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Bust adjustment
Most patterns are sized for a B-cup; if you need a different size, this technique is for you!
Most dress patterns are drafted to fit a B-cup, so many of us will need to make adjustments to our patterns to make them fit.
Firstly, let's decide if a full bust adjustment is needed by measuring your actual cup size. This may differ from the bra size you would normally wear, so you will need to take two measurements. One measurement should be taken around the fullest part of your bust whilst wearing the bra you'll be wearing with your garment – this is the 'full bust' measurement. If you usually wear a padded bra, wear this one for the measuring. The second measurement is around the body, above the bust, and under the armpits – this is the 'high bust' measurement.
If the difference between your full and high bust is 1in (2.5cm), you are an 'A' cup. If it's 2in (5cm), you're a 'B' cup; 3in (7.5cm) is a 'C' cup; 4in (10cm) a 'D' cup and so on.
Next, choose the size of your pattern to fit your high bust measurement, and so that it fits well across the shoulders, armholes and waist. (Note: These areas may also need to be adjusted in some patterns, but we're concentrating on just increasing the bust in this tutorial.) Compare your actual bust size measurement to the full bust measurement in the pattern and then note the difference. This difference is the extra bust room you need to add to your pattern. The key is to increase the fullness of the bust without affecting the armhole, shoulders or waist, so this extra room will be added through the darts that intersect with the bust area.
As your pattern will likely be only half a bodice, once you have your difference measurement, you will need to halve it, as you're adding extra room to only one half of the top.
To adjust your pattern for a fuller bust, follow the steps in this video:
To adjust your pattern for a smaller bust, follow this video:
With my pattern, the difference between the actual cup size and the pattern cup size was 2in (5cm). As we are only adjusting half a bodice, we need to halve this difference, so 1in (2.5cm). Therefore, this 1in (2.5cm) is the extra amount I will need to add to the pattern. So, if your pattern is drafted for a 'B' cup and you are a 'D', you will need to add 4in (10cm) overall to make it fit, then half it to leave you with the actual amount you need to add to the pattern – 2in (5cm). The following instructions are for a full bust adjustment, so make sure to follow the video above if you're making the bust of your pattern smaller!
If this is the first time you've made a full bust adjustment, I advise choosing an easy pattern and a forgiving fabric with a little stretch, such as jersey, if you can. Always make up a sample garment in a cheap fabric, such as calico; this means you can make any further adjustments before cutting into your final fabric.
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