#Fit# Bust Adjustments on a Darted Bodice

Written by Eléonore

Let’s talk about bust adjustments today! Our patterns are drafted for a C cup, but if your bust is larger or smaller, don’t panic: here’s how to adjust your pattern.

These tutorials will allow you to adapt the bodice of the Myosotis dress, but they’ll also work for any pattern with a two-dart bodice, such as the Bruyère shirt or the Belladone dress.

First of all, you’ll need to determine if you need a bust adjustment, and if so how much you need to add or remove! To do so, you’ll need to do a muslin of the garment, as the adjustment value will depend of the garment type (close-fitting, oversized…), your body type, and your preferences in terms of ease.

Bust adjustments are not always needed! Some patterns with a loose fit will work for a wide variety of body types without the need for modifications. Depending of your personal style, you might just want to size up.

Your muslin has to fit properly through the shoulders, which means that the armhole seam must hit the edge of your shoulder, and not fall down your arm. Similarly, it shouldn’t ride up on the shoulder and hinder arm movements.

  • If your muslin feels too tight at the bust and you notice horizontal drag lines, you’ll need a full bust adjustment. Slash the bodice vertically on a few centimeters at the bust apex, on each breast, and measure the gap that forms naturally, which will give you your adjustment value.
  • If your muslin bags at the bust, you’ll need a small bust adjustment. Pinch and pin the fabric excess on each breast until you get to a fit that you like: the amount of fabric pinned is the value to remove.

Full Bust Adjustment (FBA)

FBA2

1/ On the front of the bodice, draw a line joining the point of the waist dart to the center of its legs. Do the same for the bust dart. The intersection of these two lines corresponds to the bust apex.

FBA3

2/ Draw a line joining the bust apex to the armhole (you can use the armhole notch as a reference point). Slash the bodice along the waist dart line up to the armhole, leaving a pivot point at the top, then along the bust dart line, leaving a pivot point at the bust apex.

FBA4

3/ Pivot the outer part of the bodice to the left, using the armhole edge as a pivot point, until you reach the desired enlargement at the bust apex.

FBA5

4/ Pivot the lower left part of the bodice to the right, so that its right edge becomes parallel to the left edge of the inside part of the bodice (and to the the straight-grain arrow).

FBA6

5/ Slash the inside part of the bodice perpendicularly to the straight grain, below the bust apex.

FBA7

6/ Shift the lower right part down, so that the ends of both legs of the waist dart are level.

FBA8

7/ Take a new sheet of pattern paper and trace the edges of the bodice, as well as the legs of the darts. Draw lines for the center of the darts again to determine the new bust apex (cf. step 1).

FBA9

8/ Draw the new bust darts. The end of each dart should be 3cm (1 1/8”) away from the bust apex. Join the point of each dart to the legs that you have traced.

FBA10

Your full bust adjustment is done!


Small Bust Adjustment (SBA)

FBA2

1/ On the front of the bodice, draw a line linking the point of the waist dart to the center of its legs. Do the same for the bust dart. The intersection of these two lines corresponds to the bust apex.

FBA3

2/ Draw a line joining the bust apex to the armhole (you can use the armhole notch as a reference point). Slash the bodice along the waist dart line up to the armhole, leaving a pivot point at the top, then along the bust dart line, leaving a pivot point at the bust apex.

SBA4

3/ Pivot the outer part of the bodice to the right, using the armhole edge as a pivot point, until you reach the desired overlap at the bust apex.

SBA5

4/ Pivot the lower left part of the bodice to the left, so that its right edge becomes parallel to the left edge of the inside part of the bodice (and to the the straight-grain arrow).

SBA6

5/ Slash the inside part of the bodice perpendicularly to the straight grain, below the bust apex.

SBA7

6/ Shift the lower right part up, so that the ends of both legs of the waist dart are level.

SBA8

7/ Take a new sheet of pattern paper and trace the edges of the bodice, as well as the legs of the darts. Draw lines for the center of the darts again to determine the new bust apex (cf. step 1).

SBA9

8/ Draw the new bust darts. The end of each dart should be 3cm (1 1/8”) away from the bust apex. Join the point of each dart to the legs that you have traced.

SBA10

Your small bust adjustment is done!

We hope this tutorial has been helpful to you. Enjoy your perfectly fitted bodice!

Related posts

Related Posts

Camille | April 26 2017
Camille | October 16 2023
#Narcisse# Reviewers and Teste...Back#Narcisse# Grading between siz...