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Back neck and the fold
JTink Intermediate VA USA Member since 4/20/08 Posts: 4808	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 4/11/12 8:05 AM I have a small shoulder/neck area and on most all my patterns I have to take in one inch on the shoulder and take in the upper back neck seam and facing. I'm currently working on Simplicity 1920 View A. I'm morphing it with a 1 inch FBA. I added an inch to the front neck line blending back to the original before reaching the shoulder. I did NOT do the narrow shoulder adjustment, because I want the sleeves to come a little father over my shoulder in this case. Now the back is my problem. I know a lot of you "dart out" the backneck, but I've never seen anyone explain how to do this on the pattern. Also, this pattern is placed on the fold. I tried to do what I call and L cut(same I use to take in my shoulders). By cutting down through the neck about 4 inches, making a turn and cutting over to the center back leaving a hinge(and L cut). After folding my dart out, the center back is no longer straight. How do I cut this on the fold? In "every day life" I would have just made a center back seam and taken a bigger seam the last few inches up through the neck line. But in this case, I'm making this to hang up in the class room at Joann Fabrics(I'm teaching the class). I want to be able to wear this blouse after the class is done, so I'm altering it to fit me...On the hanger, no one will be the wiser. Do I line up the neck area, which is now about an inch off the fold and let the lower area of the blouse swing out, away from the fold, when cutting?
Elizabeth made this   Intermediate CO USA Member since 8/8/07 Posts: 469	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 4/11/12 9:10 AM I'd honestly try starting with a smaller size in your neck and shoulder area to start with. I don't narrow shoulders proportionally for my body, but I do in comparison to patterns (I'm petite). Narrow shoulder adjustments always helped the outer edge of the shoulder fit/look better, but it never helped me on the neck edge. If it was a short sleeve garment, the lack of weight in the sleeves would translate into poofing out the neck at CB. I tried darting, but I never liked how it looked. On longer sleeved garments, the weight of the sleeve seemed to pull the wide neck so it didn't poof anymore at CB, but the sleeves were falling off my shoulders again... Then I saw a teacher who suggested measuring your shoulders from where you like them to fall from shoulder to shoulder, compare that measurement to your pattern and cut that size in your shoulders. Her logic was that since most garments hang from your shoulders (and not your high bust for instance) you'll be more successful if you cut what you need there. I'm a size bigger through my torso, so I just transition at the bottom of the armscye. Since I started doing this, I've never had to retrofit with darts or do a narrow shoulder adjustment. I hope that helps. ------ emadethis.wordpress.com Dare to do more. ~Natalie Dessay
JTink Intermediate VA USA Member since 4/20/08 Posts: 4808	Login to reply to this post In reply to Elizabeth made this << Like this post Date: 4/11/12 9:25 AM Elizabeth, thank you. I do cut a smaller size for my neck shoulder area and morph out from the bust down. You are right, the narrow shoulder adjustment only deals with the shoulder and not the neck, for me anyway. I have to make that adjustment when wearing set in sleeves, because the garment shoulder would be falling down my arm It's just this nagging little extra I'm having in the back. If I make a "normal" dart on the pattern, it puffs and won't lay flat for cutting. That's why I like doing L cuts with hinges. I guess my biggest concern is cutting it on the fold and how it should be laying.
LauraTS   Advanced Beginner CA USA Member since 7/10/06 Posts: 1954	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 4/12/12 1:20 AM I don't know if the darting you mention is like what I do, but all I do is fold out a dart in the back neckline at a location where that doesn't mess up the neckline edge too much (I kinda true it as I cut - obviously for anything with a collar or a facing you'd have to adjust there too). It doesn't usually lay totally flat - I can usually take out ~1/2-1" without a big problem. The CB fold does get a little distorted, but I just align it as best I can. I have the feeling that is as clear as mud, sorry. ------ I've moved! Visit my new sewing blog at http://chiralcraft.wordpress.com Do you sew from KnipMode? Join us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/knipmode_english/
Mc Donna   Intermediate MA USA Member since 1/2/10 Posts: 242	Login to reply to this post In reply to JTink << Like this post Date: 4/12/12 2:44 AM Quote: Do I line up the neck area, which is now about an inch off the fold and let the lower area of the blouse swing out, away from the fold, when cutting? I hope I'm understanding you correctly. You now have a 1" wide V shaped area that veers away from center back. If you do the above, your top will be offgrain, and you will have added circumference to the hem. Not sure this is what you would like. Instead, I would straighten the center back by adding tissue to take up the space of that 1" "V" which will allow you to cut on the fold, maintaining both your grainline and design. I would then slash the pattern at the neck edge until the patten lays flat. This will create two neck darts, one on each side of center back. When you stitch those darts, the shape returns to your fit. Does this make sense? HTH -- Edited on 4/12/12 2:44 AM --
NhiHuynh   Advanced CA USA Member since 1/4/11 Posts: 593	Login to reply to this post In reply to JTink << Like this post Date: 4/12/12 3:10 AM So I think you're talking about a dart to account for an upper neck/back curve. I take about 1/2" - 1" dart at the top of the neck, ending maybe 4" down the back. I've taken a class with Cynthia Guffey on this. She said that almost all people need this adjustment along with a shoulder slope adjustment. She recommends adding a center back seam. Depending on the style I'll add a center back seam or taper the dart down to the shirt or jacket hem. The dart gets pretty skinny towards the bottom so I'm not adding a whole lot of extra width. I can also take the extra width out at the side seams or fisheye darts. For knits, I'll just try to flatten the pattern kinda wrinkly and the knit can stretch usually make up the difference.
JTink Intermediate VA USA Member since 4/20/08 Posts: 4808	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 4/12/12 7:20 AM Thank you all so much for the suggestions. I guess there is really no "right or wrong" way of doing this. I don't want to make darts on the garment. Anyother time I would make a center back seam, but I'm trying to keep this as true to the pattern as I can, because it's to be used as a display piece in the classroom. I want to be able to give the students the "look" of what the pattern is actually suppose to be. If I make a center back seam, it will not look like the original pattern. I've already made so many adjustments to this simple little top, but to the "beginner's eye", they won't be able to tell the difference. Phat Chick has a tutorial on her Blog about this adjustment, but hers is for only 1/2 inch in the back. I'm not sure how much I need to take out yet(I'm making a muslin today), I know it will be more than a half inch. Thanks again ladies. I let you know what happens.
Miss Fairchild   Advanced USA Member since 8/24/02 Posts: 6990	Login to reply to this post In reply to JTink << Like this post Date: 4/12/12 7:43 AM I know I'm late to the party (again!) but I used to have this problem alot. What I do is I take tiny tucks, less than 1/4" and more like 1/8" deep, starting just below the shoulder seam in the back, evenly spaced and ending just in front of the fold; do this on the pattern only. If you need to make four tucks, just place them closer together. The tucks make the curve, and are small enough that even if you're using a woven, they will fall away towards the bottom of the bodice and won't change the grainline on the pattern. Don't forget to redraw your facing, or you can do the same with the facing (making the same tucks) . EDITED TO ADD: The narrower and greater number of tucks, the better your neck will curve and accept the adjustment. If you have to take out 1/2", make just two tucks at 1/8" (1/4"x2=1/2"); 3/4" is three tucks, and 1'' is four tucks. -- Edited on 4/12/12 7:50 AM -- ------ "We don't impose our rhythm on Nature. The key is to respect and live within Her." Jean-Charles Boisset, Winemaker "And no, now that you asked, I didn't enjoy that play one bit, and I'd like a refund" Signed, Mrs. Lincoln My Etsy shop: auntmaymesattic My blog: auntmaymesattic.wordpress.com Avatar: First place award for jacket at county fair
JTink Intermediate VA USA Member since 4/20/08 Posts: 4808	Login to reply to this post In reply to Miss Fairchild << Like this post Date: 4/12/12 6:37 PM Miss Fairchild, this sounds interesting, but I can't visualize it Come to find out, after I made the muslin, I found I didn't need the alteration, the entire neck line was much to low and wide, so I just added an inch to the entire thing(front and Back) and there was no gaping...problem solved on this one. If I were making this "just for me" and not using it for a display piece at the store, I wouldn't have hesitated on making a back seam, and taking it in at the top. That's the "usual" way I correct this neck gap thing. It's the fold that was making this a real head scratcher

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