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Gertie B6453: Full Bust Adjustment and Fitting video!

March 24, 2017 By Bianca No Comments

Full Bust adjustment and Fitting on a princess seam, Gertie B6453 Sew Along | Vintage on Tap

Tackling full bust adjustment and fitting on a princess seam can be overwhelming!

Luckily, it doesn’t have to be. In my last video, I took the time to actually show you, start to finish, how I made the Gertie B6453 dress fit my measurements. And I really mean start to finish. I go from doing a full bust adjustment and fitting- to feeling confident to cutting into my fashion fabric. I’ll be 100% transparent that the changes I made won’t apply to everyone– but this is how I approach everything to fit me, and hopefully it helps you, too!

I was hesitant to film my video this way, but after seeing some of the struggles people were facing in the Gertie Sew Along Facebook Group, I figured I might as well just document the whole thing so it wouldn’t be as overwhelming.

Before you get started…

  1. Get your tools ready:
    • Rulers (clear straight ruler, french curve)
    • Dot paper
    • Tape (lots of it, 3M Magic Tape is my favorite)
    • Mechanical pencil and eraser
  2. Watch my relevant the Youtube videos
    • My Sew Along Intro video
    • How to Trace your Sewing Patterns
    • How to Walk a Sewing Pattern

Once you’ve got all the above taken care of, with your measurements in hand and maybe a good cup of coffee, you’re ready to go.

 

Full Bust adjustment and Fitting, Gertie B6453 Sew Along | Vintage on Tap

Find your Pattern Size + Muslin #1

Picking your pattern size can be tricky, but the following steps are how I approach it personally:

  1. Identify your size, based on the envelope FIRST (“Envelope Size”)
  2. Using your Envelope Size, compare it to the finished garment measurements on the pattern itself
  3. Identify the ease in the garment based on the above measurements
  4. Decide to either go up or down from the Envelope Size.

Breaking it down into the above steps can really help make picking a size easier and approachable.

First, I decide what size I am on the envelope (within an inch or two.) I’m always between sizes, but I can generally peg myself within a couple sizes. REMEMBER: This is just a starting point- it may not be the size actually sewn.

Also note, when picking bust size, use the high bust measurement (circumference taken around your body from under your armpits, over your chest) NOT full bust (circumference taken over your bust point.) This is especially important if you’re a petite like I am- you want to have the smaller frame/shoulders as a base.

For the remaining points listed above, I open up the pattern and compare the size picked on the envelope versus the finished garment size on the tissue. As Gertie pointed out in her blog, there’s about a 2.5″ ease in the dress based on Butterick’s sizing.

Since I wanted my dress to be on the snug side (snug, but not bursting at the seams)- I had to go down TWO SIZES. 

Once the pattern is traced out (hope you watched the video tutorial on this!)– I sew the first (half) muslin. I’m definitely aware a lot of people prefer using tissue fitting, but to be honest, I hate doing it that way. I usually have to do so many changes that fiddling with a flimsy piece of paper over a full bust is just a wreck for me, so fabric it is.

Please remember, this muslin is probably not going to fit right right out of the envelope and that’s ok. That’s actually what we want to see: WHY its not fitting is what we’re trying to figure out.

 

Full Bust adjustment and Fitting, Gertie B6453 Sew Along | Vintage on Tap

First Changes + Muslin #2

I’m a huge fan of the old-school Fit for Real People book and that’s how I approach each step. Gertie actually references it in her blog post, so definitely check it out if you haven’t already!

In my case, I went ahead and shortened the bodice first, then did a sway back adjustment. My video shows you how to do each of those steps after testing out muslin #1, at minute 1:24.

Then once you transfer your changes to the paper, you’re off to sew the next muslin (muslin #2 at this point.)

 

Full Bust adjustment and Fitting, details, Gertie B6453 Sew Along | Vintage on Tap

Full Bust Adjustment and Fitting + Muslin #3

This is where the magic happens! The time stamp for this ENTIRE process is at minute 3:13 in my video.

Please note: If your bust point is lower or higher than the one printed on the pattern piece, you will need to adjust that portion first. See Gertie’s blog about this!

The measurements I take are simple. To determine how much I needed to adjust:

  1. I essentially ripped apart the princess seam stitch line in Muslin #2 and centered the center front line at my center front (where its actually supposed to sit)
  2. Took a measuring tape and measured TWICE:
    1. Side Front: On the side front muslin piece, measure from the stitch line to the bust point.
    2. Center Front: On the center front muslin piece, measure from the stitch line to the bust point.

From there, I show you step by step how to use those measurements and do your changes on the patter piece, please refer to my video.

Once you’ve done all the necessary changes, you’re ready to sew Muslin #3! When sewing Muslin #3, though, I would recommend doing the entire bodice, as if you were making the real garment, since you’re getting down to the nitty gritty. Also put in a zipper! You want to know how its going to start to realistically fit.

Full Bust adjustment and Fitting, multiple muslins, Gertie B6453 Sew Along | Vintage on Tap

Final Adjustments + Muslin #4

At this point, my muslin was looking pretty nice. It was still too big, but taking it in at all the seams (and tapering the princess seams) was enough of a change for the muslin to fit me as I wanted. Also, I added some extra height to the low center back. I go over this final fitting at the 17 min mark in my video.

For me, since I’m a stickler for making sure I do my due diligence and “pre-production,” I like to do one last muslin (in this case, muslin #4) to verify that I’m 100% satisfied and ready to go. Of course, its not necessary, but after doing major full bust adjustment and fitting, I want to make sure I’m absolutely confident on how I want this garment to look and feel.

Full Bust adjustment and Fitting on a princess seam, Gertie B6453 Sew Along | Vintage on Tap

Closing Thoughts

Tackling this many changes and going into the deep end of pattern drafting can be super intimidating and it doesn’t have to be! Doing standard full bust adjustment and fitting can already be an overwhelming experience to just wrap your head around and there are so many factors involved in a great fit. Luckily, Butterick 6453 is a relatively simple pattern to get your feet wet!

My next video in this series will cover general sewing, which Gertie has already gone into on her blog, but I’ll just be catching up. You’ll get to see View A of this dress nearly done, but behind the scenes I’ll be finding a lovely black satin to make View B for a fun Little Black Dress.

Click here to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel so you don’t miss the next video!

Full Bust adjustment and Fitting on a princess seam, Gertie B6453 Sew Along | Vintage on Tap

Click To Read the Other Posts about the B6453 Sew Along!

Intro to the Gertie B6453 Sew Along!

Butterick 6453 Sew Along View A Video

View B Little Black Dress Butterick 6453 Video

 
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links :)

 
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Filed Under: Bust Adjustments, Princess Seams Tagged With: Butterick, FBA, full bust adjustment, Gertie, sew along, tutorial

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  • Anatomy of an FBA, How it works and how to perform the adjustment | Vintage on Tap, Pinup and Sewing BlogHow it Works: Anatomy of a Full Bust Adjustment
  • How to sew a retro Keyhole Blouse | Vintage on TapGertie Retro Keyhole Blouse, Video Sewing Tips!
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  • Video Tutorial, Fitting Vintage Butterick 6282
How to Walk a Sewing Pattern, Video Tutorial »
« How to Redraft a Facing, Video Tutorial

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My name is Bianca and I’m a twenty-nine year old textile designer and seamstress, interested in vintage and traditional techniques. I dream in loud, flowery prints and aspire to create beautiful couture-level garments. I have 15 years sewing experience and studied at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

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Anyone else still chewing on projects you want to Anyone else still chewing on projects you want to sew in 2021?⁠⠀
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With so many ideas rolling around in my brain, I'm living in indecision! So, in the meantime, photos of my last make of 2020 😜 (Yes, I promise the Christmas tree has been put away!)⁠⠀
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Picking the Portrait blouse was a clear win for me:⁠⠀
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🧵I'd sewn it before, 8 years ago (!)⁠⠀
🧵It would be a relatively simple sewing pattern to re-fit⁠⠀
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This particular blouse is made in silk charmeuse (in all it's tricky difficulties), has whip stitched seams throughout, and is the first garment I've made with my own clothing tag sewn in 🥰⁠⠀
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Definitely have some changes I'd like to make for the next (cotton poplin) version of this I plan to make, including skipping the zipper altogether and potentially reshaping the side seams a bit. ⁠⠀
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I've linked the source of the pattern over in my profile if you want to take a look at the original. ⁠⠀
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(Disclaimer: This post contains an affiliate link!)
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So, here's to 2021 and my next Top 9, where I hope to see photos that are not on this grid 🤣⁠
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Saying good bye to 2020, closing the door on this Saying good bye to 2020, closing the door on this chapter with a BANG! ⠀
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Final photo of @josecarlosvivanco and I at Casa Castro. Unseen in this photo were the tears in my eyes. While they were sad I’m *so* happy for the next chapter in our new home in a new part of town.⠀
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We’ve all had a rough go of things this year and it goes without saying that we’re all looking forward to hope. Hope for financial security or new jobs, hope that our loved ones who are sick or who have crossed to the other side are at peace, and hope that we can be together again feeling beautiful sunlight on faces without masks.⠀
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Today San Francisco’s lockdown order has been updated to “Indefinitely” and while I’m struggling with it, I’m still stepping into 2021 with goals and plans (and hopefully with a cocktail in hand, @mandooooo )⠀
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Sending all my love to you wherever you are!⠀
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If you're watching my Insta Stories (which I'm sure you are!) you've seen that I'm currently in the process of moving to a new apartment 📦⁠
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Which means... I finally have a studio to sew in! But that also means... I need to figure out how I want my studio to be set up 😍⁠
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BUT. I have to know! If you're fortunate to have a sewing room, what do you consider essential in your space?⁠
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Is it wall pegs to hang up your tools?⁠
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My name is Bianca, I'm 34 years old, and a California girl through and through 🏖 I inspire people to sew, to feel comfortable and confident in their bodies, and am an avid lover of tiki culture and #VintageStyleNotVintageValues ✊🏻⁠
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✨ I run a YouTube channel where I teach people sewing techniques to try at home, because sewing should be accessible to everyone and everyone should be encouraged to try. ⁠
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