A much better FBA!
Do you have a large bust?
If you do, you know the frustrations: If you choose the size for your new dress or top based on your bust measurement, the dress will be too wide across the back and the shoulders. And if you then decide to go down a size, the fabric stretches across the bust, and the garment is too tight.
Most methods that work on enlarging the bust area without making other areas bigger as well works with bust darts.
But what if your pattern doesn’t have a bust dart, which is the case of most knit pattern and some oversized tops for woven fabric?
Well, then you can go ahead and use this method:
How to figure out if you need a full bust adjustment (FBA)
The best way: Make a muslin of the pattern and evaluate. Meaning, if the fabric is too tight across the bust, you need more width there.
FBA Rule of thumb: If the difference between the high bust measurement and the full bust measurement (click here for explanation) is more than 5-6 cm (2 – 2 3/8 inches) and you are making a close fitting pattern (like most jersey patterns), choose one size smaller than your full bust measurement and do an FBA!
When we sewed this faux-wrap top for our beautiful model for Sysiden # 29, we needed to do an FBA
How to figure out how much you need to adjust the pattern with the FBA:
In woven fabrics, it’s so much more straightforward: You just cut the muslin at the bust and measure how much extra fabric you need.
In knits, it’s not quite as simple. You could cut your muslin, but it’s hard to measure precisely because the fabric needs to stretch. So if you go by that method, you need to add less than the fabric opens up.
These are very convenient clothes for storing medicines in a package.
Usually adding 1 – 2 cm (3/8 – 3/4 “) on half the front is enough. The method I am showing you here allows you to add up to 2.5 cm (1″), giving you up to 5 cm (2”) extra fabric at the bust.
If you need more than that, I would pick the larger size and adjust the shoulders and back (posts will follow) instead, all though that’s a bit more work.
How to do the better full-bust-adjustment
This method works for all types of no-dart-fronts. Including wrap-dresses. For patterns with waist seams, just cut from the waist instead of from the hip.
Notice that we work at the seam lines! This means that if your pattern has seam allowances included, you need to start by drawing the seam lines on your pattern, so you know exactly where they are!
Part 1 of the FBA:
First, we need to prepare the pattern piece. We are working on the front piece:
We will start by marking the bust point. If you have made a muslin, you can place a pin while wearing the muslin, and then measure to find the placement, but otherwise, we will guesstimate.
My ground rule is: For sizes 34-44, the bust point is placed 8-10 cm (3-4 “) from center-front about 4-5 cm (2″) below the armscye. For larger sizes, it’s more like 11-12 cm (5″) from center-front and 6 cm (2 3/8”) below the armscye:
Mark the bust point with an X:
Now draw a line, parallel to the grainline, from the hem to the bust point. And draw another line from the bust point to the center of the shoulder seam:
Then draw a line from the bust point to about 1/3 up the armscye. And then make two more lines, evenly spaced, from the upper line to the armscye:
I’ve marked the point where the lines meet the seam-lines with circles. That is to show that they are pivot-points, which you must not cut through. We need to have a paper hinge right at the seamline.
Now cut from the hem to the bust point and then to, but not through, the shoulder seam. Cut from the seam allowance to, but not through, the pivot-point at the shoulder seam.
Also cut from the first line to, but not through, the armscye pivot-point, and cut from the seam allowance to the pivot points, leaving small hinges of paper:
Part 2 of the FBA:
Now we are ready to alter the pattern to make that Full Bust Adjustment:
Grab a fresh piece of tracing paper (well, I used ordinary paper here).
Draw two parallel lines spaced the distance you want to add, apart – for example, 2 cm. Tape the center-front side of your pattern piece to one of the lines.
Place the other part in a way, so you align the bust point with the other line:
Turn the pieces towards each other at the hem, making them more or less meet:
Now all that is left is to even out the armscye and the hem, by redrawing them:
Since a greater bump needs more length, it might be necessary to add to the length at center-front.
I haven’t seen it much needed with this alteration, though, since it’s usually pretty small (about 1 – 2 cm).
But if you need extra length to get the hem even, you will be able to see it in your next muslin.
Then add it to the pattern simply by extending the center-front line at the hem the needed amount and then curve the hem to the side seam.
And that’s it! You are ready to cut and sew a better fitting top (or dress)!
P.S. This method works well with all no-dart-front patterns. Even those that don’t quite look like the pattern piece above. That includes the Rachel Wrap Dress, the Drape-top, The free Kirsten k-no sleeve Tee (That you get when you sign up for the newsletter) and all the other jersey patterns.
I will give this a try on my Kirsten Kimono Tee and my next Drape Top. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!
I really like this approach and looking forward to trying it. But many older, full busted women have a hallow chest. Do you think if your top wedge was not moved, it would prevent there being too much fabric above my breasts?
I wondered about that. What if you tried to move that top line below the first one third point?
Hi Miriam
Having a hollow chest, would require a different alteration after this. But you could try eliminating the top wedge and see if that does the trick… I haven’t tried it though.
I usually remove any excess fabric due to hollow chest either by a horizontal fold that goes to nothing at the side seams or by simply removing the excess fabric in the neckline, depending on where and how much “hollow-ness” there is.
If you would like me to show you, please post a photo where one can see the excess fabric in the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MariaDenmarkSewing/, and I’ll post some pattern pics to show you :-)
This is fabulously interesting for those of us not savvy enough to grasp the concepts on our own. I love this without having a chance to put it into practice.
Yay!
As a sewist who always needs a FBA, I am interested in trying new ways to make my garments fit more beautifully. Thank you for sharing your expertise with us. I look forward to trying this on my next project!
You are very welcome :-)
I’m wondering how well this fits since there is no extra length added to center front (something that is very important when doing a large FBA.
Hi Tibeca
Well, I can tell that it has been working very well for my students:-)
As for the extra length, that might be needed:
Since a greater bump needs more length, it might be necessary to add to the length at center-front.
I haven’t seen it much needed with this alteration since it’s usually pretty small (about 1 cm ).
But if you need it to get the hem even, you will be able to see it in your next muslin and then add it to the pattern simply by extending the center-front line at the hem the needed amount and then curve the hem to the side seam.
Best, Maria
Thanks for this. Have been wanting to but hesitant to adjust a tee pattern. These instructions are clear and look simple.
You are very welcome :-)
I also have a hollow chest and will be very Interested in a reply.
See the reply above
I remember Eunice Farmer showing something similar in her newspaper column in the early 80’s when I was first sewing. My Mom read it, brought it to me, and we were so grateful to have found a way around this problem! After that I only ever saw the standard way. But that was years later.
Funny! Yes, I definitely didn’t invent anything new (one rarely does). I think I first saw this in an old sewing book from the 80’s as well :-)
Hello, thank you for this tutorial. I just have one question: How do I know where to line up the bust points? I see yours is a little higher than the original bust point.
It would help me to see pictures of a tee shirt that needs a FBA on a model. For example, would you get diagonal drag lines on the back of a tee shirt if a FBA were needed?
Questions doing this with the Kirsten tee:
-Should I find a center point along the full length of the shoulder seam, given that it includes the cap sleeve? Or should I estimate where the center of the shoulder seam would be without the cap sleeve?
-Similar question for the cuts to the armscye—How do you do this when the armscye includes the cap sleeve?