Today will be the first post in a 2 part series on doing full bust adjustments on patterns without any darts. For the first post, we will be covering a quick and dirty method that works well for more forgiving pattern designs and stretchy knits. It is called the 'pivot and slide' method.
Works best for: A small Full Bust Adjustment, not a large one (learn the difference below)
Pros: Easy, simple, fast
Cons: Does not add length in the front (those with large busts may need extra length so the fabric doesn't lift up in the front)
For the Blackwood Cardigan, this simple method works well. Because the pattern is designed to be open in the front and fall down the sides of the body, a small FBA works well and it is OK for most people that no length is added in the front.
You can grab your copy of the Blackwood Cardigan here.
Do you need a full bust adjustment? The first thing we need to do is measure our high bust and our full bust. To measure the high bust, place the tape around your back, under your armpits, and across your chest ABOVE your breasts. To get your full bust, measure your bust across the fullest part of your chest.
Next, find the bust measurement of the pattern you are working with. Choose your size based on your high bust measurement and do the following calculation:
Your full bust measurement minus the pattern bust measurement.
If the difference between the two measurements is 1-2”, you may want to try this full bust adjustment (FBA). If the difference is more than 2”, you may want to skip this quick method and try a full-on FBA. That said, given that we are working with knits and this pattern is designed to be open at the front, this method may work for larger busts too. It really does involve some experimenting for the individual.
Let’s get started on our quick ‘cheater’ FBA!
You will need a large piece of paper to trace your new pattern piece onto. Lay your original pattern piece on top and then follow the instructions below.
1. Trace all the way around your pattern piece.
2. Divide the difference in the bust measurements by 2. Measure that amount out from the bottom of the armscye and make a mark. For example, if I have a difference of 3” between my full bust and pattern full bust, I divide that by 2 to get 1.5” and measure 1.5” out.
3. Holding the corner of the pattern in place, pivot the pattern piece out to meet the mark.
4. Draw a new armscye curve.
5. Holding the pattern piece in place again, pivot the pattern back again to the bottom corner meets the original traced lines.
6. Draw a new side seam.
7. Lift up your pattern piece and see your new added ‘wedge’. This will give you more room at the bust. Cut out your new pattern piece. Don’t forget to add in the notches!
Do I need to do any adjustments to any other pieces? No! That is another bonus of this quick and dirty method. The length of the armscye has not changed drastically enough to warrant adjusting the sleeve and back side seam. Remember, this adjustment works best for small FBA’s on, so if you need to add a lot of extra room for the girls, try the full-on FBA method for a bodice without any darts.
I hope this post on doing a ‘cheater’ FBA has been helpful! Let me know if you have tried this before or any other tips you have for making this method work for you!
