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Uneven Shoulders Move entire seamline?
JennaF Advanced Beginner WA USA Member since 5/10/10 Posts: 362	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 1/18/11 4:20 PM I have uneven & sloping shoulders (you can see my body graph here) and I'm working on a Princess seamed blouse. I'm primarily concerned about the uneven shoulders. When I tissue fit the blouse (pictures here) the hem is noticeably lower on my low side. FFRP says to sew the shoulder & underarm deeper on the low side. But from the illustration (on page 161) it looks like the seam-line change tapers to nothing at the neck, which is the same alteration as the sloping shoulders alteration. So, to clarify (I sure do get wordy sometimes) do I move the entire shoulder seam or do I taper the change to nothing at the neck? ------ http://www.seamstressintraining.blogspot.com
JanaL Intermediate UT USA Member since 10/8/08 Posts: 28	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 1/18/11 5:15 PM If your high shoulder is still sloping relative to the pattern you will need to make a sloping shoulder adjustment for that shoulder. As you mentioned, the adjustment is a lowering of the shoulder point on the shoulder seam tapering to zero at the neck. The same amount is lowered at the underarm point at both front and back, otherwise your sleeve won't fit your pattern anymore. For the lower shoulder, you will need to make the same adjustment, just more of it. The add'l adjustment will be the difference between your shoulders. You don't want to move the entire shoulder seam--that will mess up that balance of your entire garment. Hope that helps.
lca   Intermediate CO USA Member since 6/4/07 Posts: 503	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 1/19/11 4:14 PM Normally you would keep the point at the neck where the pattern intends it and slope to the shoulder point as previously mentioned. Try this first. However, it seems as though your neck/shoulder points are uneven too. I have this problem also. Sometimes I do have to take it in at the neck edge on one side and this means adjusting a collar also. For this reason, I avoid a lot of patterns with collars. You could also add a shoulder pad to one side. Personally I'm not a shoulder pad person.
JennaF Advanced Beginner WA USA Member since 5/10/10 Posts: 362	Login to reply to this post In reply to lca Like this post Date: 1/19/11 4:26 PM Quote: lca Personally I'm not a shoulder pad person. Me, neither!! I was surprised at how much FFRP used them...but I guess shoulder pads were "in" then, too.Interesting point about my uneven neck points! I'm going to keep that in mind! ------ http://www.seamstressintraining.blogspot.com
Nancy K Advanced NY USA Member since 12/28/04 Posts: 7588	Login to reply to this post In reply to JennaF Like this post Date: 1/19/11 4:41 PM I have uneven shoulders due to an accident and it can be a trial. I tend to ignore it in knits, but in any kind of woven there are some things that I do. Kenneth King in one of his articles says as you already know that you have to sew the under arm lower. He says to do it on both sides, cut for the high side and adjust the lower side. With a jacket or coat I make and use a thicker shoulder pad. On blouses you need to make a decision about how you want to handle it. Of course, you can always use a small pad these days. You'll need to sew that side lower, but you can distract the eye by adding details that add visual height to that side. I don't bother. It's lower and that's life. I like to sew it lower so that I don't have diagonal wrinkles that point to it and make it obvious. To clarify your original question, yes, you need to taper it to nothing at the neckline and yes it is really just like a sloping shoulder alteration. You just don't sew the higher side lower. I do it when I am sewing it or you have to cut two different sides. Of course you can do that if you want to. ------ www.nancyksews.blogspot.com

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