amingee
Advanced Beginner
MN USA
Member since 12/2/12
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 1 member likes this. I am here looking for help with a large bust adjustment. I am a 30H bra- so very busty. I also lift weights, so I have lats but a narrow back.
My big goal is a cotton blouse with buttons. I have done princess seam alterations and have gotten the side bust to fit. But I cannot for the life of me get the center front to fit at all. It is always huge in the upper chest and and way too small across the bust. When the center front is one piece you may be able to say bust point to bust point don't change much related to bust size, but when you put buttons down the front I totally need fabric at the front bust giving me the ease to get the buttons to lie on my sternum.
I also have trouble getting the back sides to fit as I have lats. This makes most sleeves feel like they are cutting into my underarm. All directions I have ever read have told me to fit for high bust and armscye and these are totally different sizes on me I get frustrated and give up every project. I just don't even know where to start anymore.
Thanks
Amingee |
Lynnelle
 
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MI USA
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Subject: Topic moved Date: 12/2/12 12:23 PM This topic has been moved from NEW to PatternReview? to Fitting Woes |
LauraTS
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CA USA
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Date: 12/2/12 2:20 PM Any chance of pics? As far as the back goes, it sounds like you might need a broad upper back adjustment, and maybe a bicep adjustment. I'm trying to picture the issues you're having with the front - is it a shoulder or an armhole princess? A shoulder princess might give you more flexibility to fit between the upper chest and the bust. ------
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Elona
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CA USA
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2 members like this.
Date: 12/2/12 4:29 PM For those of us who lift weights and have shoulder and back muscles that are unusual for women, I have found a custom dress form to be the quickest solution to fitting problems; I mean, you can see yourself as you really are. You can work with your 'self' right in front of you, and no standing in front of a mirror, twisting this way and that as you try to pinch in or let out and handle pins at the same time.
I saved my pennies and had a MyTwin made for me, since the company is not too far from where I live, but if that had not been the case, I would probably have made a paper-tape form as shown here, or a papier-mache form as done here.
Wrapped forms tend to come out a little larger than you yourself are, because of the thickness of the wrapping material, so I always counsel people to 'suck it in' and get wrapped as snugly as possible without fainting. Plaster forms can get filed down to accurate dimensions, as I did with mine.
The important thing about this kind of form is that it replicates really difficult or unusual bony and asymmetric stuff that standard forms really can not address.
-- Edited on 12/2/12 4:32 PM -- |
DolphinDancer30
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TN USA
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Date: 12/3/12 3:33 PM Hmm, sounds like your FBA is putting the extra front fabric above your bust. Did you check the bust point before making the FBA? |
stirwatersblue
Intermediate
KS USA
Member since 12/13/08
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1 member likes this. Along the lines of Elona's suggestion, you might have better luck draping a sloper on yourself (with help, obviously!). Instead of wrestling with a premade pattern that makes all kinds of incorrect assumptions about your shape, you start with uncut muslin and pin it in place all over your torso until it's darted and fitted exactly. You can then use that sloper to compare to commercial patterns to see what alterations they'll need. It's a GIANT shortcut through all of the pattern fitting madness, because you start and finish with something that already fits you perfectly.
I wish I had a good link to share with you. "Threads" had a great two-part article a couple of years ago, but I've never seen it online. The companion skirt sloper article can be read here:
http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/4668/drape-a-skirt-sloper
If you've never draped before, this at least will demonstrate the basic steps.
The method I use for draping is exactly the same--but it results in a period/historical bodice, not a fitted blouse, and the tutorials I'm finding online seem to be mainly historical, as well.
Does anyone have a good modern bodice draping tutorial to share?
-- Edited on 12/3/12 4:38 PM -- ------
~Gem in the prairie |
DolphinDancer30
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TN USA
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Date: 12/3/12 7:56 PM Palmer and Pletsch Full Busted? DVD is really helpful. Marti shows how to do FBA on a variety of styles, princess, darted front, wrap, twist and others. She demonstrates different FBA techniques, because there's always more than one way to do something, and because what works for you might not work for another woman. |
thaiyal
Beginner
ON CANADA
Member since 9/28/05
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Date: 12/3/12 9:49 PM I wear a 30 I or J bra and I have recently (2 days ago) got a decent fitted tee shirt by doing the Y dart FBA which is explained in the Full Busted DVD.
Fit for real people - Basics DVD is also very helpful with lot of other issues. The Full busted one is specifically to help with FBA.
Shams has a review on Full busted DVD on her blog.
Sham's review on full Busted DVD
FBAs in Knits - Advice for the Uber Busty
Both are fantastic to learn the fitting basics and to fit yourself without anybody to help. Give them a try.
IF you were to buy a book, buy the latest"Fit for real people" edition 2009. This one has the Y dart FBA explained. I'm a very visual person, so DVD was the way to go for me. |
nicegirl
Intermediate
DC USA
Member since 5/10/06
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1 member likes this. I have a small bust and narrow shoulders, but large lats from lifting/pushups (not so much lately due to holidays and travel, grrr). I can't help at all with the bust problem, but the back could be a totally separate issue. Here's what I look like from the back:
If this shape with the muscles under the shoulderblades pushing out the sides above the waist is familiar, you might benefit from this broad back alteration:
As you can see from my top, it results (on me) in a little bit of extra fabric that folds toward the underarm, but it's worth it to be able to move my arms!
-- Edited on 12/3/12 10:59 PM -- ------
http://theslapdashsewist.blogspot.com
=================
2007: purchased 115+, sewed 105+
So close to parity, yet so far
Trying again in 2008
Yards purchased: 133
Yards sewn: Somewhere around 95
2009? I give up |
clothingengineer
Intermediate
CT USA
Member since 5/7/10
Posts: 395 |
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Date: 12/4/12 9:15 AM To solve my back fitting issues I do a similar alteration as nicegirl (though I manually draw it instead of the slash and spread) but in addition I lengthen only the back piece between the top of the shoulder and bottom of the armhole. How much you need depends on your body but also the pattern company. I'll lengthen as little as 1/4" for StyleArc and Burda and as much as 1/2" for Marfy. Blouses feel sooo much more comfortable ever since I started doing this. ------
-- Anne
http://clothingengineer.com |
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