FBA

In the Sewing Matrix the term FBA is not what regular Earth people think it is. It’s not a kind of a fashion police either. It stands for Full Bust Adjustment. It’s a pattern manipulation technique that allows you to enlarge the cup size.

If you met me, you might have noticed I’m unlikely to need full bust adjustment no matter the pattern. Good for me since it makes things way easier. That’s the thing; most of sewing patterns are made for the B cup. For those of you cursed with cups bigger than B, this technique will prove very useful, typically if the garment feels awkward around the chest or the fabric pulls at the front and is simply too tight in that area.

You can use this technique regardless of the cup size really, I still make FBA in some patterns to add more fullness and – let’s not be afraid to say it out loud – cheat a little and shape a more feminine silhouette. Here’s how to do it!

Find those numbers

Always start with measurements. To determine your cup size measure upper bust first. Then measure your full bust. The difference between those two indicates your cup size.

If the difference equals 1in you have the A cup, 2in is the B cup, 3in is the C cup, and so on.

Let’s assume that you’re size D. The pattern is for size B. It means that you have to add 2in more around the bust (B=2in; D=4in → 2in difference between B and D). Now that you know how much you need to add, the question becomes what size should you enlarge?

This is important since the pattern is designed for the B cup. So if your bust measurement is 38in, subtract those additional 2in (the difference between B and D) when choosing the size. In this case you’d choose 36in, taking under consideration your true hip and waist measurements as you would usually do. In other words, all else being equal, your bust would measure 36in with the B cup.

Draw, cut, shift

Draw:

·      a straight line through the middle of the bust dart toward the center of the pattern (blue line);

·      a line through the middle of the vertical dart toward the center of the pattern (red line). The intersection of these two lines indicates the bust apex;

·      a line from the bust apex toward the armhole, just above the most curvy part (green line);

·      a horizontal line just above the vertical dart (pink line).

Cut:

·      along the red line from the pattern’s edge and further along the green line. You want to leave a tiny hair of paper at the armhole so those two parts are easy to shift but aren’t entirely separated;

·      along the blue line from the pattern’s edge toward the bust apex. Again, don’t separate it entirely.

Now, in the example we agreed you need to enlarge that area by 2in. The front pattern piece is actually ½ of the whole front (if for instance it’s cut on fold). That’s why we need to divide 2in by two as well. We get 1in. Take a piece of paper, just to cover the cut area. Draw two vertical lines on it 1in apart. 

Shift:

·      align the red line on the paper along the drawn line. Tape it only above the dart for now. You will shift the part under the pink line later;

·      tape the other red line along the other drawn line;

·      secure the green line with tape as well;

·      cut along the pink line and move the bottom part so it’s the right length again. Tape it.

Here is how it looks in motion:

You are almost done! Mark the new apex point at the same height as the previous one. Just move it left to the center of the new vertical dart.
Draw the new darts starting 1.5in from the apex.

 

Cycling jacket

Oto jest: skończona, gotowa do noszenia kurtka. Zwykle jeżdżę rowerem w obrębie miasta. Traktuję go jako środek transportu, zamiast jeżdżenia komunikacją miejską. Właśnie dlatego potrzebowałam czegoś wystarczająco wygodnego, co przy tym nie wygląda jak dres.
Wykrój pochodzi z Burdy 10/1012. Zalecaną tkaniną do tego wykroju była sztuczna skóra, ja jednak zdecydowałam się na wełnę. Wprowadziłam też kilka małych zmian do wykroju: dodałam guziki, zmniejszyłam kołnierzyk i przerobiłam kieszenie.

Here it is; finished and ready to wear. I usually cycle around the city, just to get somewhere instead of taking a bus. That’s why I needed something comfortable enough, which doesn’t look like a tracksuit.
The pattern comes from Burda 10/2012. Recommended material was imitation leather. I changed it for fabric more suitable for me - wool. I also added buttons, made the collar a bit smaller, and changed the pocket design.

Kalifornia

Od tygodnia jesteśmy w Kalifornii. Nigdy wcześniej tutaj nie byłam i nie mogę powiedzieć, że zakochałam się w tym miejscu od pierwszego wejrzenia. To zupełnie inny świat. Ulice są bardzo szerokie, a domy bardzo niskie. Szkoda, że nie ma tu tak wspaniałej architektury jak w Europie, tęsknię za nią ;) W każdym razie po tych kilku dniach przyzwyczaiłam się do miejskiego widoku i zaczęłam nawet go lubić. Jest tutaj tyle innych rzeczy rekompensujących te małe niedogodności. Wszędzie gdzie jedziemy otaczają nas niesamowite widoki kalifornijskich wzgórz. Ci którzy nie lubią gór, mogą nacieszyć się wieloma plażami i Oceanem Spokojnym.
Ludzie są niesamowicie mili (w porównaniu do Polski). Całkiem normalnym jest, gdy ktoś podejdzie do Ciebie na ulicy i zapyta skąd jesteś, jakie masz plany albo po prostu jak się masz.
Poraził mnie też ogromny wybór książek o szyciu w Barnes & Noble (sieć sklepów podobna do Empik).

We are visiting California for a week. It’s my first time here and at first I haven’t really fall in love with this place. It’s a completely different world here. The streets are very wide, the houses usually very low. It’s hard to find great architecture here which I like in Europe and I miss it. Anyway, after a couple of days I got used to the urban view and now kind of like it. The highlights of this area greatly make up for the inconveniences. Amazing views of Californian hills surround us everywhere we go. The people who don’t like mountains, can enjoy the multitude of beaches and the Pacific Ocean itself. Speaking of people, everyone we meet from around is extremely nice (compared to Poland). It’s quite frequent that someone comes up to you, asks where are you from, or what are you going to do today, or just how are you. I was also amazed by the great selection of books on sewing in Barnes & Noble.

Mogłabym tak wyliczać jeszcze długo, ale miałam napisać coś o moim nowym, wiosennym płaszczu.
Oto on! Wykrój wykonałam samodzielnie (i jestem z niego bardzo dumna, bo to mój pierwszy, własny wykrój na płaszcz). Jestem całkiem zadowolona z efektu, a przede wszystkim z bardzo wygodnych rękawów. W szufladzie znalazłam kawałek starej tkaniny, musiałam tylko dokupić podszewkę i guziki. Dlatego całość była bardzo tania (nie przekroczyła 20 zł).

I could go on about the many things I liked here but I suppose you’d rather read about my new project ;) I’d like to introduce you my new spring coat! The pattern is of my own (and I’m proud of it because it’s my first coat pattern). I’m pretty satisfied with the result. The sleeves are very comfortable. I found old fabric in my drawer, which I used. The only things I had to buy were the lining and buttons, so the whole thing cost like $6.

Marceliński lasek

Nie opłacało się już szyć peleryny, ciepłe dni się kończą. A co mi tam, uszyłam i nawet kilka dni zdążyłam ponosić. Podobno coś takiego było modne w 2010 roku - po raz kolejny - co mi tam :P Tkaninę (wełna z kaszmirem) kupiłam w hurtowni tkanin w pobliżu ulicy Głogowskiej, a są ich tam całe tuziny, więc było w czym wybierać. Wykrój zrobiłam własnoręcznie. Do zobaczenia!

I knew it wouldn't pay to sew a cape now since the warm days are coming to an end. What the hell, I did it anyway, and even managed to wear it for a few days! I’ve heard that something like that was trendy in 2010 – and once again – what the hell :P The fabric (wool with cashmere) was bought in one of the wholesales nearby Głogowska street in Poznań. There are dozens of them so there are many fabrics to choose from. The pattern is of my own. See you!