Your First Pattern Adjustment in Bombajom

Welcome to Bombajom! This tutorial walks you through the entire process of adjusting a sewing pattern, from uploading your PDF to printing your adjusted pattern.

Before You Start

Make sure you have:

• [ ] A sewing pattern in PDF format
• [ ] Your high bust and full bust measurements (how to measure)
• [ ] A Bombajom account (sign up for free)

Part 1: Upload Your Pattern

1. Open Bombajom and sign in
2. Click Upload Pattern or drag and drop your PDF file
3. Your pattern will appear in the editor with all pages visible

What if my pattern is multiple pages? Bombajom handles multi-page patterns automatically. You can navigate between pages using the page controls at the bottom.

Part 2: Enter Your Measurements

1. Look at the Measurements section in the right panel
2. Enter your High Bust measurement
3. Enter your Full Bust measurement
4. Check the unit toggle — make sure it matches your tape measure (cm or inches)

The panel will immediately calculate your bust differential and tell you whether an adjustment is needed.

Part 3: Choose Your Adjustment

Based on your measurements, Bombajom recommends:

• FBA (Full Bust Adjustment) if your full bust is significantly larger than your high bust
• SBA (Small Bust Adjustment) if the pattern has too much room in the bust area
• No adjustment needed if your measurements match the pattern's intended size

Click on the recommended adjustment to expand its controls.

Part 4: Mark the Apex Point

The apex is the fullest point of your bust on the pattern. It's the pivot point for the adjustment.

1. Click Mark Apex Point
2. Your cursor changes to a crosshair
3. Click on the pattern where the bust point (apex) should be
4. You'll see a green indicator confirming the placement

Not sure where the apex is? Click the Help button for an illustrated guide showing common apex locations on different pattern styles.

Part 5: Preview and Apply

1. Review the calculation: the panel shows how much the pattern will be adjusted
2. Toggle Preview to see a visualization of the adjustment on the pattern
3. Use the Before/After toggle to compare the original and adjusted pattern
4. Adjust the Preview Opacity slider to see both versions overlaid

When you're happy with the preview, click Apply.

Part 6: Export Your Pattern

1. Click Export in the top toolbar
2. Choose your export format:
   • Print PDF: Standard letter/A4 pages for home printing
   • Projector PDF: Single-layer format for projector cutting
3. Your export includes a calibration square — measure it with a ruler to verify the scale is correct

Troubleshooting

"Adjustment not needed" but my garments don't fit

Check that:

• You're measuring over the right bra
• The high bust tape is truly above the bust fullness
• The pattern ease is set correctly (check your pattern's instructions)

The adjustment seems too large

• Double-check both measurements
• Make sure the unit (cm/inches) is correct
• A spread of more than 5 cm is unusual for most people

I marked the apex in the wrong spot

Click Re-mark Apex to try again. You can reposition the apex as many times as needed.

What's Next?

• Make a muslin (test garment) with your adjusted pattern
• Track your fit observations in the Fit History panel
• Try the other adjustment types as you explore different patterns

Happy sewing!