How to… Do a bust adjustment on a darted bodice
Full bust and small bust adjustments (FBAs and SBAs) can be the saving grace for many fit issues.
Bust adjustments add or remove volume on a fitted garment at the bust so you can achieve a perfect fit. Find out how full bust adjustments work and if you might need one in HERE.
Most commercial dressmaking patterns include 5cm of volume at the bust. My Handmade Wardrobe Patterns include 7.5cm of volume at the bust. We chose to create our patterns with more volume at the bust because this is close to the UK average meaning fewer people will need to do a bust adjustment when using our patterns - hooray!
A full bust adjustment is helpful if you find you have a difference between your high bust and full bust measurements of over 8cm.
A small bust adjustment is useful if the difference between your high bust and full bust is less than 6cm.
Check here to find out how to tell if you need a bust adjustment and
I’ll share my tried and tested method for creating an FBA on a darted garment…
How to do a Full or Small Bust Adjustment
On the front bodice draw 3 lines:
From the armhole (notch) to the apex
From the side seam through the centre of the bust dart to the apex
From the waist vertically through the centre of the waist dart if there is one, and parallel to the centre front. if there is no dart, draw a line vertically down form the apex to the waist/hemline.
Cut up the line from the waist/hem, pivoting at the apex then continuing to the armhole leaving a hinge attached at the armhole.
Cut through the bust dart toward the apex, leaving a hinge just before the apex.
Keeping the centre front static (tape it in place), pull the lower side section downwards to open up the pattern to increase or decrease the front vertical opening.
Take your FBA/SBA amount (the difference between your high bust measurement and your full bust measurement, subtract the volume already in the pattern (7.5cm)), half this final amount and open up or close at the waist dart/ vertical cut line, keeping the opening edges at the cutting line parallel. Tape in place.
Cut through the front section horizontally from the centre front to the apex and move the lower waist piece down or up, to align the waistline to match the side waist piece at the hem.
If your pattern has a waist dart, this adjustment will not increase the waist measurement, it will just create a bigger dart.
If there is no dart, it will add some width to the waist/hem. You may be happy with this increase for comfort but if you prefer a closer fit or if creating a bodice which needs to be attached to a skirt and therefore needs to be the same size, remove the amount added at the waist vertical cutting line from the side seam (as shown as a red line in the diagram below).
Find out how to do a bust adjustment on a Princess seamed bodice…
… With our step by step guide
