Solving Shoulder Problems

Some of us are painfully aware that not all shoulders and necks are made alike. Shoulder and neck patterns that don't fit properly can cause wrinkles in the front of a garment. Try these tips for adjusting patterns to fit square shoulders, sloping shoulders or a fuller neck.

Square Shoulders
Try this idea for adjusting a basic dress or bodice pattern to fit square shoulders.

1. Cut fabric pieces according to pattern instructions, adding an extra 1 inch of seam allowance at the top of the shoulders. Place and pin fabric pieces together on person that you're fitting. If fitting yourself, have someone else help pin the fabric on.
2. Make five 1/2 inch cuts, spaced equally apart, around the front neckline so the fabric will "seat" properly at the neckline.
3. Adjust the seam allowance at the shoulder so the fabric front of the garment lies flat and smooth without wrinkles. For square shoulders, the seam allowance will be larger near the neck, becoming progressively smaller near the arm. The stitch line will follow a diagonal path from the larger end of the seam allowance to the smaller end. Note the seam allowance measurements. Repeat for the opposite shoulder.
4. To determine how to adjust the pattern, find the difference between the seam allowance measurement at the arm and at the neck for each shoulder. For instance if the seam allowance needs to measure 1 inch at the neck and 5/8 inch at the arm for the garment to fit without wrinkling, the difference is 3/8 inch. Note the difference.
5. To adjust the pattern, add the difference found in step 4 to the pattern at the arm end of the shoulder. Place a small rectangle of heavy paper under the top of the shoulder area and tape the pattern to it. Beginning at the arm end of the shoulder and measuring vertically away from the pattern, measure the difference found in step 4 and mark the paper at this point. With the mark as a starting point, use a straight edge and a pen to draw a diagonally sloping line from the mark to the neckline. Darken the area inside the line and cut away extra paper. Repeat for opposite shoulder.
6. Raising the shoulder area makes it necessary to raise the armhole. To accomplish this, place a small piece of paper under bottom of the armhole and tape the pattern to it. Measuring vertically from the bottom edge of the armhole towards the shoulder, draw a vertical line the same distance used in step 5. Beginning at the top of this line, follow the shape of the original pattern to sketch in a curved line from the mark toward the bottom of notches on the pattern. Darken the area inside the line and cut away extra paper. Repeat for opposite armhole.

Sloping Shoulders
Try this idea for adjusting a basic dress or bodice pattern to fit sloping shoulders.

1. Cut fabric pieces according to pattern instructions, adding an extra inch of seam allowance at the top shoulders. Place and pin fabric pieces together on person that you're fitting. If fitting yourself, have someone else help pin the fabric on.
2. Make five 1/2 inch cuts, spaced equally apart, around the front neckline so the fabric will "seat" properly at the neckline.
3. Adjust the seam allowance at the shoulder so the fabric front of the garment lies flat and smooth without wrinkles. For sloping shoulders, the seam allowance will be smaller near the neck, becoming progressively larger near the arm. The stitch line will follow a diagonal path from the larger end of the seam allowance to the smaller end. Note the seam allowance measurements. Repeat for the opposite shoulder.
4. To determine how to adjust the pattern, find the difference between the seam allowance measurement at the arm and at the neck for each shoulder. For instance if the seam allowance needs to measure 5/8 inch at the neck and 1 inch at the arm for the garment to fit without wrinkling, the difference is 3/8 inch. Note the difference.
5. To adjust the pattern, take away the difference found in step 4 from the pattern at the arm end of the shoulder. Mark the difference at the arm end of the shoulder area. With the original neckline as a starting point, use a straight edge and a pen to draw a diagonally sloping line from the neckline to the mark. Darken the area outside the line and cut away this excess pattern. Repeat for opposite shoulder.
6. Lowering the shoulder area makes it necessary to lower the armhole. To accomplish this, measure and mark the same distance used in step 5 beginning at the bottom edge of the armhole, moving along the side seam, away from the shoulder. Follow the shape of the original pattern to sketch in a curved line from the mark toward the bottom of the notches existing on the pattern. Darken the area outside the line and cut away excess pattern. Repeat for opposite armhole.

Fuller Neck
Try this idea for adjusting a basic dress or bodice pattern to fit a fuller neck.

1. Cut fabric pieces according to pattern instructions, adding an extra 1 inch of seam allowance at the top of the shoulders. Mark the neckline on the fabric. Place and pin fabric pieces together on person that you're fitting. If fitting yourself, have someone else help pin the fabric on. Line up the neckline at the base of the back of the neck.
2. Make five 1/2 inch cuts, spaced equally apart, around the front neckline so the fabric will "seat" properly at the neckline.
3. Adjust the seam allowance at the shoulder so the fabric front of the garment lies flat and smooth without wrinkles. For a fuller neck, the seam allowance will be smaller near the neck, becoming progressively larger near the arm. The stitch line will follow a diagonal path from the larger end of the seam allowance to the smaller end. Note the seam allowance measurements. Repeat for the opposite shoulder.
4. To determine how to adjust the pattern, find the difference between the seam allowance measurement at the arm and at the neck for each shoulder. For instance if the seam allowance needs to measure 3/4 inch at the neck and 1 inch at the arm for the garment to fit without wrinkling, the difference is 1/4 inch. Note the difference.
5. To adjust the pattern, add the difference found in step 4 to the front and back shoulder of the pattern. Place a small rectangle of heavy paper under the top of the shoulder area and tape the pattern to it. Beginning at the neckline and measuring vertically away from the shoulder, measure the difference found in step 4 and mark the paper at this point. With the mark as a starting point, use a straight edge and a pen to draw a diagonally sloping line from the mark at the neckline to the original arm end. Darken the area inside the line and cut away extra paper. Repeat for opposite shoulder. Repeat for back shoulders as well.
6. Enlarging the neck means the collar will have to be enlarged. Since the neckline is enlarged at both the front and back shoulder, it is necessary to double the measurement used in step 5 for each side of the collar. For instance, a 1/4 inch increase at each front and back collar means 1/2 inch increase for each side of the collar, or 1 inch increase all around. Since collar patterns are cut in half on the fold, doubling the measurement used in step five and adding it to the collar pattern will take care of both sides of the collar. To accomplish this, cut the collar pattern into two pieces at the dot marks indicating the shoulder. Place a piece of paper in between the two pieces. Position the two pattern pieces apart in a measurement predetermined by doubling the distance used in step 5. Tape the pattern pieces to the paper and cut away the excess paper.

Also in this Episode

Sew Perfect : Episode SEW-702
•	Solving Shoulder Problems
•	Tip from Donna Salyers