Fitting Dresses....Fitting the Neck and Shoulders Part 6 (long)

Continuing with the "Fitting Dresses" booklet from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Wrinkles across back of neck.  The back of the dress across the shoulders is too tight or the neck line  may be too high (Figure 6, A).  a cushion of fat on the back of the neck may cause this difficulty.

If the dress neck is too tight and high, cut the neck line deeper a the back.  The collar, if used, will have to be lengthened so it corresponds to the new stitching line.

You may release some width at the back by shortening and narrowing any darts or tucks in the neck or shoulder line.  If the back feels too tight, rip the sleeves from the back of the dress at least from the top of the shoulder to the underarm.  Baste sleeves in again, taking a smaller seam from the back of the dress but not the sleeve.  However, this can be done safely only if the material is firmly woven and the seam allowance is wide enough to withstand the strain across the back.

It may be necessary to rip and repin the shoulder seam, taking up more of the back seam near the neck line and less at the armhole, so as to keep the crosswise grain straight across the upper back (Figure 6, B).  Keep the direction of the shoulder seam correct.

If none of these changes improve the fit of the dress, it may be because the dress is too small and a new back or yoke will have to be cut from the same or contrasting fabric.

Neck line bulges at front.   The neck line may have been stretched or the garment cut too wide across the chest.  The figure may have particularly flat chest.

If the neck line is only slightly stretched, place two rows of running stitches around the neck line --- one on the seam line and one just above  Draw up until the neck line fits the neck closely (Figure 7, A).  Adjust gathers, keeping the correct shoulder line and lengthwise grain at the center front and center back.  Sometimes refitting the shoulder line will remove a slight bulge.

To fit a larger neck line bulge, rip the shoulder seam, smooth extra front fullness up and out into darts, tucks, or shirring in the front shoulder seam (Figure 7, B).  Refit shoulder seams, keeping the seam-line direction correct and lengthwise yarns straight at center front and center back.  This widens the front neck line, so there is less seam allowance for putting on the collar.  If the bulge is so extreme that the neck line would be too wide, it may be necessary to fill in with a shaped band of cloth.  Make this a part of the design of the dress or cover with the collar.

Neck line bulges at back.   The garment is too wide at the neck line.  The figure may be round-shouldered or have a roll of flesh at the back of the neck, causing the neck line to bulge.

If the bulge is slight, ease in extra fullness at the back neck line when putting on the facing or collar.  Or, take in the fullness with small darts, tucks, or shirring at the back neck line before finishing it.

Neck line too wide and too low.  If the neck line stands away from the sides of the neck, try taking deeper shoulder seams at the neck or using back and front neck line darts.  In doing this, be careful not to draw the lengthwise or crosswise yarns of the goods out of line.

If the neck is too low in the front and if there is extra seam allowance at the lower front of the blouse, the entire front can be lifted.  Rip shoulder and underarm seams.  Raise front and refit shoulder seams.  This will make the shoulder seam allowance on the front wider than the back.  Raise front underarm seam above back underarm

seam as much as was raised on the shoulder (Figure 8).  Mark a new neck line and armhole line.  If these changes are not possible, build up the neck line in the front or at the sides and cover the piecing with a collar, facing or shaped band. 

Neck line too high or too tight, with crosswise wrinkles in front or back.  A large neck, plump figure, or poor posture may make the dress neck line too high and too snug.  Or the front or back of the blouse may be too narrow near the neck line.  Very carefully clip into the neck line at the tight places (Figure 9, A).  do not clip into stitching line.

Or if this does not correct the difficulty, it is sometimes possible, after ripping the shoulder seam, to slip either the front or the back, as the case may be, toward the center (Figure 9, B).  This relieves the tightness.  Pin and baste the shoulder seams. Mark new neck line and armhole lines.


Any thoughts on these alterations?

Happy Stitching!