I was confused for a long time about my where my shoulder point was. I posted a question about it on the boards (http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/sewingclasses/board.pl?t=13871) and found that some other people were having the same problem. I googled shoulder anatomy and found some useful info that I thought I'd share here.
The shoulder point in pattern making is actually the AC joint (acromioclavicular joint). This is the joint between the collar bone (clavical) and the tip of the shoulder blade bone (acromion). I was mistakenly marking the joint where the head of the arm (humerus) enters the shoulder socket! I found my AC joint by running my fingers along the top of my collar bone until I felt a little dent. I'm pretty confident that I've got the right spot now, even though I still don't see that 'dimple' at the hinge point that I keep reading about!
The photo I linked to was the least graphic photo for those who might not like that stuff, but if you google AC joint there are some more helpful images out there.
Miss Fairchild said... Excellent tip! Thank you for taking the time to write it. I have forward sloping shoulders and it's always been difficult to find just exactly where everything is. Thanks to you I can! 5/5/06 8:15 PM
PVA said... Thank you, Beth. Every little piece of information helps enormously & this one is news to me! 5/6/06 0:23 AM
Luckylibbet said... Now it all makes sense! Thanks a bunch. 5/6/06 9:03 AM
AnneM said... Nice of you to not only post the tip, but pick a non-graphic diagram. I might look for some of those other diagrams as well, though. :) 5/6/06 9:08 AM
ryan's mom said... Great tip! For a long time I was using the wrong point too and learned the correct point in the Muslin class. This is great for all those who are in the same boat we were in for too long. 5/6/06 2:50 PM
Peggym said... I too have forward and uneven shoulders and am looking forward to trying this. It certainly makes sense. I have found the dimple! If the shoulders are wrong the whole garment is wrong 5/7/06 5:16 PM
hopefull said... always had a problem finding shoulder point-will try 3/29/07 1:29 PM
waltzqueen said... I never knew where the point was either, but thought it was the bump end of the clavical. Thanks for the explanation.
1/9/08 11:13 PM
goldesdottar said... Really helpful; i used the Google Images searcher, and can now even locate the "dimple"! I've sewn for decades & never had such clarity about the shoulder point...i am REALLY narrow-shouldered. 4/14/08 3:23 AM
Kirstenw said... I have been drafting my patterns for a long time, till now have not known exactly where the shoulder was. Thank you for sharing. 5/16/08 5:18 AM
Lynnelle said... Great tip. Thank you. I have recently come to realize that I have very narrow shoulders and your tip provides further justification. 6/29/08 9:02 AM
Excellent tip! Thank you for taking the time to write it. I have forward sloping shoulders and it's always been difficult to find just exactly where everything is. Thanks to you I can!
5/5/06 8:15 PM
Thank you, Beth. Every little piece of information helps enormously & this one is news to me!
5/6/06 0:23 AM
Now it all makes sense! Thanks a bunch.
5/6/06 9:03 AM
Nice of you to not only post the tip, but pick a non-graphic diagram. I might look for some of those other diagrams as well, though. :)
5/6/06 9:08 AM
Great tip! For a long time I was using the wrong point too and learned the correct point in the Muslin class. This is great for all those who are in the same boat we were in for too long.
5/6/06 2:50 PM
I too have forward and uneven shoulders and am looking forward to trying this. It certainly makes sense. I have found the dimple! If the shoulders are wrong the whole garment is wrong
5/7/06 5:16 PM
always had a problem finding shoulder point-will try
3/29/07 1:29 PM
I never knew where the point was either, but thought it was the bump end of the clavical. Thanks for the explanation.
1/9/08 11:13 PM
Really helpful; i used the Google Images searcher, and can now even locate the "dimple"! I've sewn for decades & never had such clarity about the shoulder point...i am REALLY narrow-shouldered.
4/14/08 3:23 AM
I have been drafting my patterns for a long time, till now have not known exactly where the shoulder was. Thank you for sharing.
5/16/08 5:18 AM
Great tip. Thank you. I have recently come to realize that I have very narrow shoulders and your tip provides further justification.
6/29/08 9:02 AM