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Transcript:

Caroline: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Caroline: Hello, and welcome to Love to Sew. I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics.

Helen: And I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns.

Caroline: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew our own clothes and want to encourage you on your sewing journey, too.

Helen: Join us for today’s topic: Chest Fitting.

Caroline: Hi, Helen.

Helen: Hi, Caroline.

Caroline: How are you?

Helen: I’m good. But you know, I have to get something off my chest.

Caroline: Oh, you had to. What’s that, Helen?

Helen: I don’t know. I, that’s, as far as it went.

Caroline: You didn’t even have anything ready?

Helen: I should have prepared more.

Caroline: Oh my gosh. That’s hilarious. Well, we have a question from Beth, and they have something to get off their chest, so maybe we should read it.

Helen: Okay. “Hi Helen and Caroline! I am new to sewing and have been binge-ing your podcast as I dive into this awesome new hobby.”

Welcome, Beth!

“My question might be a basic one, but I’m discouraged by thread issues when I’m sewing. There are almost always tangles of thread from the bobbin when I begin or end sewing, or when I’m going over a couple layers of fabric at once. I suspect this might be a tension issue but I don’t really know how to fix this. My projects look good except for the tangle of threads that interrupt the lovely flow of even stitches. How do more experienced sewists avoid thread tangles?”

Caroline: Ooh, this is a really good question. Thank you so much for writing to us, Beth. I totally remember this being an issue for me when I was new to sewing, and it definitely does sound like it could be a tension issue. So the goal with tension is to have stitches that don’t pull through on either side; the top thread isn’t pulled through to the bottom, and the bobbin thread isn’t pulled to the top. So whenever you start a new project, or if you introduce a lot of layers, it’s always a good idea to test out the tension on some scraps of the same fabric and the same number of layers. So you can sew a line, look at the tension, adjust the tension dial, sew another line, and you should be able to see if you’re getting closer or farther away from the tension that you want. And when the tension is right, switch to your cut out garment pieces and start sewing seams.

Helen: Yes, and it’s also possible that this could be a threading issue. If your machine is incorrectly threaded or your bobbin’s incorrectly put in, it will create those awful thread nests that happen. So double check your machine’s manual to make sure that you’re doing it right. There might be a little step that you’re missing sometimes that’s causing that. There’s a really good article on Threads that we’ll link in the show notes that can help you to troubleshoot your threading. And I know you feel discouraged right now, but once you get a handle on what’s causing the thread tangles, it will be something that you will hardly think about in the future. You’ll just adjust the tension or rethread your machine and move on.

And I also want to add that if it happens at the start and end of your seam, which I think you did mention, you can mitigate this by starting or stopping further in from the edge or even using a little piece of scrap fabric to get started sewing. So rather than starting right at the edge of your fabric, maybe start a centimetre in from the edge and do your back stitch first and then go forward so that you’re not giving the needle a chance to be sewing not on any fabric because that is likely to cause tangles. There always needs to be fabric under there.

Also, I had this issue so much when I started cause I was sewing on this vintage machine and my thread tails, the little tails that come out of the needle and out of the bobbin, would get sucked up into the machine every time I started sewing. So I had to hold on to them with my hand, and it took a little while to get used to this, but I would just, like, place my fingers over top of the thread tail so that when I started sewing, they wouldn’t get sucked into the machine and cause those tangles. So you could try that as well.

And lastly, another consideration is your needle. Make sure you change it often and use the correct one from your project because if you’re using the wrong needle or if it’s really old needle that can also cause thread nests to happen. So there’s a lot going on here, but we’re confident you’re going to figure it out, Beth, and just know that it’s a very common problem for new sewists to have, so you’re not alone.

Caroline: Oh, totally. And I want to also add that the, kind of, thread nest at the beginning and end of sewing is not unique to vintage machines. My Bernina, which was a pretty pricey machine, does that. And I just got into the habit of always hanging onto those thread tails when I start sewing so that they don’t get into a knot, and it just becomes second nature, so that might just be what you need to do. But I would experiment and try to figure out the issue, Beth, and best of luck!

Helen: Alright, Caroline, are you ready?

Caroline: I’m so ready for this episode. I’m excited to talk about chests.

Helen: Yes, chests. We’ve all got them. Big chests, small chests, flat chests, low chests, sports bra chests, free boob chests, bullet bra chests, binder chests. There’s all kinds of chests, and they all deserve to be dressed. Okay. I’m done Dr. Seuss-ing for the day.

Caroline: Personally, I’m a big fan of the free boob chest.

Helen: Yeah. Free boob chest.

Caroline: Let them free. Uh, no, but in this episode, we’re going to talk about the ways that patterns accommodate different chests and busts and how to alter them to fit your personal chest.

Helen: Yes. And before we start, we just want to acknowledge that this isn’t an easy thing for many sewists. People who deal with gender dysphoria can find it difficult to deal with altering patterns. In order to do it, you have to measure your body and pay attention to its shape, which can be challenging! You will also come across a lot of educational materials that are gendered, assuming that all women have a bust and all men are flat-chested, and flat-out ignoring anyone with another gender. So in this episode, we want to offer you our support. Some men have busts, some women don’t, and everyone deserves clothes that fit and make them feel really good. We’re going to be linking to some tutorials with gender-inclusive language, and also some that aren’t in this episode. We hope that more people in the sewing community will contribute fitting information that includes everyone in the future. So that’s something to keep in mind if you’re out there creating content.

Caroline: Yes. Okay. Let’s begin by talking about bust shaping for those out there who have a bust to fit. So bust shaping is a set of pattern making techniques that add fullness to the chest of a pattern so that they can accommodate the curves of a person’s bust, and most sewing patterns drafted for women include bust shaping.

The default bust size they are drafted for is usually somewhere between an A and a D cup. This can be really frustrating for folks with no bust or with larger breasts. It’s already hard enough finding clothes that fit in stores only to find standardised sizing in sewing patterns, too! So thankfully there are some very doable adjustments that will help, and we’re going to go through those a little bit later in the episode.

Helen: Yes, and so we mentioned cup sizes, A to D cup, and a lot of people find this very confusing and for good reason. It is not a straightforward measurement. So what does cup size mean anyways? Cup size is a measurement of volume. It’s a three-dimensional thing, and that’s part of the reason why it’s not super straightforward.

Caroline: Yeah, cup size is a relative measurement. So for sewing patterns, it depends on the high bust measurement, and it’s about how much difference there is between your high bust and full bust. So a C cup for a 40 inch bust measurement is a totally different size from a C cup for a 50 inch bust measurement.

Helen: And in addition, pattern cup sizes are different from bra cup sizes. Bra cup sizes use your underbust measurement, which they call a band measurement. Pattern cup sizes tend to use the high bust measurement. It’s important to note that your pattern cut measurement may or may not be the same as your bra cup measurement. And this is a stumbling block for a lot of folks when they get into sewing because we’re so used to, well, many of us are so used to the bra measurement sizing, even though that also makes little to no sense, but you learn it, right? And then all of a sudden it’s different in this context, so that can be definitely a hurdle when you’re getting started.

Caroline: Yeah. So let’s debunk this. Let’s go over how to get your cup size measurement for sewing patterns. So you’re going to need your current accurate high bust and full bust measurements. To take your high bust measurement, you’re going to wrap your measuring tape around your torso, right under your arms before your chest starts to curve out and make sure to relax your arms down by your sides, as much as you can while holding the tape to get an accurate measurement. And then to take your full bust measurement, wrap the measuring tape around the fullest part of your bust. Again, make sure your arms are down and make sure you’re wearing the bra that you’d like to wear with the finished garment when you take this measurement.

Helen: Yeah, or don’t. Free boobs.

Caroline: Or don’t wear a bra. Exactly.

Helen: So your cup size is your full bust measurement minus your high bust measurement. A one-inch difference between those measurements is an A cup, a two-inch is a B cup and so on. So if your high bust is 50 inches and your full bust is 56, you’re a double D, which is the same as an E by the way, cause the system, again, is weird. It goes, like, A, B, C, D, double D, F. Like…

Caroline: Right. Okay.

Helen: But, but E is just like… We just don’t talk about E.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: It’s just, like, not a thing.

Caroline: Makes total sense to me.

Helen: Oh yeah. Perfect. So next you’ll want to check what cup size the pattern is designed for. Some pattern companies will list this information on their website or in the pattern, or you can email them to find out. Some patterns include high bust measurements in their measurement tables. So to find out what cup size they’ve designed for, you take the full bust measurement and the high bust measurement in a size that’s close to yours and then you can look at the difference. So if it’s a two-inch difference then that pattern is drafted for a B cup, four-inch difference drafted for a D cup.

Caroline: And for example, the Ashton Top, Helen, that’s your pattern, is designed with B cup and D cup options. So you can check out the measurement tables and find the size that matches your high bust measurement, and then look at the full bust measurement for your size. So in the example we used before, a 50-inch high bust measurement would be a size 26, and the full bust measurement for a size 26 is 54 inches in the D cup range. But since our example needs a double D cup, they may benefit from a full bust adjustment. So we’re going to cover those and other adjustments in a minute, but just keep that in mind.

Helen: So, what is the advantage of taking cup size into account when choosing your pattern size and adjustment? Why is it better than just choosing your size based on only your full bust measurement?

And the answer is in the fit of the neck, shoulders and the armscye. The armscye being the sleeve opening of the area that goes around and under your armpit. If your cup size is larger than what the pattern was designed for, you might find that the shoulders are too big, the neckhole and armscye gape, and there’s wrinkling above the bust. If your cup size is smaller than what the pattern was designed for, the shoulders might be too narrow the neckhole and armscyes might be tight.

It also affects how the rest of the garment falls below the bust, showing drag lines in different places. If your cup size is one bigger or smaller than what the pattern was designed for, it might not be a big deal, and you can make a beautiful garment without making any adjustments. We’re going to get into how to assess that.

But for those of us outside that range, adjustment to bust shaping could be the key to a nicely fitting me made garment in the end, and it’s not too hard to do, so don’t be intimidated.

Caroline: Yeah. Okay. So let’s talk about how patterns include fullness to accommodate the bust. So darts are probably the most common way to include fullness. They turn a straight piece of fabric into one with a curve or several curves. And darts can come from anywhere on a pattern bodice, up and down the side seam, the armscye, the neckline, even a centre front seam, or seam underneath the bust.

Helen: Gathers or pleats are another way to add bust shaping, and princess seams are seams that start at the front armscye, curve inward near the bust apex, and then travel vertically down the front of the bodice. That is another way to add shaping to a pattern.

Caroline: Okay. And A-line shaped bodice can give enough room for the bust without including darts, gathers, pleats, or princess seams, or it can be combined with them to be just one part of the bust shaping strategy.

So designing a pattern for stretch fabrics is another way to accommodate a bust because the fabrics can stretch over the curves. Some patterns will also have curved side seams that will help accommodate a larger bust and further bust shaping may not be needed if you’re using a stretchy fabric.

Helen: And good news: all of these elements that we’ve discussed are super customisable. We talked about a lot of these in our pattern drafting episode, actually, and how you can change a dart into gathers. You can influence how big that dart is, therefore, making that area larger. There’s so many things that you can do to change these elements around, or you can completely remove them if you don’t want any of that bust shaping.

Caroline: Yes. So, of course, not all patterns are designed to accommodate a bust. For example, almost all men’s patterns do not include bust shaping. And in this case, you can measure your chest or high bust and compare it to the size chart. And if you have a bust you need to accommodate, you can do a full bust adjustment to add bust shaping. And if not, you can sew it without adjustments.

There are way less patterns on the market for folks without a bust, but please don’t let this stop you from sewing styles you like. If you love a pattern that has bust shaping and you don’t have a bust, adjust the pattern to get rid of it. And if you love a pattern without bust shaping and you do have a bust, add it in. It’s easier said than done, but we want you to know that you can do it.

Helen: Yeah. So let’s get into these adjustments. First thing is: how do you know if you need an adjustment? Well, you can check out the measurement chart on the pattern. For pattern drafted with bust shaping, check if there is a high best measurement listed, find yours and compare the full bust measurement. If it’s off by two inches or more, you’ll probably going to want to do some kind of adjustment.

Caroline: And if you do not have a bust, you’re comparing your high chest measurement to your full chest measurement. And there may be little difference here. If there’s no high bust measurement listed, see if you can find the cup size. You can work backwards to find the high bust size. So if it’s drafted for a B cup, look at the measurement table and find the bust size that’s your high bust plus two inches, and that’s the size you’re going to want to choose. If the full bust measurement for that size is bigger than yours, you need a small bust adjustment. If it’s smaller, then you’ll need a full bust adjustment.

Helen: And you can always reach out and ask the pattern designer for high bust measurements or cup size information, or just help choosing a size. People do email me often. Here’s my measurements. Help me choose a size. Always happy to do that.

And I also recommend when you’re looking at the size chart, you want to compare that with the finished garment measurements chart as well. Um, you can measure the pattern pieces and check them against your body measurements if the chart doesn’t have what you’re looking for. Make sure to subtract the seam allowances and allow for ease if you’re measuring on the pattern pieces.

Threads has an article called “How to Measure a Pattern to Assess its Fit” that includes a table of minimum ease that you’re going to want to look for when you’re making things. After all, you want to make sure you’ll fit into the garment in the end, but compare your measurements to the pattern’s finished measurements and see if there’s any big discrepancies. If there are, then that’s where you’re going to need to make those adjustments.

Caroline: Yeah. I wouldn’t necessarily look at a finished measurement chart and see that, you know, I still fit into it and go for it without, sort of, understanding ease because you still need a little bit of ease in there to be able to move around. So even if the finished garment maybe matches your bust and you’re like, oh, I don’t have to do a full bust adjustment. You probably still will because you still have space to, kind of, move around. Your body changes as you sit and stand and reach, so you need a little bit of ease there to accommodate that movement.

Helen: Yeah, definitely. And the more you sew, the easier it will be to determine if you need to make certain adjustments to a pattern just based on the design, the style lines, and the amount of ease. So, for example, a boxier fit design might not require as much adjusting as a very fitted design, and, Caroline, I know you and I have experienced this where, you know, it’s great to do a bust adjustment cause you get an even better fit, but with a lot of boxier styles, you can, kind of, get away with not doing it because it’s just sitting on top of your body in this boxy way, so it might not fit perfectly, but it’s not as noticeable as if you were making, like, a fitted ball gown.

Caroline: Yeah. And I think different folks have different standards for how things, how you would want something to fit on your own body. So I would just say, like, you know, it’s such a personal preference thing. So if you try something on and maybe it’s not perfectly fitted to you, but you’re, like, really happy with how it looks then, like, who cares if there’s a drag line here or there, or if, you know, that doesn’t really matter. I think the most important thing is that you’re comfortable in the thing that you’re wearing. And I would keep that in mind when you’re looking at other people’s clothes, too. And, you know, maybe hold back before giving fitting advice if you don’t know that that person wants it.

Helen: Yeah, so true.

Caroline: Had to throw that in there. But it can also be really helpful to check out the hashtag for a pattern on Instagram and see what adjustments sewists have already made. You may be able to find information on the adjustments that sewists with similar bodies to yours have made. I know a while back there was a, kind of, trend in the sewing community on Instagram where you try to find your body double and, like, try to find someone who has similar measurements and maybe even similar style and you can, kind of, see what they’re sewing and making and take cues from that and see how things will fit. Obviously, that’s not a perfect way to find things that are going to fit you, but it’s, sort of, fun to get inspiration from other sewists when you’re deciding whether to make a pattern, so Instagram is a great place to do that.

Helen: Yeah, definitely. And, of course, make a muslin. This is a great way to assess the base fit of a pattern and see if you’re going to need adjustments, especially if you’re, kind of, on the fence. You can absolutely go ahead and make adjustments before sewing because all of this information you’re gleaning from these size charts and the finished garment charts and your personal experience, you can go ahead and make things like bust adjustments right off the bat.

But if you’re not sure, and if you’re new to sewing, it can be really helpful to just cut up a bed sheet, make a muslin, and just see what you’re looking at before you start trying to guess what adjustments you might need.

19:02 Caroline: Yeah, totally. And if you have a B, C, or D cup, you will probably find lots of patterns that will work for you without adjustments since a lot of patterns are drafted for these sizes. But if you fall outside of these cup sizes and want to avoid adjustments as much as possible, look for patterns from companies that offer multiple cup sizes. So there are some pattern companies that do this. Cashmerette is beloved for their C to H cup sizing. Other companies that offer your choice of cup sizing are Jennifer Lauren Handmade, Charm Patterns, Connie Crawford, Unleashed Patterns, Sew House Seven, Laela Jayne Patterns, Itch to Stitch, and Bella Sunshine Designs, that we know of. And Cashmerette also has a guide to plus size pattern companies that list the cup sizes of a bunch of different pattern companies, so we’re going to link that in the show notes.

Helen: Yes. It’s so helpful to have that jumping off point that actually matches your measurements, especially when you’re new to sewing. The adjustments that we’re about to talk about can sound and look pretty intimidating, but they really aren’t that hard. And I want to remind you that the stakes are so low. You’re just cutting up paper. If you mess it up, you can cut out more paper later. Just paper.

Caroline: It’s just paper. And with that said, we always recommend making a muslin when you make adjustments to a pattern. That way you can check that it fits just the way you like and make any more adjustments you might need before cutting into your quote-unquote real fabric or special fabric.

Helen: A lot of bust adjustments have you pinpoint the bust apex first, and some people don’t know what that means, and that’s fair because it’s a weird word. What is the bust apex anyway? Well, it’s the fullest part of the bust, the part that is furthest away from your body, the part that sticks out the most, the top of the hill, the peak of the mountain. Apex means high point, so that makes sense, right? For some people, this is going to be where your nipple is.

However, all chests are different. And I think about when I was helping Laurie learn how to do bust fitting when she started sewing, my mother-in-law, and we had a good laugh about this cause she was like, yeah, that’s not where my nipple is anymore, you know? And that’s totally fine.

When you’re finding your apex, wear whatever undergarments you want to eventually wear with this garment, or none at all, if that’s your preference. Lay the bodice pattern piece over your body, making sure the shoulder seam line is where it should be and the centre front is lying flat over your centre front, and then you’re going to take a marker and make a dot on the pattern piece where the sticky-out-iest part of your chest is. If your bust is rounded because of your undergarments, make a point at the centre middle of that roundness. And this is the bust apex.

Usually, darts end about an inch away from the best apex that they’re designed for. This gives the bust a more rounded shape that’s popular in modern designs, but in vintage patterns though, especially in the fifties and sixties, they would bring the dart right up to the apex. And that gives it a more pointy look.

Caroline: Yeah. And like many pattern adjustments, it’s best to follow some specific steps when making bust adjustments. So to keep the balance and proportion of the garment, bust adjustments often add or remove width and length on the front pattern piece. So you want to think of the fabric as a road in the countryside, a road going up and down a hill is going to be longer than a road that’s going over flat ground. So in the same way, we need more length and width in the garment fabric to go over a larger bust and less to go over a smaller bust. I love this analogy: a road in the countryside.

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: There are two major adjustments to fit chests, and you’ve probably heard them before: small bust adjustment or SBA, and full bust adjustment or FBA. Both of these adjustments require taking your measurements, cutting into your pattern, and then you’re either going to spread the pieces apart and add more paper, or you’re going to overlap the pieces to take some of that width and length away.

We’re going to talk in pretty general terms here since it’s really hard to visualise going step-by-step through these adjustments in a podcast, but again, we’ll have lots of link tutorials in our show notes, so you can actually have a look at how these go and review the steps and just give them a try. It’s only paper, just paper.

Caroline: And I would also say, I think that small bust adjustments and especially full bust adjustments are probably the most common tutorial online for making an adjustment to a sewing pattern. So if you’re working with a specific pattern, look at that designer’s website or blog and see if they already have a tutorial that’s tailored specifically to that pattern because there’s just so many out there so you have the resources at your fingertips. We’re going to link some of our favourite sort of general tutorials, but take a look at the specific pattern you’re working on because you might find something there.

Helen: Yeah. So small best adjustments remove volume at the bust. And this might mean completely removing shaping like darts or gathers. And you can do an SBA to remove the bust shaping completely or you can just make that bust shaping a little bit smaller. This can open up a whole new world for some sewists. There are way more patterns available for purchase that are designed with bust shaping than without. So, for example, dresses are almost always drafted with bust shaping, but anyone can wear and enjoy a dress.

On our blog, the Helen’s Closet Blog, we do have an article on how to remove bust darts with lots of visuals for this particular adjustment. We’re using the Gilbert Top as an example, and there’s two versions. We have a more precise, proper method. And then I also provided a quick and dirty method because sometimes you just want to get to the sewing.

Caroline: I love a quick and dirty method. Seamwork has a great article called “Four Essential Small Bust Adjustments” that illustrates SBAs for a dartless bodice, a side dart bodice, and a side and waste dart bodice, and a princess seam bodice. So lots of examples in that article.

So the general steps for a small bust adjustment include marking the apex, cutting into the pattern horizontally from the side and vertically from the bottom, overlapping the pieces, and redrawing lines to be smooth. So this is going to close a dart partially or completely. And if you have facings or yolks, you may need to alter them to match the new front pattern piece. And if you’re doing an SBA on a dartless bodice, you’ll need to make sure the back pieces end up the same length as the new front piece.

Helen: Yeah, this can get confusing sometimes because often when we’re working with side darts, if you’re closing and/or opening them more, it seems like the length of the side seam is changing, but that’s not always the case. If the bust dart is getting larger, you’re then going to, like, take that length out when you close that dart. So it will come back up to meet the back piece. So oftentimes you’re only going to be working with the front piece and you won’t need to touch the back piece. Um, but it is something to be mindful of. Once you finish your adjustment, you want to just, like, walk your pattern pieces and make sure that everything is going to line up in the end and that you didn’t make any oversights because it totally happens.

Caroline: Yeah. That’s great advice for any kind of fitting adjustments that you’ll make to a pattern is just walk those pieces together as if you’re sewing them, but just do it with paper to make sure everything sort of lines up correctly. Sometimes notches will move a little bit when you’re making adjustments. So redrawing notches and things like that will be really helpful once you get to the sewing stage.

Helen: Definitely. Okay. Next, we have the full bust adjustments and these are going to add more volume for the bust. And this might mean adding a dart where there wasn’t one to begin with. Seamwork coming in clutch again. Their article “Four Essential Full Bust Adjustments” has examples on making an FBA for a dartless bodice, including instructions for adding a dart, side dart bodice, a side waist dart bodice, and princess seam bodice. So we’ll link that up.

The general steps are pretty similar to those for the small bust adjustment, but instead of overlapping the slashed pattern pieces, you’re going to be spreading them apart. And this often will mean making things like darts larger. And this can get tricky as you start making really large adjustments because if you’ve ever experienced this, you start to spread that dart to the point where it’s too big to be closed. And in that case, you might need to split it into two darts.

Um, but again, there’s so much tutorials online for how to handle this kind of stuff. There’s e-courses, too. I know Cashmerette has a great e-course on how to do full bust adjustments on patterns. So we’re going to link all of that up and there’s lots of ways to approach it as well. So if one thing isn’t working for you, try something else.

Caroline: Yeah. You can redistribute that fullness from the dart into, like, other kinds of style details or adding an extra dart in the waist or there’s so many options there. So if your dart starts looking really large and maybe it doesn’t sew up the way that you want it to, that might be the way to go.

Okay. Let’s talk about knits for a second. So doing an FBA for knits can follow a different process, and Cashmerette has a good tutorial for doing a simple FBA that we’re going to link for you, but you do need to have a muslin of the garment first. So basically, you try on your muslin and measure how much it rides up in front versus the back. And then you take the pattern, cut a horizontal line across the bust apex, and spread the two pieces apart the number of inches that it rode up, and then you add a small bubble curve at the side of the seam and you’re done. Sounds so easy.

Helen: It’s so cool what you can do with knits in this case, like, cause you can add shaping at the side seam. You can even, like, stretch or that fabric to, like, meet the front piece so that you can ease all that extra fabric in and then you have the excess across the front. Um, and Cashmerette does a great job at explaining all of that stuff for knit garments.

And, of course, you can add a dart to a t-shirt as well using a knit fabric. It’s just not something you see a lot in ready to wear so in order to, kind of, replicate the look that you’re going for, you might not want to have any of those things like darts and gathers, and you can do a lot with just the stretch of the fabric.

Caroline: Yeah, and there are other adjustments you can make that will affect the fit of the chest. So you can move a dart up or down. If the bust apex of the pattern is far above or below your own bust apex, you’re going to want to try this adjustment. There are a few ways to find the bust apex of a pattern. So if the pattern has one side dart, split the dart in half, draw a line from the middle of the dart at the side seam to the centre and an inch beyond that, because remember the dart usually ends an inch before the bust apex.

So if you measure an inch beyond, that’s going to be your bust apex, and if the pattern has a side and a waist dart, you could draw a line splitting each dart. The bust apex is where those two lines intersect. And then after you find where the apex of the pattern is, where it’s, sort of, drafted for, you can lay that pattern piece over yourself, and again, mark your own bust apex, so the top of the hill for you.

And to do the adjustment, you basically draw a box around the dart, move it up or down on the pattern, tape it down, and redraw the sidelines. It’s kind of cool. There’s a tutorial on the Curvy Sewing Collective that shows this really clearly, but you’re literally just, kind of, cutting out this little box and moving it up and down and it feels too easy, but it works really well.

Helen: It does. It’s one of those adjustments that does feel too easy when you do it. You’re just like, I just cut it and slide it and we’re good.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: But it makes such a big difference having that dart pointing at your apex on your body can change the whole fit of the garment. Like, it can change how it hangs all the way down to your knees. So, yeah, it’s definitely a good thing to nail right off the bat. You can also deal with a difference in your bust apex from the pattern’s bust apex by adjusting just where the dart points to. So not moving the entire dart, but just changing the angle to where it’s pointing.

The bust darts should always be pointing towards the apex, no matter where the dart itself is located. So you do this adjustment by marking your apex on the pattern, drawing a line from the centre of the dart to your apex, and then, you measure the dart legs and draw the legs the same length onto your pattern from the side seam to the centre line or wherever the dart is located. So you’re basically just moving the point and not moving the legs or not moving the, what do you call the other side of the dart? The opening?

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: The hat.

Caroline: Yeah. I always just call it the hat.

Helen: Yeah, there’s probably a name for it, and it’s eluding me now.

Caroline: And actually, speaking of which, if you’re moving the dart, you’re probably going to need to redraw that dart hat.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Um, cause it’s not going to look right once you fold the dart, it, if it’s going, like, in a different direction, so take a look at that. There’s also a fabulous article on the Closet Core Patterns blog called, and I love this, “A Dart is Just a Suggestion: How to Make Darts Fit You (And the Other Way Around)” and that shows how to do this adjustment and several others. So we’re going to link that up in the show notes. I just love the clever title. A dart is just a suggestion.

Helen: It’s such a great way to reframe it because it can be so frustrating when you start sewing and things aren’t fitting, but learning to see things as just a roadmap. So when you’re looking at a pattern and you see a bust start, see it as fullness in the pattern that may or may not be necessary for your body and may or may not be the right place on your body. And it’s up to you as the sewist to customise it to fit you. And it is just a suggestion, and it can be really frustrating when you get started to, like, just make things right out of the packet and they don’t work out, but starting to change your mindset about how you’re viewing the pattern and what it’s capable of, it really helps you to build that confidence to be able to take that pattern and make those changes.

Caroline: Totally. And I think for beginners out there, like, if you’re feeling like, oh my gosh, making a pattern adjustment feels insurmountable. It feels like I don’t understand what I’m doing. And you know, like, it can feel really intimidating, but just know, like, it does get easier once you do it once, twice, you’re learning the technique, and that’s a tool that you can take into your sewing practice forever. And it will mean that you’re going to have clothes that are going to fit you better. Like, you’ll thank yourself later. Just jump off the diving board into the pool of adjustments, and you, you will be happy in the end, but I know it’s intimidating. Like, I totally relate. And, um, yeah, I hope we can inspire you guys a little bit today.

Helen: Yeah, and you can also adjust the length of darts. The darts should end, as we said, about an inch away from your apex. So if you mark your own apex and find that it’s too close or too far away, you can shorten or lengthen that dart. Mark your bust apex on the pattern, you can draw a line from the centre of that dart to the apex, and then mark a point on the line that’s an inch away, and you can redraw the legs, ending them where the original dart legs are. This one is also illustrated in that Closet Core article as well. You can do this, too, on a garment that you’ve already sewn. Maybe you try it on and you think, like, oh, this dart is actually further away from my apex, but Helen and Caroline said it should be about an inch and it’s, like, way over here. So then just sew it a little bit longer, you can just pop back onto your sewing machine and lengthen that dart. Or it might be the case that you’ll have to unpick it a little bit and shorten it, but those are things that you can actually do in the moment, too, which is cool.

Caroline: Yeah, absolutely. Sometimes you don’t just need to move a dart, you need more or less length above the bust. So you can tell you’d need this if the armscyes are too tight and the bust darts are too high. If the pattern has a lengthen shorten line marked there, you can just cut along that line and spread it the amount that you need. If it doesn’t, you’re going to need to choose your own location to do that slash and spread.

So Brittany from Untitled Thoughts recommends going about one third of the way up between the bust point and the high point of the shoulder, and this adjustment is done to the front and the back of the pattern. And when you slash and spread above the bust, you’re going to be changing the armscye of the patterns, that’s, sort of, the arm hole. So just remember, you need to make sure you also adjust the sleeve of the pattern or any facings that you have or binding, as well, so that it matches that adjustment and that addition of length that you’re making.

Helen: Yeah. We started including all these lines on our recent patterns. I think for the past few years, we’ve had them in there, the ones that are above the chest or on the chest. Like, the upper part of your chest, and that’s so helpful for people. And we talked about this in our Petite Sewing Episode, that when you’re shortening patterns to adjust for your height, you can’t just chop it all off the bottom, right? We are proportional. So it’s important to take a little bit of length out in multiple places. And it’s really helpful to do some of that above the chest. And it might just be for your specific frame that all of your bust fitting issues or chest issues could be solved by just shortening or lengthening above the chest, so it’s something to look into for sure.

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: The fit of the shoulders can affect the fit of the bust, too. You might need a forward shoulder adjustment if the shoulder seam sits too far back on your shoulders, pulling the fabric to the back. For this one, you’ll want to take a wedge or rectangle from the front body shoulder seam, add it to the back. So you’re, kind of, repositioning where that shoulder seam is going to be. You can also adjust the sleeve cap to make more room at the front of the sleeve. Melly Sews has a great article on Shoulder Fitting Adjustments that shows how this is done.

Caroline: And if your back is broader or narrower than the pattern is designed for, it can give you excess fabric at the bust or tightness across it. So Alexandra Morgan has a video on how to do this that we’re going to have in our show notes. And this is going to add or remove a vertical sliver of fabric on the back of your pattern without altering the neckline, armscye, or seams.

Helen: Ooh, magic. Speaking of Alexandra Morgan, we did that amazing fitting episode with her last season. She recommended doing fit adjustments to the bodice from the top down because they can have a cascading effect, meaning that what you do to the upper part of the garment has an effect on the lower part, and this can actually be a great thing. Sometimes, you think you need a whole bunch of adjustments, then you make the first one, try it out and it solves more than you thought it would because they’re all interconnected and related. And that’s why it is recommended that you make one adjustment at a time and then try it out. Of course, I’ve been there and I’ve made many adjustments at once, and that’s okay, too. You know, you just have to go with your creative process, but it’s such great advice to think about that cascading effect and how, oh, if I change the shoulder seam, how is that going to affect the bust fit or how is that going to affect the arm and the more you do it, the more you’ll learn.

Caroline: Yeah. Okay. This episode wouldn’t be complete without a little pep talk. So when you’re dealing with fitting adjustments that feel outside the quote unquote norm, it can feel extra intimidating and add on the bodily changes that come with big life events like ageing and pregnancy, breast augmentation or reduction, mastectomies, or top surgery, and it’s an emotional obstacle course, but through all this, remember that everyone deserves clothes that fit and make them feel great. And that includes you, dear listener, no matter how your body changes, you will still deserve that. You will always deserve that. So be kind to yourself and keep on trying, treat yourself like you would treat someone you love, and you can adjust your favourite patterns and make them work for you. You’ve got this.

Helen: Oh, I’m gonna cry.

Caroline: You’ve got this, Helen.

Helen: You’ve got this.

Caroline: And that is it for today’s episode of Love to Sew. You can find me, Caroline, at BlackbirdFabrics.com and Helen at HelensClosetPatterns.com! And we are recording today in beautiful, sunny British Columbia, Canada.

Helen: Go to LoveToSewPodcast.com to learn how to do chest fitting adjustments. We filled our show notes with links and pictures from this episode. And if you’d like to get in touch with us, please send us an email at hello@LoveToSewPodcast.com.

Caroline: And if you love Love and want to hear from us more, you can sign up for our Patreon! For $5 a month, you get a full-length bonus episode, our bonus episodes are super fun, y’all, and weekly behind-the-scenes pics. And for $10 a month, you’ll get all that PLUS a mini-episode focused on sewing techniques and 15% off codes for both Helen’s Closet and Blackbird Fabrics! Patreon is the best way to support us so that we can keep making quality sewing content for you. Go to patreon.com/LoveToSew, for more info.

Helen: Thanks to our amazing podcast team. Lisa Ruiz is our creative assistant. Jordan Moore is our editor. And Margaret Wakelee is our transcriber. And thank you for listening. We’ll talk to you next week.

Caroline: Bye.

Helen: Buh-bye.

Caroline: Thankfully, there are some very doable adjustments with that help and, oh my God, I can’t talk today.

Helen: Perfect. Do you want to start from the beginning?

Caroline: I’m, like, jumbling the words. Okay.

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