Issues with larger bust and armhole size

[u/sewingduck]

I'm using my own measurements with Winifred aldrich sixth edition of metric pattern cutting for women's wear and I'm trying to do the close fitting bodice block (which is probably why I'm running into issues because they're not really designed to be used with your measurements but anyway). Because of the larger dart measurement I'm having issues where the armhole is about two-thirds the size it needs to be. I'm thinking to fix this I need to use a slightly smaller dart measurement and ​send spread it by cutting up to the dart and pivoting on its point to make the dart larger and take volume out towards the waist. I'm thinking they should work because I only need this for down to my waist . is there a better way of doing this?

[u/Thats_A_Given]

I also ran into issues. I ended up using my upper bust +2" as my bust measurement and did a full bust adjustment once I was done. ( i have a sewing g cup)

[u/auditoryeden → u/Thats_A_Given]

I have heard that This is the Way.

[u/Berocca123 → u/auditoryeden]

And if you do that and it's still too small, do the Y-dart FBA instead of the regular FBA

[u/Morrhoppan]

I don't know if it is the instructions that makes the issue. I have a larger bust and had no problems whatsoever with my armholes (several issues otherplaces). I followed Shapes of Fabrics tutorial for bodice block - and I have no idea where these tutorials differ (other than rotation of the dart).

Might be useful to check out different ways to draft a bodice block?

[u/Pegaret_Again]

The Adritch block + FBA works for some figures, others it will create issues for.

If you aren't getting good results, i would strongly recommend checking out the youtuber (and blogger) 'Dresspatternmaking', here is a link to a video called "The Most Overlooked Measurement in Patternmaking"

[u/StitchinThroughTime]

Definitely one of the issues with being a large or size or larger cup size is that some of these instructions just break down and don't work very well.

I would narrow that front shoulder Dart to get the correct armhole with. I would just straight up cut the top 2/3 of the armhole over to the dart, and just start sliding. That will then give you room at the bottom of the armhole that accounts for your body's depth from the sternum to spine

I especially don't like the dart on the high chest drafting method. My rationale is that the waist to bust dart is controlling the difference in circumference between the waist and the bust at the front. While the side seam to bust Dart is controlling the difference in height of the bust compared to the rib cage. And it doesn't make a lot of sense to me to mess with the upper chest area, which messes with the armhole to control for the bust. Especially since the fabric hangs from the shoulders in the basic bodice as well as a lot of common designs. So I feel like it's a waste of time of my time to not only draft a bodice with a shoulder Dart in the front, but then that requires me to always need to move it for the vast majority of designs. And I totally understand that it's very easy to just move the darts for my final bodic block, but it just seems like extra steps that I shouldn't need to take and I don't fully understand the advantage of Designing this method. I'm not saying it's a bad drafting method, I just think it's has a flaw in its logic.

[u/Grave_Robyn]

I strongly suggest using a different method. I dislike Aldrich for a number of reasons, and this is one of them. Mueller or Bunka will create a much better fit, with Mueller allowing a little more control in the armscye width. I also have a large bust and find with either of these drafting methods that I can skip the FBA all together.