[enajybbil]

Has anyone ever experimented with printing out a pattern at say 110%? I have a 42 upper bust but a 48 full bust and a, ahem, full tummy as well. So many alterations to my poor pattern! Until I lose 50lbs or Lisette patterns expand the sizing I’m having a heckuva time :-/

[Robin]

Hi There. Don’t do it. Make the 16. This is the size you would pick based on your upper bust size anyway. Do the FBA. It’s not that bad. The finished bust size for this pattern is 46″. The FBA will add fullness to the waist as well.

I cheated the seam allowances on the arms to give me some more room too.

Pick a fabric that drapes well. And come back if you need more help. Someone is bound to be able to help.

[enajybbil]

I did make the 16 with a ton of mods (fba, etc) and it’s still not slouchy enough. 🙁

[Robin]

I’m sorry. That’s frustrating. I have that problem a lot too.

[Nicole]

Have you tried a knit, a good modal type knit, something slinky?

I have found as my curves have increased the drape and give of a good knit can be so flattering.

[enajybbil]

Thanks Robin and Nicole! I was pondering trying it with a knit so maybe I should just be brave and go for it! Wouldn’t it be so nice to take the file to a copy shop and have it blown up?? :-}

On another note I just got the crafty class called Patternmaking Basics: The Bodice Sloper and while I don’t *think* it will help with this pattern I’m excited to learn fancy schmancy words like moulage!! 😉

[jay_1965vw]

I’m not sure about the pattern you are using, but does it print out as a nest of different sizes? If so, you can grade up to the next size fairly easily – it’s a bit tedious, but not too difficult.

The general idea, is that you draw lines through all the corners of the pattern piece shape, and measure outwards the same distance as all the other sizes have between them. When you’ve done that for each corner, you join the dots, following the shape as per the smaller sizes. Sorry, that’s a really awful description. Here’s a link to someone explaining it much better! http://www.burdastyle.com/techniques/make-a-pattern-larger-or-smaller/technique_steps/2

[Tamara]

Enajybbil, Hi!

I have that patternmaking class also and you are right it might not help with this particular pattern. The class that would though would be the one taught by Joi Mahon called fast track fitting. Honestly this is the class that WILL help you figure out how to get that size 16 to fit – I should know because I don’t fit that pattern in the conventional way either (and I have lost over 20kg). But I managed to make it fit me well (the late lunch tunic that is).

She talks you through how to adjust for the bust and if you have a longer than average torso (or not) and then she really works on the tummy area and what I have been introduced to as the bust curve – which for us ladies with girls of substantial proportion is most helpful. Her methods are not traditional but she doesn’t say don’t do the traditional fba or anything like that she just shows another way to go about adjusting the pattern (and she uses a size 12 pattern for heaven’s sakes) to fit your body. It might be confusing at the start but work through it and it will come to you and make absolute sense.

It made me realise that I was altering patterns in totally the wrong area for my body and even though I thought they fit, once I tried this way of doing things I found that I wasn’t really hitting the right spots and that this technique actually made the patterns fit alot better.

I would encourage you to try the class and pick up some tips and then go from there. You could even use one of Liesl’s patterns as a practise seeing as you plan to use them anyhow.

So I encourage you to keep trying and look at other ways to get around this issue. I haven’t tried using knits with the oatterns yet but Nicole’s looks great and I know wovens with stretch are most helpful too.

Use your upper bust size it’ll work!

[jay_1965vw]

That sounds like a much better suggestion than mine, oh well, maybe someone will need to grade it to fit their upper bust measurement in the future 🙂

[Tamara]

Oh no what I mean is use your upper bust measurement to determine what size to use. This way the shoulders won’t be so big on you. Sounds to me like the 16 is your size – although I don’t have the pattern sizing right in front of me to check. I know I used the 16 because my upper bust size fit that size.

Try the fba first and if that works great but if you find you need extra help, then if you can, hop onto the craftsy platform and sign yourself up for Joi’s class you won’t regret it. And I’ll let you in on a little secret, she tried her methods out using her daughter’s measurements to make an adult pattern fit a child so if it can be reduced it will certainly work with enlargement. She is very helpful amd is very prompt with your questions.

[jay_1965vw]

We are working at confusing each other with our suggestions! I meant that if someone in the future needs an 18 to fit their upper bust measurement, then they could use the method I posted to grade the pattern up.

It sounds like the class you suggested would be great for enajybbil 🙂 (I may think about taking it myself when I next do any sewing for me…)

[enajybbil]

Ok so I ended up buying the “ftf in the details” class and justsewit was right. It is awesome! I’m not sure that I did my own alterations totally right but Joi kept repeating to keep it fluid and not obsess and since this pattern is somewhat boxy I just went for it. The basted together muslin fits just how I want! Mission accomplished I think! Thanks for all the help you guys!

[enajybbil]

Here’s a photo of what the front pattern page ended up looking like. The back is similar minus the bust part.

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/31680886@N05/14124710644/

[Tamara]

Enajybbil, it looks great. So glad you took the plunge and signed up it really helps you out of sticky spots especially when pattern alterations can be tricky and we aren’t trained to do that sort of thing. If that is all you had to do then wow! Go for it. Mine would have top half lengthening and the side would probably look really odd. But the. That is because our bodies are completely individual and you have just given yourself permission to make the pattern fit you – individually. Well done!

Be sure to show us the final copy of the top won’t you? Would love to see it.

[with love Heidi]

That looks fantastic Enajybbil! If you want to see really odd looking adjustments I can show some before and afters of patterns I’ve made fit. Seriously I do 4 to 10 adjustments to a patterns before it fits! But the important bit as Justsewit says is that it fits your body. Welcome to the adventure 🙂