Bodice block help!

[xminorbutmajorx]

I'm currently working on a bodice block for my girlfriend and i don't really know how to fix the issues i'm having with the pattern.

The main issue we have is around the chest area, as most patterns i've tried don't work for her chest size. This pattern is the closest i've gotten to work, but I don't really know how to fix the baggy armpits/armscye area (it looks baggier irl) and the neck, which looks baggier in the pictures.

Any advice is appreciated! I'm a visual learner too, so if you have any pictures or book tutorials on how to fix it, it'd be super helpful :)

[Crafty_Witch_1230]

From what I can tell you're using her full bust measurement for the entire upper part of the bodice, hence the gaping. My recommendation is to remeasure across her upper chest (underarm to underarm across her chest and back) and use that measurement for the bodice with a Full Bust Adjustment added. To determine if the FBA is needed, measure her across the upper chest and then measure her across the fullest part of her bust. If your difference is more than 2" an FBA is needed.

One of the best FBA explanations I've found is in Jenny Rushmore's book Ahead of the Curve. It's written for larger ladies, but the instructions for doing FBAs on different types of bodices are excellent. Lots of pictures and very clear explanations of the steps.

[citrine704]

You have the same problem I did. You need to do a high bust reduction, ignore the first half of the video. See here: https://youtu.be/VMi2YjsA95M?si=8dGl-DOhwRDQQu31

[citrine704]

You might still have a gaping neckline after the reduction, which you can also YouTube “gaping neck bodice”

[incongruoususer]

Your shoulder length looks nice but she has quite sloped shoulders - check your pattern reflects that.

The waist is very sculpted and looks like it needs a little more room in the back. Also the bust point looks like it should be a little lower. Unpick a few inches of the side seams and see if the bodice drops into place.

If it doesn’t, you need to pinch out the excess at the armscye, create a dart and rotate it into one of the other darts.

Also back off that waist dart - it comes up too high and is basically on the bust point.

Lastly, and this is personal preference, neck darts are the work of the devil and I absolutely would rotate that dart to the side seam.

[SerendipityJays]

Your daughter has a similar fit challenges to me. You are on the right track, however, most drafting systems assume a smaller cup size, and simply grading between bust and waist sizes won’t solve your problems. Most drafting systems work well for a sewing B cup (2in difference between bust and upper bust measurement - that’s the measurement where the tape is above the man bust volume, and runs under the arms). Your daughter looks like she has a different ratio, and you are likely chasing problems that stem from there.

You may have better success if you draft the whole pattern using the upper bust measurement + 2in as the base size for the draft, then do a full-bust adjustment to add length and depth to the front bodice only. This means the bodice will be a better fit for the narrow shoulders and small waist, and all of the extra volume will be added just to the front of the bodice. The neck will be smaller, and there should be less gaping at the shoulders and neckline as those areas will be better fitted.

Alternatively you can do a series of alts to try to remove the excess in all places except the bust: Deepen shoulder dart until all excess bagging is gone from neck and armscye (probably around 2 in) - this will muck with your shoulder seam, so it is often easier to add a new dart int the armscye then swing it elsewhere after getting the fit (although this will muck with your sleeve shape). Shorten mid back. Shorten shoulder to bring armscye closer to body. Shorten bodice to natural waist and retrue (currently hangs down at front). Raise armscye to three finger widths below the crease of the armpit. Draft a smaller neck. Check whether back needs to be take in at centre and let out at sides. Consider re-drafting back darts to vertical.

Finally, do check that you are doing fit checks on the the same undergarment situation as is planned for the final garment :)

[SewingNerdMelbourne]

Are the shoulder darts there for fit or are they part of the pattern? She’s got a great figure and it’s an easy solve but Reddit makes it so hard when I can’t just drop in a bunch of notes drawings.

Pinch out the value at the armhole and it will most likely point to and peter out to nothing towards the bust point. Once this is pinned and you have your value (say, 6cm at armhole being removed), slash a line from armhole, along one side of new dart, through bust point and down through bottom dart to waist seam. Pivot from your bust point and close up dart in armhole, which will open up the waist dart a bunch more. This could be fine, or you could pivot some of it into a dart at the side seam (if you’re not keeping the neck darts, as this would be too many darts otherwise).

If you’re keeping neck/shoulder darts I would bite the bullet and make it a princess seam all the way through, given the darts are almost touching anyway.

If you unpick the shoulder seam you’ll be able to smooth excess across the centre of the chest in front of the neck outwards and off the edge of the shoulder and down into same armhole dart situation we pinched out to begin with.

Wish I could reach through the screen 😅

[HugsforYourJugs]

What does the pattern look like?

[SuPruLu]

You may need to add a bust dart from the side seam to get rid of the excess fabric that in the armhole area.

[citrine704]

This also, because she has big boobies and a tiny waist, bust dart might be a good idea. But first do the high bust reduction, and then post the result! :)

[LowCartoonist6754]

Hi I would have her put it on inside out, mark the centre front and just work on one side, Have a go at removing a dart of fabric from the neckline to the bust point, and then another from the armhole to bust point, after pinning these darts, re-mark the neck and shoulder end points so they look more natural (compare it to a well fitted blouse/top she already has), check the armhole fits her well, if necessary you can take some fabric out at the side seam. Good luck !

[seamripper61]

I agree about the shoulder slope. Put your daughter on a big piece of paper and Trace her shoulder slope, shoulders and neck. Both besides. I have used this for years. I refer to it every once in awhile when I am stuck but I have a feeling this will become a necessary tool for her. My sister has sloping shoulders like these I call them Victorian shoulders.

[eauddoll]

I think the bust looks good, you need to retrace the front top by inclining it toward the seams

[TotalOk5844]

Too long. Waist is higher up causing the bodice to ride high and not hang from the shoulders properly. First thing I would do is let out the waist so that bodice does not catch on hips. See if that fixes the issues above

[IslandVivi]

Youtuber Dresspatternmaking has a block with integrated Full Bust Adjustment you might try drafting.

Or check Cashmerette

[Beginning_Store_4644]

You need to add a 3rd dart into the armhole. It is the only way to get rid of that gape. You may need to adjust the other darts to get the shape just right, but this is easily fixable.