How to Make a Full Bust Adjustment to the Clyde Jumpsuit Sewing Pattern
Do you love a good jumpsuit but find the right size for your bottom half is out of whack with the correct size for your top half? The struggle of those with larger chest measurements is real! We have put together a tutorial for how to make a full bust adjustment to the Clyde Jumpsuit digital sewing pattern, and it's gold.
The Clyde Jumpsuit digital sewing pattern does not tell you which cup size it was drafted for, but it is meant to have an easy fit over your bust. It typically fits cup sizes B-D without issues, but if your bust size is larger, or you simply feel the jumpsuit does not accomodate your chest as you would prefer, then this tutorial is for you.
First, let's calculate the amount of additional fabric needed to make the full bust adjustment.
Since the pattern does not include the cup size it was drafted for, we will be guessing on how much room to add. Thankfully with the easy fit of the jumpsuit it won’t be an issue. We suggest starting by adding 1” (2.5 cm) for each cup size beyond D cup. Let’s say you are a D-cup and find you could benefit with some extra room, add 1” (2.5 cm). If you are DD - start by adding 2” (5 cm) and so on.
Once you figure out the total amount to add, you need to divide it by 2 to get the adjustment amount.
Now we will begin adjusting the four relevant pattern pieces of the Clyde Jumpsuit digital pattern. You will be making adjustments to the following pieces:
Front Panel (A)
Pocket Bag (D)
Pocket Facing (E)
Side Panel (C)
You can either print the pattern pieces with the seam lines (make sure the seam lines layer for your size is on). Or you can manually mark the seam lines on your existing pattern pieces yourself. The seam allowances are 0.5” (1.3 cm) for all seams except armscye, which is 0.25” (0.6 cm).
Step 1 | Prepare the Pocket Bag
Prepare the Pocket Bag by dividing it in half. Draw a vertical line connecting the top and bottom middle notches and cut the pattern piece in two.
The Pocket Bag piece was mirrored and didn’t have any distinction between front panel and back panel seams. However after FBA is done this no longer will be the case.
Mark the left side of the Pocket Bag as “back” and set aside for now. You will be working with the right side of the Pocket Bag. This will be the side that will connect to the Front Panel.
Step 2 | Find Your Bust Apex
Find bust apex, the most prominent point of your bust. This is great if you already have made a version of the jumpsuit since you can try it on and find the apex that way. If not, hold up the Front Panel (A) paper pattern piece to yourself and mark bust apex that way. No need to be super precise, just do you best.
Draw a horizontal line to the front panel seam, from the bust apex to the front panel seam. Make a notch at this spot and measure the distance from the armscye seam line to the bust apex line/notch.
On the right side of the Pocket Bag, measure the same distance from the armscye seam line along the front panel seam and mark a notch. You will use to align the front panel seams so make sure they are always visible to you and if you end up tracing the piece out again, to transfer them.
Draw three lines on the Pocket Bag. Line 1 goes horizontally (perpendicular to the grainline) across the bust apex notch. Step ~1” (2.5 cm) away from the bust apex and make a mark. This is where lines 2 and 3 will intersect line 1.
Line 2 goes from the bottom right corner on the seam line on the Pocket Bag to the mark you just made. And Line 3 connest the top right corner on the seam line with the intersection of lines 1 and 2.
Step 3 | Cut Through the Lines
First, starting at the bottom and working up, cut through line 2. Pivot at the intersection with line 1, and continue cutting along line 3 up to the seam allowance. Stop at the seam allowance and cut from the other side to create a small hinge.
Starting from the left, which would have been the center of the Pocket Bag, cut through line 1 up to the intersection with lines 2 and 3. Leave a small hinge there as well.
If you accidentally cut through the pieces it’s okay, just do your best and pretend there are hinges there.
Step 4 | Move Your Pieces Into Place
Place a piece of paper underneath your pattern pieces and tape down the bottom left of the Pocket Bag (piece A).
Measure out the adjustment amount from the slanted right edge of piece A and draw a line parallel to that side of piece A. This is the line you will be using to align the rest of the pieces to.
Move upper part of the pocket bag ( piece B) and side (piece C) up and out so that the slanted edge of piece C lines up with the line you just drew. Go slow here. The pieces are large and piece C could be quite narrow so take your time. Once you are happy, tape everything down.
Step 5 | Create a Hinge on Your Pocket Bag
Straighten out the hem of the Pocket Bag and cut the piece out. Do not worry about creating a dart hat on the dart created by moving pieces, as we will be getting rid of it.
Re-draw the horizontal line along the bottom of your dart. There should be a line there already (line 1), but if you have trouble distinguishing it, re-draw it.
Clearly mark the dart point. This is the pointy end of the dart you created and not the bust apex.
From the left edge, the middle of the Pocket Bag, cut through line 1 up to the dart point. Make another cut, starting at the panel seam side, up to the dart point, creating a small hinge there.
Step 6 | Measure Your New Gap on the Front Panel
Close the dart by rotating the top of the Pocket Bag down and lining up dart legs. This step will straighten out the middle of the pocket bag and create a gap at the front panel seam. 
Measure the distance of the gap and write it down.
Place a piece of paper underneath the gap, tape everything down and smooth out the front panel seam. Cut the new pattern piece out.
Make sure to mark the bust notch at the bottom of the opened gap. It actually does not matter if you mark top or bottom, what matters is that it matches where you mark the notch in the next step.
Step 7 | Make the Final Front Panel Adjustments
On the Front Panel (A) draw a horizontal line, perpendicular to the grainline, though the bust notch. Cut the Front Panel apart along this line.
Place a piece of paper underneath the Front Panel, tape the bottom of the Front Panel down. Draw a line the measured distance away (the width of the gap) from the bottom of the Front Panel and align the top of the panel to it. Tape everything down.
Straighten up the seams and mark a notch on the panel seam at the bottom of where you added length.
Now we need to adjust the rest of the pieces so that pattern pieces work together.
Step 8 | Complete Your New Pocket Bag & Front Panel Pieces
Take the back of your Pocket Bag (the part you cut off in the first step) and tape it together with the adjusted right side of the Pocket Bag. You now will have a new Pocket Bag piece. The front panel seam will have a bust notch, but it still may be a good idea to label the back and front panel seams on the pattern.
Step 9 | Adjust the Pocket Facing
The Pocket Bag’s shape changed slightly at the front since we added some room. Place the Pocket Facing on top of the New Pocket Bag, lining up the middle bottom notch and the left side (back panel seam).
The Pocket Facing is designed to be slightly wider than the pocket bag at the top to create a bagginess in the pocket. You will need to move out the right top edge of the Pocket Facing out so that it matches the placement of the top edge on the other side. The easiest way to do it, is to cut the Pocket Facing vertically in two.
Move the right side (piece B) out until the top corner is placed in the same way as the other top corner. Place a piece of paper underneath the Pocket Facing. Tape everything in place, redraw the top of the pocket curve. Redraw the bottom of the pocket, matching it to the bottom of the Pocket Facing.
At this point the Pocket Facing is no longer a mirrored piece and it will be important to distinguish the front and the back panel seams. To do so, add a notch somewhere to the right of the center at the bottom of the pocket. Why at the bottom? Because of the way the Pocket Facing is drafted to create bagginess and the side seams do not match the side seams on the Pocket Bag so it may be harder to add a notch there.
Step 10 | Adjust the Side Panel
Finally, you will need to adjust the Side Panel (C). You will need to match the curve of the pocket opening and part of the front panel seam to the Pocket Facing. The easiest way to do do so it to trace the new Pocket Facing onto a big piece of paper. Lay the Side Panel on top of the traced Pocket Facing, lining up the left side (the back panel seam).
Redraw the pocket opening curve to match that of the Pocket Facing. Redraw the front panel seam to match as well. It will come out a bit further so blend it into the original seam below the bottom of the pocket.
Step 11 | Notch Your Side Panel
Just like the Pocket Bag and Pocket Facing, the Side Panel piece was mirrored but it will no longer be the case. To distinguish the front panel seam from the back panel, add a notch on the front panel seam of the Side Panel, somewhere below the bottom of the pocket. Measure the distance from the hem of the Side Panel to the notch, and place a notch on the Front Panel the same distance away from the hem.
That’s it. I would also highly suggest making a muslin of the adjusted pattern to make sure everything fits like you want it to before you cut it out of good fabric. Good luck!
