Fitting Shoulders - The Sewing Workshop

Fitting Shoulders
Fundamentals of Fit #1
By Linda Lee
Shoulder Fitting is Critical!
Shoulder seams on a garment
should fit the width and slope of
your shoulders. The fit of the
shoulder seams influences the fit of
an entire garment, improves the
overall drape, and many times
solves other fitting problems.
Measure your high bust and full
bust. Compare the two
measurements.
If your full bust is at least 2” more
than your high bust measurement,
use the high bust measurement as
your starting pattern size and alter
other areas from there.
The basic concept of fitting is to start at the top.
Make all lengthen and shorten alterations first,
then make the adjustments at the shoulders
before altering other areas such as the bust.
Know Your
Notions
Helpful Rulers
Gather various shapes of
fashion and drafting
rulers. These aids help to
draw smooth lines. It is
almost impossible to
hand draw the correct
shapes and lines without
the proper equipment.
HIP CURVE
VARIFORM CURVE
L-SQUARE
STRAIGHT EDGE
with GRID
FRENCH CURVE
Measure Your Shoulders
Start by determining the correct
length of your shoulder and adjust
the pattern, making it narrower or
wider, if necessary.
Measure the shoulder length from
neck base to shoulder joint.
Find the neck base by wearing a
simple chain necklace or bending
your neck toward the shoulder to
locate the crease.
To locate the shoulder joint, raise
the arm and feel the indentation at
the socket.
Measure Your Pattern
Using an indicator such as a
red dot, mark the ends of the
actual stitching line on the
shoulder seam of your size.
Measure the width of the
shoulder seam on the pattern
between the stitching lines (the
finished length).
This shoulder measures 5 1/2”
finished for a size small.
Use a good quality tape measure
that does not stretch and has clean
and finished ends for accuracy.
Compare the Measurements
Compare your shoulder
length with the pattern
measurement to determine
how much to adjust the
pattern.
For example:
Your shoulder length = 5”
Pattern width = 5 1/2”
Adjustment - reduce the
shoulder seam length 1/2”
Pin-Fitting
If the pattern has a wide neck
opening and you don’t know
exactly where the shoulder
seam ends at the neck, pin-fit
rather than measure to
determine the shoulder seam
length.
Other pattern alterations are
best determined by pin-fitting
the pattern or making a mockup (muslin) of the garment.
You may need to combine two
or more shoulder adjustments
in one pattern.
Pin-fitting any pattern can tell you a lot about how the
total garment will fit - not just the shoulder seams.
Never cut out a pattern until you know that the pattern
is at least large enough.
Don’t choose a size based on what you normally wear in
ready-to-wear - patterns are sized differently.
Tracing the Armscye
We will refer to this technique
more than once in this
tutorial. Here’s how to do it.
Use pattern tracing paper or
vellum to trace and record
the original armscye shape
of both the front and back.
Linda likes using the
Primacolor Col-Erase 20045
Carmine Red pencil with an
eraser to draw lines on
pattern paper.
The word “armscye” is an historical fashion
term describing the armhole opening in an
item of apparel. Alternative spellings are
“armseye or arm’s eye”.
Using the Tracing
Mark the new end point for
the shoulder width.
Lay the tracing under the
pattern matching the top of
the traced armscye with the
new shoulder point.
Pivot the paper until the
bottom armscye point is in
line with the side seam.
Tape the tracing in place and
trace the original armscye
shape to the pattern.
Repeat for the back piece.
Using the same armscye contour does not
require drafting skills or the need to change
the sleeve cap shape or length. The original
sleeve pattern will fit.
Narrow Shoulders
At the end of the shoulder
seam, mark the new shoulder
width (both front and back).
Trace the original armscye, and
place it under the pattern piece.
Position the top of the traced
armscye at the new shoulder
mark. Pivot the tracing until the
bottom of the traced armscye is
aligned with the side seam.
Redraw the armscye of the
front and back to the original
shape.
Use the reverse technique to adjust for
BROAD SHOULDERS. The new shoulder
width will be wider than the original
pattern and the side seam slightly lower.
Sloping Shoulders
B
You can detect a sloping
shoulder problem by
looking at what happens
under the arm.
A
C
Watch how this changes!
A. Natural shoulders
B. With shoulder pad
C. Natural shoulders
pinned to show the
amount of slope to
adjust on the pattern
Sloping Shoulders
Trace the original armscye
of the front and back
pattern pieces.
Both the front and back seams are
sloped the same degree and amount.
Measure down from the
end of the shoulder seam
to mark the amount the
seam needs to be lowered.
Lower the side seam at the
underarm the same
amount.
Redraw the original
armscyes.
Use the reverse technique to adjust for SQUARE
SHOULDERS. The shoulder seams are raised instead
of lowered. The side seams will also be raised.
Forward Thrust Shoulders
As we age and work at our
desks, sewing machines,
cutting tables and kitchen
counters, our shoulders begin
to roll forward and we become
more stooped.
The starting point of this seam
at the neck point is fine, but the
angle of the seam needs to
move forward at the shoulder/
sleeve point.
Forward Thrust Shoulders
Measure down from the
shoulder line along the armscye
of the front pattern piece.
DOWN
UP
Measure up from the shoulder
line (the same distance as the
front was reduced) on the back
pattern piece. Add pattern
paper.
Draw new shoulder lines
starting at the original neck
point to the new ending points.
Move the dot on the top of the
sleeve forward the same
amount the seam was lowered.
TO THE FRONT
Balancing the Shoulders
When a garment continues
to fall back and you keep
tugging at it to bring it
forward, the shoulders need
to be balanced, giving the
back of the garment more
fabric at the shoulders and
less fabric at the front.
This problem tends to occur
when the garment is oversized and has rectangularshaped pieces.
The entire shoulder seam
needs to be moved forward.
Plaza Jacket
Tip - Remove the strip of pattern
tissue from the front shoulder line
and re-tape to the back shoulder.
How to Balance the Shoulders
Remove 1/2” from the
front shoulder seam.
REMOVE
ADD
Add 1/2” to the back
shoulder seam.
On the sleeve, move
the top dot forward
towards the front 1/2”.
If there is a stand or
collar piece, move the
shoulder dot forward
towards the front 1/2”.
MOVE TO FRONT
1/2” is about the most that can be removed and
added successfully without other issues occurring.
Adjustment for Extended Shoulder Lines
The Trio Top is a sleeveless
garment but the shoulder
seam extends beyond the
normal shoulder ending. If
you have narrow shoulders
or wear a small size, this
may be too wide.
This adjustment is also
used when the sleeves are
cut onto the bodice of a
garment.
Trio Top
Adjustment for Extended Shoulder Lines (Narrow)
Draw a horizontal line
extending from just below
the arm opening to a vertical
line extending to the
shoulder seam (back and
front).
ADJUSTMENT
POINT
Mark the amount of shoulder
adjustment to be made.
OVERLAP
Cut along the new lines and
lap the pattern to the new
adjustment point.
Blend the the cutting lines of
the shoulder and side
seams.
Use the reverse
technique to adjust for
SQUARE SHOULDERS.
Adjustment for Two-Piece Raglan Sleeve
The Trio T-shirt is designed
with a raglan sleeve cut
into two pieces. Because
the shoulder seam extends
along from the neck base
to the wrist, you can shape
the seam to fit the contour
of your shoulder and arm.
Reduce the amount
of shoulder curve
Trio T-shirt
Change the placement
of the shoulder curve
Rounded Back Adjustment
Adjusting your pattern for a
rounded back has the
added benefit of fitting a
sloping shoulder better.
The two fitting issues tend
to go hand-in-hand.
Telltale wrinkles
How to Adjust for a Rounded Back
Halfway down the armscye on
the seamline, draw a horizontal
line perpendicular to the center
back.
Draw a vertical line, perpendicular
to the first line, to the shoulder
edge.
Cut along both lines to remove
the wedge. Place paper under the
pattern. Slide the cut section
straight up the amount needed.
Restore the shoulder seam by
drawing a straight line between
the original shoulder and neck
points.
Spread
The average amount of spread is from 1/2” to 1”.
Fitting Shoulders
Fundamentals of Fit #1
By Linda Lee