.
Okay, that makes sense. Thank you! I’m so glad I found this website!
Hi girls,
We all agree this is a wonderful tutorial on FBAs on a generic bodice.
I, however, have to say that understanding where my apex is with respect to the pattern was a great breakthrough!! This is the basis to set where the darts point on the bodice and how to go about doing the FBA.
I started doing FBAs and then realized that in some patterns my bust dart was just too high above my bust…
I think I could do a tutorial on this!
What do you think?
Hi there, this is a great tutorial! I have one question though. What if the pattern only has under bust darts, or shoulder darts? How do you know how to adjust the pattern based on where the darts are? Also what if there are gathers instead of a dart? Would you have to switch the gathers to a dart first?
Thank you!
From what I understand, you can use this method with any dart type. Just draw your third line through your dart. So if your bodice has french darts, draw your third line through there instead of through the side seam. There’s some very good tutorials on this if you google, also check out dart rotation.
Thank-you so much. As an ‘advanced beginner’ I’ve made a couple of things for my children but hesitated to attempt anything for myself as my 32J bust is so far away from any standard pattern. I realise that I may need to do a bit more adjusting given my shape, but it’s a great starting place and so clearly explained and photographed.
Such a clear and concise tutorial, Mary!
I just wanted to say a massive big thank you. This is the best ever FBA I have ever seen and I now understand what and why you draw the lines and then spread, I’m on holidays in Portugal at the moment but when I get home to Sydney in November I can’t wait to try this out. Your my sewing fairy xxx I so look forward to reading the updates and news on the site it is so helpful to beginner sewers
This is beautifully written and illustrated; I know I will bookmark for future use.
Here’s a footnote — FBA’s are critical for both woven and knit fabrics. Many sewists think that it is not important to do an FBA on, for example, a jersey knit because of the stretch factor. If you see drag lines across the front or — equally important — if your dress/top hikes up around the waistline in the front — a FBA is essential, whether the garment is constructed of woven or a knit.
Agreed, darts are needed in knits for curvy girls!! My sewing project this summer has been to find a basic knit top pattern and tweek it uniquely to me. It’s been a LOT harder than it sounds. What do you say ladies? How about a knit top lesson, a basic that we could use to design from?
Thank you for taking the time to post this great tutorial.
I appreciate reading the CSC editors responses in the comments section.
This website is like a dream coming true. THANK YOU.
One more vote for the full belly and bottom tutorial.
wow. thank you so much! this makes a world worth more sense then the stuff i’ve been reading. 🙂
How do you handle a pattern which has a side dart, but no waist dart? After a major gaposis issue with a sleeveless dress, I have decided I really need to bite the bullet and try this. I have been thinking about a sorbetto top, and with my $1.50 rummage sale yardage in hand, am ready to go for it. Thanks, I am sewing again after a 40 year hiatus and am so grateful for the internet and sites like this.
I too have this problem with my current pattern. Does anyone else know if there is a general measurement we can use?
I haven’t tried this, so it’s a theory. I would add a dart.
Since you don’t have a dart for reference at the beginning, mark a line from the bust apex straight down, and use that as the cutting line. When it’s time to adjust the darts, the width you spread the pieces becomes the width of the new darts; just draw the lines out to the point where the dart should end, just like in the tutorial. Every other part of the tutorial would stay the same.
I’m confused. My measurements are: 43 Bust and 40 High Bust but take a 40″ dd bra. Why do you take a 36″ E?
Hello, Jan! Bra sizes are measured by our underbusts and have no correspondence to our high bust measurements. The cup size is what’s important in my bra measurement, not the whole number. My rib cage is relatively small, compared with my bust and hips, which is why mine is so far off from my high bust. I hope that clears things up!
Right! So basically you go inwards and I go straight down to put it simply. I guess you have a defined waist and I don’t!
Thanks
This is brilliantly done. Now I’m going to go home and do one on an Elisalex bodice. Now to figure out how this translates to sleeveless bodices. 🙂
So, I attempted a FBA on my Sorbetto, but somehow I thought I messed it up because opening the pattern up the inch didn’t open the dart a corresponding inch. I ended up closing that dart and opening a new French dart instead… I now have a well fitting top I call Sorbet that I want to make about 6 more of. I’m glad that I did it right the first time, but also glad to have attempted a dart rotation.
You’re my bodice hero! I’m pretty familiar with the FBA technique and have successfully used it on the Colette Sorbetto vest top, but when it comes to sleeved dress bodices everything seems to go disgustingly wrong. These are the most detailed instructions I’ve ever found so I’m inspired to try again! Thank you x
love this! wish I had had it months ago LOL!
My girls are nonexistant, but I sew for ladies with big girls so I’ve spent some quality time here. This is the best presentation of a FBA I’ve seen, and linkage will happen.
I think the issue for a lot of folks is that the ventral (body center) line isn’t well measured. That is, the bust point from the side is good, but from point to point, it’s off (particularily shoulder to shoulder). When I make a sloper for a client, I do a full bodice adjustment ON them. Often wearing their favorite shirt is a good place to start. There are usually multiple points where either posture or weight (rounded shoulders and a tendency to cave forward to minimize the bust are common) throws off the bestest FBA ever.
All this said, it’s the place to start. I think getting a sewing friend to help is the best. Start fitting from the bust point and work up and out.
And when you get to the shoulders, give ShelleyB a look.
http://newvintagelady.blogspot.com/2011/07/stout-alteration-tricks-pick-sleeve.html
By far the best tutorial I have ever read! I think I might actually comprehend the whole process and not be terrified. I am so thankful for this new curvy group. It has given me a new healthy and happy outlook on my sewing once again. I am enjoying creating not only beautiful things but things that fit. Thank you once again for the fantastic tutorial!
Nice visual explanation.
I’ve pinned this to try.
I have been trying to build up the sewing strength to do my first FBA as judging by the saggy bodice disasters I have in my wake, I am in desperate need of the technique. I have smallish shoulders and have ended up with gapes, overly wide shoulders, pooling fabric and enough extra width in the back to add an extra me. I have clearly chosen the wrong size, based on my ample full bust, and get a nice fit at the apex, and enough extra fabric to clothe a small country everywhere else.
Thanks so much for the excellent tutorial – I hope I am a simple shape to accommodate and won’t need any fancy tricks!
Sooo many thanks for any advice on sewing for short curvy girls!! I’ve been making shapeless, poor fitting garments for so long, simply because I had given up on trying to figure out the adjustments needed.
Would you consider a couple of lessons on sewing knit tops for us short curvies? Whether I make one with an FBA/dart or not, I usually end up with lots of excess fabric under the arms, and folds/pleats pointing toward the breast. Help!!
Have you tried any of SBCC’s patterns? They’re drafted for petites and have sizes from XXS-3XL, with the plus size range drafted for a larger cup size. They have a freebie t-shirt download.
You can also try the “Y” bust FBA. It is in the Palmer Pletsch fitting book. It lessens the dart size somewhat. One gal in my fitting workshop used a size 16 pattern (HBM). But she was a E cup size. She always did the “Y” shaped FBA.
Wow, Mary, this is honestly the best FBA tutorial I have ever seen! I will definitely be using it on my next project. Before now I have muddled together directions from a few tutorials with mediocre results. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Thank you for your straightforward and detailed instructions!
I’m so happy that it made sense to you, Dana! Let me know how your try at this method works out. It rarely lets me down!
Just like Hedda I discovered this standard FBA does not work for me. It took me a while to figure out why. In her Craftsy fit class Joi Mahon explains how you could draw a circle around the bust apex and divide it in four quadrants. Some women need extra width in the upper bust, while others have longer under bust curves. I don’t need much extra width between the side seam and the bust apex, instead I have to add extra inches in the apex to apex section, which as you can see in the pictures is not affected by a standard FBA. Maybe this sounds confusing for beginners, but it’s awful to do an FBA where all numbers add up fine and your bodice still does not fit!
My girls are wide and low so this may work for me Marianne. I’d like to learn more about this method.
Oh, and my upper chest is kinda flat so adding more room above the bust doesn’t work very well for me either. Obviously, I’m a mess and need lots o f help. Lol
You could start by taking as many measurements in the bust area as you can think of. Vertically you can measure shoulder to apex, apex to under bust, under bust to waist. Horizontally you measure side seam to apex and apex-apex. Comparing your measures to the flat pattern will give you an indication of where you need more length or width. I highly recommend the Craftsy Fast track fitting class (not affiliated).
Thank you so much Marianne!. I’ll have to check out the Craftsy class.
This is a really great point, Marianne, and one of the more advanced FBA methods I was thinking of, when writing this. Thank you for bringing it up! I’ve always had really great luck with the standard method, but every body is different and there are definitely fitting solutions for all of us. I’ve never personally done this method, but we’ll try to track down an FBA expert who has, for a future tutorial.
You posted a great tutorial and I’m sure it will work for a lot of people! And for those beginners who think it isn’t working: don’t despair. Keep calm and measure!
That green shirtdress is gorgeous, and a perfect example of the value of a good FBA!
I just have an issue with measuring that I´ve never seen addressed anywhere. I use a DD-E cup bra so I pretty much always need an FBA, but the difference between my full bust and high bust measurements aren´t all that different. We´re talking less than an inch. It has something to do with the shape or “distribution” of my breast tissue. It sits very high up, so to speak, making it impossible to take a proper high bust measurement with a straight measuring tape. The difference is much bigger between full bust and underbust, about 7 inches.
Does anyone else have this issue, and how do you decide which size to start from?
Hello, Hedda! Marianne, just above, has a similar fitting issue and there are definitely ways to solve it. The one I’ve seen involves splitting the areas around the apex into quadrants and doing a similar slash-and-spread method in the areas that you need. I’ve seen tutorials for this in fitting books, but not online. I’ll see if I can track down instructions for you!
Hedda,
You may find Nancy Zieman’s method for picking starting bodice size to be more accurate, since it’s based on bone structure and doesn’t have breast tissue getting in the way. NZ Method This is the method I used when I was first sewing/altering and even with weight gain/loss over the years, my starting size remains the same. One caveat, though, NZ’s method is based on Big 3/4/5 sizing, so choosing an indie pattern size may require a little more experimentation. But if you use the NZ method and find your Big 3/4/5 size, then you can use those corresponding envelope measurements and transfer them to an indie size chart which will give you a more accurate starting point than just guessing your best. 🙂
* * * * *
Also, when measuring the high bust as in this CSC tutorial, remember to pull the tape as snug as possible so you’re measuring bone structure not “fluff.” If you have very full/round bewbs, esp. when wearing a bra as I do (otherwise they are sadly vertical hahahaha), take your bra OFF for this measurement and let gravity pull the tissue downward so it’s out of the way of the measuring tape.
Thank you so much for your input Mary, Debbie and Marianne. Much appreciated! The internet is a wonderful place for sewing geeks 😉
Thanks for this great tutorial. I have the same problem, and this is the first time Ive really understood the process. Will definitely try it.
Thanks, Cindy! I’m so glad it helped you with the process. Good luck with your FBA!
Question. What if your pattern doesn’t indicate where the bust apex is? What is the best way to determine where it is? Should you measure in an inch from each dart point?
Btw, the only answer I’ve ever read about determining where the apex is on a pattern was to hold it up to your chest and mark it. Well, since my apex is so much lower than normal, this doesn’t work too well for me. Not to mention, it doesn’t make much sense to me either. lol.
Good morning, Sharon! If the pattern’s bust apex isn’t marked, the easiest thing to do is draw two intersecting straight lines from the tips of each dart. (The bust dart’s line toward the CF, the waist dart’s toward your shoulder, just like our Lines 1 and 3.) If the pattern is properly drafted, the point at which they cross is the pattern’s bust apex. The only caveat here is when you’re working with a pattern that has multiple waist darts or other seaming details–when that’s the case, the bust dart should line up in a sensible way with one of the darts (usually the closest to the center front), but not all of them.
Thank you Mary! All the tips here have been so helpful and I look forward to trying them out.
Thanks for this! I was coming to ask the same question, after reading your excellent tutorial.
Love these directions! I really needed the info on how far away from the apex to Stop, I hate pointy boobs 🙂
What if you don’t *want* a dart? I know you can add a dart, but what about just not having one?
Oh, and I learned the hard way that if you rip the Swedish tracing paper, you can fix the hinge with tape…
Good morning, Chris! It took me forever to come across the information about where to stop my darts. It’s so rare that people actually give out a number, even though pattern makers do use a standard. It’s been so helpful in the battle against Madonna boobs!
Also, you can take a dart out if you like. That just involves doing a similar slashing method to what we’ve done here through the side bust dart, but when you make Line #3, you actually close those dart legs up, then fill in elsewhere on the pattern with paper. That being said, woven shirts without a dart normally don’t fit very well, if you have a large bust. I made the April Rhodes Staple Dress, which many petite sewers love, but it didn’t look quite right on me. (http://www.idlefancy.com/2014/06/perfect-pattern-parcel-3-april-rhodes.html) The bust fit, but there was so, so much room on the side seam! The only time I do away with darts out of choice is when switching a pattern from a woven to a knit, since the stretch accommodates for the lack of shaping.
Here is an excellent guide to dart elimination, from a historical costumer: http://www.modehistorique.com/research/eliminating_darts.pdf
One question: How much is too much? Is a FBA adjustment of 5″ (high bust 48″, full bust 58″) reasonable or will I start to mess with the shaping of the bodice, fabric grainlines, etc?
Hi Aleeah, it’s usually recommended not to have a dart that’s more than about 3 inches wide. If you have that, there are some options – you can change that dart into two smaller darts, you could convert the whole thing to princess seams, or you could see if a larger size to start with might help. That said, I’m going to ask my special “extra big FBA” friend and will try to get an answer for you!
Thank you! I thought I had heard there was a rule of size for too large darts. And any assistance your friend could give would be great! I am so thrilled someone answered me. Good job, ladies.
Good morning, Aleeah! I echo what Jenny said, when it comes to a limit for darts. Honestly, I’ve worked with darts larger than 3 inches before, but when you start edging above 4 inches, they do begin to warp and distort things. However, splitting things among multiple darts is an excellent method to deal with a large FBA, like the on you might need. I just came across a thread on Artisan Square that has some really great images and explanations on how to achieve this: http://artisanssquare.com/sg/index.php?topic=18444.0
However, there are less standard ways to perform an FBA that also might be better options for you. Above, Marianne references a good one she learned in Joi Mahon’s Craftsy class about fitting, which I’ve also seen in a sewing book or two. I’m currently trying to find a good, free tutorial of this method to post in this comment trail. I’ll keep you posted! There is definitely a method out there that will work for you, whether it’s dart splitting or an FBA variant.
Oh! There is also this fantastic patternmaking resource from the 1940s that has been posted online and goes in depth into dart formation, splitting, and rotation. You may find this very helpful, just in terms of giving you many options for darts and their placement: http://wayback.archive.org/web/20100110110927/http://vintagesewing.info/1940s/42-mpd/mpd-01.html
I’ll study those links and keep my eyes and mind open for some outside-of-the-box solutions. I honestly have never had the guts to use a pattern as small as the 48″ high bust. I always go larger and I guess that may be what I need to keep doing.
Even though I so don’t need an FBA, this is a good tutorial.
For me my FBA is a full butt adjustment and a FGA a full gut adjustment.
I am a typical pear shape, so any tutorials for this shape would be good. How widen things through the hips, best way to shorten/lengthen patterns and how to true them up.. Even a small bust adjustment. Not all of us are big up there.
I have just discovered this site and I love it.. Keep up the good work.
Thank you so much for the suggestion, Stephanie! We’ll definitely line up some future tutorials that deal specifically with pear shape adjustments, including an SBA. One of our own editors is a curvy pear shape and does an excellent job of fitting, so she’ll be a great resource!
Thank you for the most well-written instructions for an FBA that I have ever seen! And your green dress is amazing as well as inspiring. Must break out the patterns and fabric stash now.
Thank you so much, Aleeah! I’m glad that you liked it! Also, I hope that the resources we posted in the thread above will be helpful. Keep me posted on how your FBA perfecting goes.
This is one of the best FBA tutorials I’ve seen. And I’d never heard that tip before about where to make the armscye cut, although it makes total sense. (I’d always been told to make the cut about 1/3 of the way from the side seam, and I always get the funky-shaped armscye.) I’m trying your way the next time that I do this.
Thank you so much, Michelle! I hope the armscye tip works as well for you as it does me. I took a few fitting lessons from an expert professional seamstress and that was one of those tips that floored me with its helpfulness.
Wonderful tutorial. I have to make an FBA on every pattern. It’s a bother, but what a difference it makes. You have some slightly different instructions than I’ve used before, so I will try them out next time. Your green dress looks smashing.
Thanks so much, Jeanne Marie! Keep me posted on how this FBA version works for you. I did a few different variants of this method, before taking a few classes with a seamstress and settling on this one. There are so many different ways that this adjustment can be made, though, that I always feel like I’m finding new information to help me perfect the fit!
What a fabulous explanation. Can’t wait to try it! Thank you
Thank you! Good luck!
This is probably the best FBA tutorial I’ve come across – wonderfully clear, thank you! x
This is one of the best FBA tutorials I’ve seen, thank you so much! It makes LOADS more sense to me to make the armscye cut where yours is, thus avoiding the weirdly-shaped underarm seams I’ve ended up with in the past (probably due to the instructions I’ve followed being for people who need to make much less of an adjustment than I do)! I’ve been putting off making a shirt from a fab vintage pattern because of doing the FBA, now I’m going to dive in with your tute to hand.
Thanks so much for the tutorial! I really want to start sewing for myself and this is really helpful.
Mary, that was amazingly clear, well written, and with great photos. I’m sure its going to be very helpful to lots of ladies! You have certainly set the bar high! Sadly, I definitely don’t have the need for an FBA, which does seem to be the most common type of adjustment covered on all the curvy sewing blogs (and for good reason, lots of people do need it).
I actually have the opposite problem, and I’m only now getting a small handle on how to deal with it. Most of the time, when I make up a new pattern, I have huge amounts of excess fabric between the waist and neckline and lots of gaping. I am somewhere between and apple and pear shape, so typically I just grade between sizes (for example, I cut a pattern last night as 16 in the bust and 18 in the waist and hips), but this almost never solves the excess fabric problem. I am short-waisted, but I don’t typically end up with excess fabric in the back bodice, so a petite adjustment won’t necessarily solve my problem. I have recently been using the “hollow-chest” adjustment and taking a large wedge (we’re talking up to 2-3 inches here) out of the front bodice above or across the chest, and have found some success with that. It reduces gaping and brings the shoulder seams back squarely on my actual shoulders. After reading the intro about when a FBA is needed, I’m actually wondering if I need a SBA. This never occurred to me, seeing as I wear a C cup bra! I recently read on the BHL blog that you may need an FBA if your HB-FB>2 inches and you may need a SBA if it is <1. I think I'm going to experiment with that this weekend.
ANYWAYS, this is the long way of saying, does anyone else have this problem of excess fabric in the chest area and what do you do about it? I feel like this is probably a problem that is exacerbated by being a curvy sewist, since it seems that as pattern companies grade up, they account for more depth and width at the bust, which not all of us need. If someone could address this in a tutorial, that would be great! If no one else has this problem, maybe I will study up and be able to put some information together to share.
What is your high bust measurement? You may be choosing too big on top. My HBM is 37 and my FBM is 42. I cut a size 14 or 16 pattern. I get the fit thru the shoulders/neck that I need and do a FBA. The Palmer Pletsch fitting book has some good info on many body types. It is my main reference. But it is a little outdated, however the basic info is pretty sound.
Thanks for the response, mimi. This whole conversation has inspired me to re take some measurements. I had read all over the internet “use your high bust measurement, not full bust” but I never really understood how to do that (practically speaking) until I read through all the good info here. My hight bust is 44 and my full bust is 46. I’m still pondering what that might mean in terms of fitting, because what I have read (on the internet, i really need to get some books) indicates that that 2 inch difference is average and probably what most pattern companies draft for. So do i cut for the 44 inch bust and do no adjustment? Or do I cut for 44 and do a small FBA? Or just cut for 46? I’m sure its all going to be a bunch of trial and error (which is why I mostly sew knits!).
Oh! This makes so much more sense! I’m mostly self taught, and I’ve never really understood how a full bust adjustment works in sewing, as opposed to knitting. Thank you so much for your clear and easy to figure directions!
that was a great tutorial, thank you! now… who’s going to cover a Full Butt Adjustment? =)
Thank you for this article! I usually just sew bags and home decor, but want so much to learn to sew my
clothes. My lastest ‘shirt’ from easy mcalls was a disaster as I picked the size from my true bust measurement. It didn’t help that I used a stretchy wrinkle type material I. Even though I was proud of
how the collar turned out, it is in my scrap pile as I could fit 2 of me in it and I do not need to see that much of my underarms and neither does anyone else! I look forward to more of your guides and maybe
at some point, I can make a shirt/blouse that fits on someone who never had a waist, but who would love
a nice tailored fit!
Fabulous tutorial! Very clear and easy to understand. Thanks!
Fabulous! And there was one step that I realized I’ve been doing wrong all along…!
If you want to do an FBA on a top that *doesn’t* have a dart, I’ve written at tutorial for that on Cashmerette here:
http://www.cashmerette.com/2014/04/do-full-bust-adjustment-and-add-dart-on.html