In the last post, I shared about the adjustments I made with the Chaparral Overalls to get a custom fit. In this post, I'm sharing how I adjusted the bib, which is specific to this pattern. One thing about making petite adjustments is that we typically need changes throughout an entire garment, not just in length. And I'd assume this goes for tall sizes as well. Since I'm shorter in both my legs and torso, I needed to adjust the length in both the pants and the front bib of this pattern. If you're on the shorter side like me (I'm 5'1"), this tutorial may be helpful. Additionally, if you're taller, you can use this tutorial to add length where I remove it!

For my first muslin, I removed 1" from the bottom of the front and back bib. After assembling it, I decided 1" was the right amount for me to remove, but didn't like that it reduced the height on the back bib piece as well. I decided to create a new front bib piece, making it shorter somewhere near the middle so that the back bib piece could remain its original height.  Adjusting the bib length is a super easy adjustment, so let's get started! 

Step 1.  Measure up from the bottom 7.5" and draw a line straight across. 

I chose 7.5" because this is an area that seemed to have less curve, which is what you want when selecting an area to shorten or lengthen a pattern. I'm using pattern pieces for a size small, so if you're using a different size, you may need to go a little further up or down. Don't worry; it doesn't have to be perfect! Most of the time, I improvise with these things, and they turn out just fine! 

Step 2. Measure up from the bottom 6.5" and mark a line straight across.

I used 6.5", 1" less than the original line because 1" is how much I wanted to remove from the bib. If you are going to remove more or less, make sure to accommodate for that. 

Note: If you are adding length instead of removing it, there is no need to create this second line. 

Step 3. Cut the pattern piece in half at the 7.5" line.

Step 4.  Now that your bib is in two pieces, overlap the top piece onto the bottom piece, aligning it at the 6.5" line, and tape it in place. 

Note: If you are adding length, you will tape a piece of paper with the height you would like to add in between the two pieces instead of overlapping them. 

Step 4. Because of this adjustment, the line of the outer curve no longer matched up, so I used my crotch curve to redraw it. 

If you are making this adjustment and don't have a crotch curve, this can be easily drawn by hand. However, if you plan to learn more about making fit adjustments or you commonly need to make adjustments to pants, it may be worthwhile to invest in this tool. Crotch curves can come in handy for all kinds of things! 

And that's it! Feel free to ask any questions in the comments below. In the final post of this mini-series on the Chaparral Overalls, I'm sharing my rolled cuff hack.  - Emily