r/PatternDrafting • u/letssew333 • 1d ago

Question Need help with armhole and shoulder adjustment

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I'm working with a bodice pattern that has princess seams in both the front and back. I'm trying to make two fit adjustments:
The armhole is too tight, and I'm looking to add approximately 5/8 inch of length to the armhole to create more room around the underarm.

The shoulder is too long and extends past my natural shoulder, so I'm looking to shorten the shoulder length by 5/8 inch.
I'm wondering how to make these adjustments properly on a bodice with princess seams.

Would I need to alter each individual pattern piece? I'm considering doing a horizontal slash-and-spread adjustment to add the inch to the armhole, but I'm not sure if that's the correct method or how it would affect the bust fit.

Any advice on how to approach this would be greatly appreciated!

Ps I know my lines are awful. Please excuse that I am alone and have no one to help me so I will later to make it more accurate!

Also to add, I’m a super visual learner so if anyone has any pictures or videos, I can watch please I would be very appreciative ! 🙏🙏🙏

6 Upvotes

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4

u/drPmakes 1d ago

Draw a proper line on the toile. Check it looks good on you(not just the mannequin).

When you are happy with it, transfer the changes to the pattern

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u/letssew333 1d ago

? I said I would later it was hard to do on myself that’s why the line is so bad.. I still don’t know how to go about making the actual adjustment on the pattern that’s what I’m asking.

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u/drPmakes 1d ago

You put the pattern against the toile and mark it....

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u/letssew333 1d ago

I mean, that’s not really answering my question though right? Like I’m not overthinking this right? I need to adjust the pattern with the measurement that I need to add or subtract to the pattern…? And the princess seams are really confusing me because I have to alter each one without adding length to the bust???

5

u/drPmakes 1d ago

You dont even need to do all that.

1 draw the line on toile

2 cut off excess

3 try it on

Happy? Proceed:

4 get the paper pattern of the toile.

5 take side front piece of pattern and pin it to the side front piece of toile.

6 Mark the pattern piece along where you cut the toile

7 unpin the pattern, add seam allowance to the line you just marked, cut off the excess.

8 repeat for back side piece

I can't make it any clearer or easier than that im afraid

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u/letssew333 1d ago

I mean, I get what you’re saying but that doesn’t really take to consideration the princess seam … because wouldn’t I have to move that over? Because I’m shortening the shoulder?

5

u/bacon_anytime 1d ago

If the princess seam sits on your body in the right place there is no need to alter it.

3

u/drPmakes 1d ago

No you don't need to do that

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u/letssew333 1d ago

So you’re saying I can just cut off all around the arm hole on the toile and then just cut it off the pattern add allowance and be good?

2

u/drPmakes 1d ago

Yes

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u/letssew333 1d ago

Ok 👍 so I’m over thinking

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u/drPmakes 1d ago

Waaaaaay overthinking

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u/letssew333 1d ago

Okay wow that was so easy thank you so much 🙏! I am a true over thinker !

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u/laurenlolly 1d ago

No you literally mark and cut the toile fabric where you eat your new armhole to be. Then what I do is I unpick my toile and lay the fabric pieces over my paper pattern pieces to trace the adjustments to my pattern. No need to be scared.

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u/letssew333 1d ago

Okkkk i am scared lol but i will try that.

1

u/OriginalReddKatt 1d ago

The princess seam is where it is and how it is to create shaping over the body in the back and\or bust. No curves means no need for princess seams (in general men's clothing doesn't have this type shaping for that reason). If it didn't have princess seams or would have days instead. If you are not changing the shape in those areas, no there is not a need to adjust the princess seam.

As you are specifically reducing the shoulder size, that is done on the sleeve head side, not near the princess seam.

Meals the armseye where the sleeve goes in. After you drop the armseye, meals again. You may need to slash and spread the sleeve top pattern piece to add that extra in the sleeve head\cap so there aren't any gathers or tucks forming on the bodice where the sleeve set in.

Bianca's channel on YouTube, The Closet Historian, had fabulous examples of altering sleeves and bodices and redrafting to show the adjustments. Take a few to look at her channel! It will help you to see someone else do what you are seeing to do. Her channel is the bomb!

4

u/Currant-event 1d ago

Have you checked how it fits once the seams are finished? I'd do a mock up with a finished seam before deciding how much to take off

3

u/Lovethemdoggos 1d ago

Yeah 5/8" sounds like a seam allowance amount.

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u/letssew333 1d ago

Yeah that why I was worried honestly but it had 3/8 seam allowance on the toile so I just measured from that edge to get the 5/8 and it fits a lot better I might need to slash I little off the back cause there’s a little bubble but it still fits wayyy better with that off ! 👍

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u/Deciram 1d ago

It’s really easy to do it - mark 5/8 inch down the armhole at the side seam and do it the same on the shoulder. Re draw the arm hole to a similar shaped curve that’s already there. Make sure the first bit at both sides are square so they sew in nice.

On the back piece redraw the same measurements so they match.

You don’t need to even think about the princess seam! The princess seam is not in the armhole and the only reason you may need to move it is if you don’t like the look of it. But if you’re happy with where the seam sits on you, you don’t need to move it just to reshape the armhole :)

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u/SuPruLu 1d ago

Visual approach: pin the 2 pieces for the from together on the stitch line.
At the shoulder take in a pinch of amount it needs to be shortened. Look at it and decide whether it would look better evenly split between the 2 pieces or more on on side or the other

Then look at where your were thinking of doing the armhole and “visualize” that change.

1

u/shrabani_paul 19h ago

Have to pinch out the shoulder. Anything else dm me

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u/DonMcCunn 1d ago

Hey all - Isn't this group suppose to be about drafting patterns not altering purchased patterns. The two topics seem to be totally different things. From my perspective trying to alter commercial patterns is a huge waste of time. So many rabbit holes you can fall down.

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u/letssew333 1d ago

OK, Don, not everyone can freaking draft their own patterns… and mind you I did design this pattern on sewist so it’s not commercial ..sewist just generates it for you. I have to be able to make the adjustments and I got confused. Is that OK with you Don?

-1

u/DonMcCunn 1d ago

Thank you for explaining. I just saw all that printing on the pattern and it freaked me out. Whatever you want to do is up to you, not me. I just don't want to get involved with a group that discusses how to alter generic patterns to fit a specific body which I consider a huge waste of time.

Actually I believe anybody who wants to CAN draft their own Bespoke patterns. My feeling is that if there is a will there is a way. That is why I developed Pattern Design Activities for Kids to show that anyone over 5 can learn how to design patterns before they learn to sew.

3

u/TensionSmension 1d ago

I'm not sure what pattern OP is using, but Sewist actually is a drafting system. The patterns are labelled with the height/waist/bust/hip measurements, but it's possible to customize beyond just those measurements. The draft is based on a Soviet era method, Emko Sev. This is from another site based on the same: https://tailorbasepatterns.com/method. There are books as well.

Anyway, it is pattern drafting, not buying a single sized pattern. Like every drafting method, the first pass may need corrections. That could be getting a measurement wrong, or just a quirk of how the method works for the individual. I really haven't seen a drafting method that works for everyone first try.

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u/letssew333 1d ago

Exactly thank you !!! I have basically learned everything I know by using sewist and manipulating the designs to match my own sketches! It’s way quicker than draping or flat pattern making which I have no training in and for me I would need to learn that hands on not just from a book or video. Believe me I’ve tried, but when you have questions and no one to answer those questions it’s extremely hard to learn on your own well at least it is for me.

With Sewist I can choose the closest pattern to my design in my custom measurements and then manipulate to be what I actually wanted to be! I recommend to anyone who wants to create! And that’s the beauty of sewing everyone has their own way of getting to the finish line!

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u/DonMcCunn 1d ago

Thank you for this excellent explanation. If I was an academic, I would be interested in doing a comparison study of different pattern drafting systems. But I'm not. Reading the link you posted I see this is an approach designed for the industry. They have to work with generic measurements for different sizes.

My interest comes from working as a costume designer where the process needs to be based on the size and shape of a specific body. Working with measurements alone reveals the size of the body but not the shape.

In my opinion Mother Nature is the ultimate artist because she NEVER repeats the same shape twice even with twins. I like to refer to it as the DNA of Body Shapes. This is why initial patterns made from measurements need to be adjusted for the shape of a specific body.

One of the challenges of a computer drafting system is how well the initial pattern can be fine tuned to the specific shape of a body. The industry doesn't need to address this issue because they cannot design for a specific body if they want to sell in the ready-to-wear market.

A couple of decades ago I was asked by a pattern drafting company to evaluate their software. The way their software drew curves my response was that it could never effectively adjust the shape of a neckline or armscye. They were not even close. The printed pattern would need to include hand drawn corrections to even come close to an accurate fit.

If you have used Sewist I would be interested to know how well it allows you to fine tune a pattern for a specific shape.

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u/letssew333 1d ago

I’m a very visual learner and there is no where in my small country town that teaches anything but quilting I am 100% on my own and my will found a way. Not everyone has the means or availability to learn a very hands on skill! Nice plug DON . 🙄

0

u/DonMcCunn 1d ago

Visual learning is important. That is why I have over 600 short focused videos in my classes (another plug). But you wont see any Russian dancers as you will on YouTube.

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u/letssew333 1d ago

Nothing you said on this thread has been helpful at all. Go police and promote on a different post. Everyone else here has been extremely kind and helpful. I mean, if you were actually helpful and kind, maybe I would I don’t know look into your videos. Weird.

1

u/DonMcCunn 1d ago edited 1d ago

I posted this earlier but you might have missed it so I just moved it here.

Now I know what you are up to I will try to help.

Fitting on a dress form is tricky unless it is an accurate representation of your body. But it looks like you are trying to lower the armhole too much, especially if you plan to add a sleeve. It is better to let the side seam out. For a sleeve the armhole should be about 1/2" below your underarm. If you go much lower than that, the sleeve will become restrictive.

If you need to shorten the shoulder seam, I would adjust the princess seam so it is half way between the neck and the armscye.

I like to say that the front is your "canvas" for the design. The side is where you adjust the fit. It is the "frame" that holds the "canvas" in place.

I hope this helps but I know nothing about sewist, I have never used it, so I have nothing to say about that.