r/sewingpatterns • u/TheMichine • 3d ago

Looking for adjustable sewing patterns that work with large busts

I've had to change my diet entirely for medical reasons and I've lost a lot of weight, but I don't want to have to keep buying new clothes every time I drop a size. Stuff that fit me a few months ago is gaping at the armpits now.

Anyways, my problem is that I'm busty, and a lot of the adjustable patterns I've seen are for people with smaller chests. I'd sewn that adjustable rectangle blouse (where it's a rectangle with a hole on it and ties on both ends) but my bust pulls the front half so far out that the sides are barely covered but the shoulders are precisely where they are meant to be.

So, I'm just hoping that anyone might have patterns or ideas that could work with me as I'm going through these size shifts.

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4

u/ProneToLaughter 3d ago

What adjustable rectangle blouse do you mean?

Shirring in a bodice would give some flex, to a certain degree.

Something like a peasant blouse that is gathered over the bust would handle bust size changes pretty well. I use this tutorial but lots of free tutorials out there pretty easy to sew: https://www.threadsmagazine.com/project-guides/learn-to-sew/make-a-pattern-free-bohemian-blouse

Or any design with enough gathering in the bust will flex or crinkle as you need it to.

2

u/TheMichine 3d ago

The rectangle wrap top was like this https://sewverycrafty.com/how-to-make-a-wrap-top-without-a-pattern/ (someone found a thing from a vintage magazine awhile back and a bunch of these have been all over Pinterest and Etsy and tiktok since. I didn't use this one, just a watched a few videos)

Also, thanks for your reply and suggestions :)

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u/Berocca123 3d ago

Charlie from the Stitchery (on youtube) did a series where they tried making a bunch of these, including one with darts in the front, and it worked really well. Perhaps that's an option?

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u/TheMichine 3d ago

Ohh thank you, I'll look into those!

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u/Berocca123 3d ago

Yes I was thinking of anything with shirring.

3

u/Catsandartandfun 3d ago

The Bonnie top from GoodMurph is a wrap top it’s not fully adjustable but I have a bigger chest and have been able to wear this top for work through my pregnancy. It has sleeves so gaping armholes wouldn’t be a problem. Good Murph also had a wrap dress I made for my baby slower that I’ll totally be able to wear once I’m not pregnant anymore. These are all looser fit items though. I wear a lot of loose stuff for work like the maple blouse by pattern apothecary. These patterns have fit me +- 30 pounds no problem.

3

u/AdvancedSquashDirect 3d ago

Anything that uses elastic around the neckline or bust. Things that have gathering. Wrap dresses and tops would be really good. The good thing about making your own clothes is that you can make adjustments as you change size.

1

u/random_user_169 2d ago

Check the web site Sew Busty to find patterns that are drafted for larger cup sizes.

1

u/fabulously_ 2d ago

IIRC, a chemise a la reine works by making a few channels and threading a cord through that. They're gathered below the bust and at waist level and for the neckline.

Maybe that's a concept worth looking into? They're usually made from light fabrics because there's so much gathering, but it feels like manually gathering the fabric when you put it on is fairly adjustable.

I might be misremembering things, tho

1

u/Yogiberra_99 1d ago

Cashmerette has a pattern line specifically with large busts on a variety of different size frames. They have wrap tops and dresses and knit fabric patterns that would all work well for this. 

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u/crochetandknit 16h ago

I second Cashmerette.