Ok! So I have to do an FBA on every top I make, which is why I don’t make that many and usually stick to jersey if I do. I have a 10 inch difference between my upper bust and real bust. I’m doing the FBA just like the directions here Bust Adjustments | Colette Patterns Sewalongs BUT the arm scythe gets crunched up and even after snipping and adjusting it seems wrong still. Y’all think this will work?
Anyone have better FBA instructions?
I can’t quite make out what you’ve done, would you try another photo with a contrasting back ground?
Have you made a muslin & pinched out the difference?
Do you have a dress form that you can pad out to your dimensions? Or someone to help you? Fitting an armhole on a garment while you have it on is super awkward but not impossible.
Tagging @MistressJennie for you as well.
LOL! Yeah - I was tired when I posted - will try to take another photo today.
Maybe this will work better…
I think, because of the difference, I probably should have started the hinge for the adjust further up the arm scythe instead of the middle.
I have a really cute fabrics sitting in my stash I want to use for this…
Oh, this is looking like a challenge. What’s your pattern drafting exerience? Do you understand how to change darts into a princess seam? My first google for this resulted in what looks like a terrific example. Is that helpful?
Princess seams are great for full bustlines.
And I think you mean armscye, not scythe. But maybe I’m wrong…
It does say arm scythe but either way I get it.
This can be tricky fitting. I understand, I’m 28DDD, it’s ridiculous. Like, I’m not huge but proportionally fitting me is so hard. Bras are impossible & ya, stretchy fabric is my friend, lol.
I googled arm scythe. It’s rather entertaining.
I have ZERO pattern drafting experience. I’ve got a fancy machine and that takes out one excuse for not making my own clothes. I can sew basics but have never tried drafting my own patterns. I’m trying to challenge myself a lot more… i have to buy my tops from places like bravissimo.com or eastern Europe cause American clothes just do.not.work… unless I want too look like I pose for playboy…
Yes I did!
Yes, I think that might work. I am not 100% sure I get the math for the alteration… will need to study alittle bit more. Seems like I need to make the princess seam cut and add the seam allowance…
I applaud your ambition! You can do this.
Making a muslin would be helpful for seeing the fit and altering a pattern as needed before cutting the good fabric.
Making a sloper would be terrific for drafting your own patterns, there are lots of free resources online for learning how to do that.
Copying a garment that fits well is totally doable! Again, lots of resources online on how to do this.
The more you try, the more you’ll learn what does & does not work. Failures can be the most valuable lesson, don’t be discouraged by the things that don’t turn out.
And if you make any arm scythes, I really want to see that costume!
Another take on the armscye problem is to add a tiny gusset to the top of the sleeve (usually at the back by the shoulderblade) so you don’t have to size down quite so much for the armhole. (here’s a historical costume essay about addressing the problem from the sleeve side of things: Sleeve Fitting | By My Measure)
Ok - I legit cannot tell if the princess seam adds fabric or just more curve?
It’s a way to move darts into a single smooth curve, so it removes fabric.
The usual bust dart winds up at the top of the princess seam, in the armscye (or even in the shoulder). Any waist darts are also moved into the seam.
I googled for a video and here is the first hit, it looks good! She explains drafting in some ease which can help to accommodate the bust.
Coming late to this party, but the armscye looks so weird because your dart is large. Trial-fold your dart and you’ll see the the arm hole will fix itself.
Oh, good point. By “looks weird” I assumed as in fitting the body, not as in as a flat pattern. I can see widening darts so much creating bunching or gaping but yes of course the flat pattern can end up looking all sorts of wrong. Like, a cowl neck alteration can spread the arm holes parallel to the hem. It looks like it can’t possibly go together right.
Yes, you need to add seam allowance to both sides of the new princess seam.
Seep makes the call!! It looks like this might work!
… and husband, who is a designer that CAN NOT sew, decided he’d try to make suggestions on how to construct a top to accommodate the tatas which did not go well for him… he does this to me sometimes. “I will not tell you how to machine metal and you back away from the fabric…”
