Contemporary Sewing Patterns for the Modern Maker
Knowing where to begin with a bust adjustment on a dartless pattern like Olive can be a little confusing, but not to worry, we’ve got you covered! Today’s very thorough tutorial is brought to you by Naomi our wonderful Design Assistant at Megan Nielsen Patterns, and we really hope you enjoy it! Take it away Naomi…
I’ve heard from a lot of people that they find the idea of doing a bust adjustment on princess seams horrifying. Honestly, it’s actually not that different than doing a bust adjustment on a darted bodice – but personally, i feel like you get a smoother end fit with princess seams. With the release of my new Karri dress, I knew many of you would be wondering how to tackle this adjustment, and also whether in fact you actually need one. But never fear! You can do it, i promise.
Here’s the deal. Most patterns are drafted for a B cup. I know that’s probably upsetting those of you who aren’t B cups, but the unfortunate truth is that patterns need to be drafted to some sort of base standard, and most pattern companies (like mine) draft for a B cup. What does this mean for people who aren’t B cups? Well, you’ll probably need to alter your pattern to get the right fit over your bust.
So how do you know if you need to do an FBA on your pattern? There are a couple of ways you can tackle this, but here is my easy method. You know that size chart you get on the back of your pattern envelope? If you find that your bust measurement falls in a larger size column than the rest of your body – then you’ll probably need to do an adjustment. If you’ve already made a muslin, you might notice you need to do an FBA because things just aren’t quite sitting right in that area. Some symptoms may include:
I kind of feel like the first thing i want to say is… don’t freak out! Full bust adjustments are not scary, I promise!
Something i hear over and over from people is their trepidation about pattern alterations. Especially bust adjustments – they seem so mysterious and potentially complicated. But they’re not! Please don’t worry, it’s not beyond your ability! Honest.
So, what is a full bust adjustment (FBA) ?
Here’s the deal. Most patterns are drafted on a B cup. I know that’s probably upsetting those of you who aren’t B cups, but the unfortunate truth is that patterns need to drafted in some sort of base standard. What does this mean for people who aren’t B cups? Well, you’ll probably need to alter your pattern to get the right fit over your bust.
How do you know if you need to do an FBA on your pattern?
Easy! You know that nifty size chart you get on the back of your pattern envelope? If you find that your bust measurement falls in a larger size column than the rest of your body – then you’ll probably need to do one. If you’ve already made a muslin, you might notice you need to do an FBA because things just aren’t quite right in that area. Some symptoms may include
I’ve had a lot of requests for tutorials for how to do a full bust adjustment (FBA) and small bust adjustment (SBA) for french darts like the one in my Dove Pattern, so I wanted to make sure we had a tutorial on how to do them on a french dart specifically!
The steps for doing an FBA or SBA on a French dart are very similar to a side seam bust dart, with a few extra considerations since French darts are constructed a bit differently.
So first things first – Let’s figuring how what a bust adjustment is and whether you even need one!
I’ve had a lot of requests for tutorials for doing a full bust adjustment (FBA) and small bust adjustment (SBA) for the Banksia pattern, so I wanted to make sure we had a tutorial on how to do them on this pattern, specifically.
Wait, what is a bust adjustment? Most patterns are drafted on a B cup – so if you are significantly larger or smaller than a B cup you may end up having trouble fitting patterns. You’ll probably need to alter your pattern to get the right fit over your bust. When we’re talking about reducing the bust of a pattern that’s called a small bust adjustment. When you need to add room to the bust of a pattern, thats called a full bust adjustment.
I’ll first show you how to measure and prepare for both type of adjustments, because those first few steps are the same. And then we’ll delve into FBA and then SBA.
Ok, let’s go.