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CUTTING BREAST-PADDED
BODICE
Using the various methods of Princess seams

Quincy Kanayo
THEQEFFECTZ
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CUTTING BREAST-PADDED BODICE

(Pattern-drafting)

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COPYRIGHT©TheQEffectz
Please note that the copyright Law of Nigeria Section 15(1) forbids the reproduction,
reduplication and sale of this downloadable and when defaulted is punishable by law. So
please be kind not to infringe this copyright.

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Table of Contents
Copyright .............................................................................................................................. 3
Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 5
What is a breast padded bodice ......................................................................................... 5
Methods of Drafting breast-padded bodice ....................................................................... 5
“Via Armhole” ............................................................................................................ 7
“Via Shoulder ......................................................................................................... 16
“Via Neckline” .......................................................................................................... 24
Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 33

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Introduction
Hi there,
My name is Quincy. I’ll be taking you on this tutorial. Thank you for viewing/downloading this
tutorial. This tutorial is both Beginner and Intermediate friendly.
In Nigeria and most African countries, breast-padded bodice (also called ‘Saree’ in India)
are the most currently made bodices/blouses for women. These designs are known to
enhance the feminine structure of women especially at the bust region and have been
known to provide more comfort and ease. By attaching breast pads or already-made breast
cups to these outfits, the wearer does not need to wear a bra or any bust support.
It is one of the most prominent bodice/ blouses in Nigeria and as a sewist, to be taken
seriously, it is important you know how to make such outfits.
So in this tutorial, I will not only show you how to draft a breast padded bodice using the
various princess seams, I’ll also show you when to apply these methods to achieve a
desired result and which is ideal for various bust sizes.
See other extended breast padded tutorials like
HOW TO MAKE A NET PADDED PEPLUM BLOUSE PATTERN,
HOW TO MAKE A NET-PADDED PLEATED BLOUSE PATTERN,
HOW TO MAKE A PADDED LACE EMBROIDERED BLOUSE (WITH A SIDE PEPLUM)
HOW TO MAKE A BREAST PADDED OFF SHOULDER SIX PIECES DRESS (WITH FISH
TAIL)
HOW TO MAKE A BREAST PADDED OFF-SHOULDER SIX PIECES DRESS (WITH PUFF
SLEEVES)
HOW TO MAKE A BREAST PADDED BLOUSE USING ALREADY-MADE BREAST CUPS
HOW TO MAKE A SIX PIECES BLOUSE

What Is A Breast-Padded Bodice?

A breast padded bodice as already mentioned in the introduction, is a bodice that is

demarcated/slashed in such a way to include artificial breast pads or cups. This way, the
bodice is shaped and completely enhanced at the bust region, thus the wearer of the bodice
does not have to wear bra straps to use the bodice.

Methods of Drafting Breast Padded Bodice

The pattern-drafting technique used to achieve a breast-padded bodice is called the Slash
and Reduce method of pattern-making a.k.a Princess seam/Dart.
Princess seam/dart is a slash and reduce method of patternmaking that involves
demarcating or slashing the bodice in an effort to add more shape to the bodice. There are
several ways of inserting a princess seam/dart and these include
• Via armhole
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• Via shoulder
• Via neckline
Even though these methods can be applied interchangeably, they can be used to achieve
various and diverse results.
For instance, the “Via armhole” and “Via shoulder” methods are mostly used to add fittings
to the blouses, jackets, shirts and literally anything with a shoulder and armhole while the
“Via neckline” method is used mostly for corset/ bustier outfits or blouses popularly known
as “tube” blouses. It ensures that the blouses stay firmly on the wearer’s body without the
help of shoulders or armholes.

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“VIA
ARMHOLE”

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This method of princess seam or dart ensures that the slashing of the bodice begins from the
armhole. One-eight of the wearer’s bust measurement is measured at the armscye and
inserted at the armhole. This way, the bodice is able to be shaped to the wearer’s features
from the armhole.

This method is used mostly when the shoulders of the bodice is not to be altered in anyway
and the idea of design is probably to add a contrast color or design to the sides of the bodice.

This method of princess seam/dart is the most common as it allows the bodice to be be fitted
to literally all size of busts and it is mostly used to add shape to shirts, blouses, jackets etc.

Requirements
To insert a princess seam, you will need the following

1. Basic bodice block:

A basic bodice block is a template from which other designs or styles of bodice are
constructed. It is the lowest and most basic style of bodice that consists of a front and
back piece already constructed using a defined body measurement.

Don’t know how to make a basic bodice? please visit here.

2. New pattern paper: These could be newspaper, brown paper, cardboard paper, scrap
fabric etc
3. Pen/Pencil/Marker/Eraser
4. Rulers (Straight and French curves)
5. Measuring tape
6. Measuring table
7. Body statistics: The required body measurement needed to adjust your basic bodice
to a armhole princess seam are as follows.

• Under bust measurement: Place your measuring tape on your client’s bust
point (nipple point) and measure the distance between the nipple point and
under the bust.
Using me as an example, my under-bust measurement is 3.5 inches.

• Bust measurement: Place your measuring tape around your client’s bust and
measure the circumference.
Using me as an example, my bust measurement is 38 inches.

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Procedures
Step 1: Place your basic bodice block on your measuring table.

Step 2: Mark out the required body levels: Bust and under-bust level. In this case, the
under-bust level is 3.5 inches from the bust level (see requirement)

Step 3: At the bust level, from the folded side, measure 1/8 of your bust measurement or
that of a client’s at both the front and back piece and mark.

Using me as an example, my bust measurement is 38 inches.

38 inches ÷ 8 = 4.75inches

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Step 4: Then from the bottom of the armscye, also measure 1/8 of your bust measurement
or that of your client at both the front and back piece and mark.

Step 5: Extend the mark made at your bust level to the bottom of your bodice.

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Step 6: At the under-bust level, measure 1 inch at both sides of the mark, at both the front
and back piece.

Then extend the marks made to the bottom of the bodice as shown.

Step 7: Then at the mark made at the armscye, measure 0.5inch at both sides of the mark
at the front and back piece

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Step 8: Join all the lines as shown. At the front piece, ensure that you curve the line at the
bust level to the under-bust level as shown below.

You will notice that the same is not done for the back piece. This is because, a bodice is not
padded at the back but at the front. Hence, there is no need for the back piece to be curved
in a bust-like matter. Literally any type of dart can be inserted on the back piece.

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Step 9: Shade the dart areas as shown below. These areas of the bodice are the areas we
are going to be slashing off to ensure that our bodice is breast-padded.

When you cut off the shaded parts, your front piece will look like this.

Front pieces (folded in half) Front pieces (unfolded)

Repeat this process for the back piece and it will look like this, still in folded half.

Back pieces (folded in half) Back pieces (unfolded)

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Step 10: Now to conclude our pattern drafting, it is essential that you add back the amount
of slashes you made to both your front and back pieces. This is because when anything is
slashed, it reduces in size. If you were to go ahead to cut out your patterns the way they are
on your fabric, there is every chance that when you sew your fabric pieces together, it will
come out way smaller than you intended and may not fit you or your client.

So note that whenever a slash is made on your pattern, it is essential to add back the value
of the slash.

During our pattern-drafting, we slashed off a total of 1 inch from the armhole and a total of 2
inches from the sides. Add these values back to the armhole and sides of your bodice
respectively, by retracing all sides of your front and back piece on a new pattern paper
including these values as sew allowances.

FRONT PIECES

And you are done!

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“VIA
SHOULDER”

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Unlike the armhole method of princess seam, this method emphasies on slashing the
shoulders of the bodice. It enables the bodice to be fitted from the shoulders. But just like the
armhole method of princess seam, this method can also be used when the intention is to add
contrast colors or patterns to either the mid front piece or the sides of the bodice.

This method of princess seam can be used to enhance the bust features of both small or big
bust owners.

See Requirements

Procedures
Step 1: Place your basic bodice block on your measuring table

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Step 2: Mark out the relevant body levels: Bust level and Underbust level(see requirements)

Step 3: Mark out the mid shoulder of the front and back piece. Midpoint means half of the
shoulder length,

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Step 4: At the bust level, from the folded side, measure 1/8 of your bust measurement or
that of a client’s at both the front and back piece and mark.

Using me as an example, my bust measurement is 38 inches.

38inches ÷ 8 = 4.75inches

Step 5: Extend the mark to the bottom of your bodice at both the front and back piece.

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Step 6: At the underbust level, measure 1 inch at both side of the mark , at both the front
and back piece

Step 7: At the Midpoint of the shoulders, measure 0.5 inch at both sides of the mark, at both
the front and back piece

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Step 8: Just like the armhole method, join all the points as shown below. Curve the line from
the bust to the under bust as shown.

Step 9: Shade the dart areas. Just like the armhole, slash off these areas.

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Step 10: Then add back the total amount of the slashes back to the shoulders and sides.
See “Via armhole” to know why.

When done, your new pattern will look like these.

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Front piece in folded half Front pieces( opened up)

Back piece in folded half Back pieces( opened up)

And you are done

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“VIA NECKLINE”

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As already explained, this method of princess seam varies from the other method of princess
seam, in that, it is mostly used to attach breast pads or already made breast cups to the bodice
without shoulders or armholes. This method of princess seam ensures that the bodice is held
properly on the bust without the help of shoulders or armhole. However, you can choose to
include shoulders or amholes.

This is used mostly for corsets/Bustier Or Tube Blouses.

Procedure
Step 1: Place your basic bodice block on your measuring table.

Step 2: Mark out the relevant body levels: Bust and under-bust levels.

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Step 3: At the bust level, from the folded side, measure 1/8 of your bust measurement or
that of a client’s at both the front and back piece and mark.

Using me as an example, my bust measurement is 38 inches.

38 inches ÷ 8 = 4.75inches

Step 4: Extend the line to the neckline and underbust level as shown below.

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Step 5: At the mark at the neckline, measure 0.5 inch on both sides of the mark at both the
front and back piece, and mark.

Step 6: At the underbust level, measure 1 inch at both sides of the mark, at both the front
and back piece.

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Step 7: Join all the points as shown below. And just like the armhole and shoulder method,
curve the line from the bust to the underbust as shown.

Step 8: Shade the dart areas as shown.

Then slash off the shaded areas.

When done, your front and back pieces will look like these:

Front pieces (folded half) Front pieces (opened up)

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Back pieces (folded half) Back pieces (opened up)

Step 9: Just like the “Via armhole” and “Via Shoulder”. Add back the total amount of slashes
you made at the shoulder and sides as shown below.

And you are done

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Here is an Example of a tube pattern

FRONT PIECE

BACKPIECE
To learn how to make tube blouse pattern, please click here

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And then a corset pattern

FRONT PIECES BACK PIECES

To learn how to make a corset/bustier pattern, please click here

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Conclusion
I hope the tutorial was easy enough to understand and well-explained. See here, to download
other pattern-making tutorials and sewing tutorials and also to get sewing machines,
sewing tools and supplies and E-patterns. If however, you have questions, kindly send us
a mail via info@theqeffectz.com or visit our website @ www.theqeffectz.com or contact us on
any of our social media network (see below) Or chat with one of Our Customer
representatives at the bottom of our site page.
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