What Is a Full Bust Adjustment?
Hello stitching and non-stitching friends!
As a plus size costumer, finding items, both premade and not, that fit me well and look correct is often difficult. Even if I go to buy a pattern, there's no guarantee that what I make from said pattern will fit, especially in the bust area.
So what's a girl to do? If that's the largest pattern you can find, or if you've already spent good money on it and you don't want to throw it out, how do you make a pattern fit? Simple: you alter the pattern. I know the thought of cutting into your precious pattern can be scary, it was for me the first time I did! But really, a pattern is just that: a pattern. It's made to be cut and taped and reshaped to fit you. That's why you make clothing instead of buying it, right?
A full bust adjustment, while terrifying looking, can be a huge help to the full chested costumer. And once you've done it once or twice, it really isn't that scary and you may even do one on all of your bodices.
The basic principle of the full bust adjustment is to add extra fabric in key areas. This is usually right across the fullest part of the bust, and also in the torso length so you don't inadvertently make yourself a crop top. One of the issues with adding this fabric is that you want to keep key parts of the dress where they're supposed to be, like darts and bust points. So that's why you do a full bust adjustment: it adds fabric right where it's supposed to be, but doesn't move the important fitting points.
For this, you're going to need scissors, tape (I recommend clear plastic tape), a clear ruler, a pattern, pen, and you'll need to know how many inches to add to your pattern.
To start, make a mockup of your piece to see where it doesn't fit. Alternatively,you can look at the bust measurement for your pattern size. If the pattern makes a 32 inch bust but you need a 34 inch bust, you know you'll need to add 2 inches.
Since the front pattern pieces of a bodice are usually made with one pattern piece cut twice, once for a right and left each, you only have to add one inch to the pattern piece. That way, each time you cut out the pattern you add an inch, and since you cut it out twice, you'll add two inches total.
Important note!! Whenever you make a pattern adjustment, of any kind not just full bust adjustment, be sure to make a mock-up with the adjustments! Even if you're pretty sure it worked out, it's worth the little bit of extra time and effort to be sure and not waste your beloved final cut fabric.
For this adjustment, I'm adjusting my Truly Victorian corset cover pattern. I had made another one previously, but when I changed corsets my measurements changed, so I had to make a new one with an adjustment. Again, another reason to always check your fit if you change anything.
This pattern has two front pieces, but I'm looking for the piece with the bust apex and the armhole. This would be my side front pattern. I won't need to change anything on my actual front pieces, since they'll just stitch onto the altered side fronts.
In this picture, I marked the point on the pattern where my bust apex lies. Sadly, I marked it super tiny and only realised afterwards that it didn't show up in any pictures, argh. I went ahead and made sure my grainline indicator was straight up and down, and then I carefully lined my clear plastic ruler up exactly with one of the straight lines on my self healing mat. This is very important: to make sure your full bust adjustment doesn't warp your pattern or add fabric in a diagonal strip and ruin your bodice, be sure to line up both your pattern and your cutting lines exactly straight and parallel to each other.
Again, I didn't think my pen choice through, so the lines are all in thin black ink. But I drew a line straight down from my previously bust apex point straight down through the bottom hem of the bodice. I then drew another line away from the bust apex and to the armhole. If you have a dart in the waist, make sure the line you draw straight down goes exactly through the centre of the dart.
This is a better picture of my bust apex point and the lines drawn out from it. I cut down the black lines I drew, but I didn't cut all the way to the armhole. Be sure to leave about a quarter inch of paper at the armhole so the pieces don't completely separate from each other and the piece at the armhole will act as a lever for when you add space.
I drew a third line directly left from bust apex point to the side seam. Again, if there is a dart here, be sure to go directly through the centre of the dart. I then cut almost to the bust apex point, but as you can see, I left a little bit attached at the apex point to act as a second hinge. These paper 'hinges' will help you not have twenty different pattern pieces all disconnected and scattered around your cutting table, and will also help your pattern lie flat even with the adjustments. Finally, I drew a straight line to the right of the second underneath the bust apex point. When you add the inch between the two pieces, as you can see in the picture above, it'll add some length to your hemline. To preserve your original hemline, move this small piece down to match the new hemline you'll create on the left.
To add the extra fabric, simple move the left piece down until the gap between the left and right pieces is however many inches you need to add. In my full bust adjustment, I had to add two inches, so I made the gap between my pieces an inch.You'll have to open the cut to the side seam, and also be sure to move that small piece on the bottom right down to match your new hemline.
I know this picture looks funny, but it's very easy, I promise. Here I've just cut strips of regular white printer paper and slid them under the newly created gaps in my pattern, being very careful to not move the pieces out of their new adjustment. I then went ahead and used clear plastic tape (so I can still see my pattern underneath) over all the newly cut edges and different strips of paper.
The final step of a full bust adjustment is to just cut off all the excess paper and tape. Voila! You can new enjoy your newly adjusted bodice!
Again, I do highly recommend making a muslin mock-up of your newly adjusted bodice. This will help you determine if your adjustments are all you need to make, or if it's still too big or small. And remember: you can adjust a pattern however many times you'd like or need to; it's your pattern after all!
I hope this helped. Please drop a comment down below and let me know if you've ever adjusted a pattern and how it worked out for you, or if you have any questions about how this adjustment works.
Sincerely, your friend The Victorian Alaskan
As a plus size costumer, finding items, both premade and not, that fit me well and look correct is often difficult. Even if I go to buy a pattern, there's no guarantee that what I make from said pattern will fit, especially in the bust area.
So what's a girl to do? If that's the largest pattern you can find, or if you've already spent good money on it and you don't want to throw it out, how do you make a pattern fit? Simple: you alter the pattern. I know the thought of cutting into your precious pattern can be scary, it was for me the first time I did! But really, a pattern is just that: a pattern. It's made to be cut and taped and reshaped to fit you. That's why you make clothing instead of buying it, right?
A full bust adjustment, while terrifying looking, can be a huge help to the full chested costumer. And once you've done it once or twice, it really isn't that scary and you may even do one on all of your bodices.
The basic principle of the full bust adjustment is to add extra fabric in key areas. This is usually right across the fullest part of the bust, and also in the torso length so you don't inadvertently make yourself a crop top. One of the issues with adding this fabric is that you want to keep key parts of the dress where they're supposed to be, like darts and bust points. So that's why you do a full bust adjustment: it adds fabric right where it's supposed to be, but doesn't move the important fitting points.
For this, you're going to need scissors, tape (I recommend clear plastic tape), a clear ruler, a pattern, pen, and you'll need to know how many inches to add to your pattern.
To start, make a mockup of your piece to see where it doesn't fit. Alternatively,you can look at the bust measurement for your pattern size. If the pattern makes a 32 inch bust but you need a 34 inch bust, you know you'll need to add 2 inches.
Since the front pattern pieces of a bodice are usually made with one pattern piece cut twice, once for a right and left each, you only have to add one inch to the pattern piece. That way, each time you cut out the pattern you add an inch, and since you cut it out twice, you'll add two inches total.
Important note!! Whenever you make a pattern adjustment, of any kind not just full bust adjustment, be sure to make a mock-up with the adjustments! Even if you're pretty sure it worked out, it's worth the little bit of extra time and effort to be sure and not waste your beloved final cut fabric.
For this adjustment, I'm adjusting my Truly Victorian corset cover pattern. I had made another one previously, but when I changed corsets my measurements changed, so I had to make a new one with an adjustment. Again, another reason to always check your fit if you change anything.
This pattern has two front pieces, but I'm looking for the piece with the bust apex and the armhole. This would be my side front pattern. I won't need to change anything on my actual front pieces, since they'll just stitch onto the altered side fronts.
In this picture, I marked the point on the pattern where my bust apex lies. Sadly, I marked it super tiny and only realised afterwards that it didn't show up in any pictures, argh. I went ahead and made sure my grainline indicator was straight up and down, and then I carefully lined my clear plastic ruler up exactly with one of the straight lines on my self healing mat. This is very important: to make sure your full bust adjustment doesn't warp your pattern or add fabric in a diagonal strip and ruin your bodice, be sure to line up both your pattern and your cutting lines exactly straight and parallel to each other.
Again, I didn't think my pen choice through, so the lines are all in thin black ink. But I drew a line straight down from my previously bust apex point straight down through the bottom hem of the bodice. I then drew another line away from the bust apex and to the armhole. If you have a dart in the waist, make sure the line you draw straight down goes exactly through the centre of the dart.
This is a better picture of my bust apex point and the lines drawn out from it. I cut down the black lines I drew, but I didn't cut all the way to the armhole. Be sure to leave about a quarter inch of paper at the armhole so the pieces don't completely separate from each other and the piece at the armhole will act as a lever for when you add space.
I drew a third line directly left from bust apex point to the side seam. Again, if there is a dart here, be sure to go directly through the centre of the dart. I then cut almost to the bust apex point, but as you can see, I left a little bit attached at the apex point to act as a second hinge. These paper 'hinges' will help you not have twenty different pattern pieces all disconnected and scattered around your cutting table, and will also help your pattern lie flat even with the adjustments. Finally, I drew a straight line to the right of the second underneath the bust apex point. When you add the inch between the two pieces, as you can see in the picture above, it'll add some length to your hemline. To preserve your original hemline, move this small piece down to match the new hemline you'll create on the left.
To add the extra fabric, simple move the left piece down until the gap between the left and right pieces is however many inches you need to add. In my full bust adjustment, I had to add two inches, so I made the gap between my pieces an inch.You'll have to open the cut to the side seam, and also be sure to move that small piece on the bottom right down to match your new hemline.
I know this picture looks funny, but it's very easy, I promise. Here I've just cut strips of regular white printer paper and slid them under the newly created gaps in my pattern, being very careful to not move the pieces out of their new adjustment. I then went ahead and used clear plastic tape (so I can still see my pattern underneath) over all the newly cut edges and different strips of paper.
The final step of a full bust adjustment is to just cut off all the excess paper and tape. Voila! You can new enjoy your newly adjusted bodice!
Again, I do highly recommend making a muslin mock-up of your newly adjusted bodice. This will help you determine if your adjustments are all you need to make, or if it's still too big or small. And remember: you can adjust a pattern however many times you'd like or need to; it's your pattern after all!
I hope this helped. Please drop a comment down below and let me know if you've ever adjusted a pattern and how it worked out for you, or if you have any questions about how this adjustment works.
Sincerely, your friend The Victorian Alaskan
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