Forward Shoulder Adjustment
If you find your shirts & tops often slipping backwards or bunching behind the neck, a forward shoulder adjustment might be just what you need. It’s a small tweak that can make a big difference in comfort and fit.
I’ve found that as I’ve gotten older (& spend more time at my desk & sewing machine), I’ve needed this adjustment. Posture can change over time & we tend to round our shoulders slightly without realising. This simple alteration helps your clothes sit where they should, making them more comfortable.
In this adjustment we take a tiny bit from the front shoulder & add it to the back shoulder.
In this example...
We're using the About Town Popover Top & Dress sewing pattern for this adjustment, but you can safely apply this to other patterns, both woven & knit.
For the About Town, we’ll alter the shoulder seam on the front & back pattern pieces, trim the front facing at the shoulder & move the collar notch.
You won’t need to move the sleeve notch on this pattern as it doesn’t match back to the shoulder seam.
Using this adjustment on other patterns...
Sleeve Pattern Piece: If your pattern has a notch at the top of the sleeve head that matches the shoulder seam, move it forwards by the same amount as your adjustment.
Neckline Facing Pieces: Adjust these the same way as the front & back body pieces. Take the same amount from the front facing shoulder & add it to the back facing shoulder.
Neck Band Pattern Piece: In most PE stretch patterns you won’t need to move any band notches as we don’t match our bands to the shoulder seam. If your pattern does, move the notch forwards by the same amount as your adjustment.
The Steps...
On the front piece, mark 1cm (3/8”) in from the shoulder seam edge.
Tip: I also like to mark neck (N), armhole (A) & the shoulder seam (arrow) so I don’t get mixed up.
Cut along the marked line.
Tip: We’re going to add the cut strip to the back, so on this pattern you’ll need to flip the back upside down.
Position the top edge of the strip (not the cut edge) along the back shoulder seam & tape or glue it in place.
Tip: Blend the curves at the armhole &/or neckline a tiny bit if needed.
Your front & back pattern pieces are now complete.
If you’re using a different pattern to our example, you may be able to stop here. Just remember to move the sleeve head notch the same amount towards the front if it matches the shoulder seam.
Adjust the facing.
Skip this step if your pattern doesn’t have a facing.
Our example, the About Town Popover, has a front facing only. Trim 1cm (3/8”) from the shoulder edge of the front facing piece.
If your pattern has both a front & back facing, adjust both pieces to match the new shoulder seam:
- Front facing: trim 1cm (3/8”) from the shoulder edge.
- Back facing: add 1cm (3/8”) to the shoulder edge.
Adjust the under collar notch. As we’ve made the back neckline longer but kept the total neckline the same, move the shoulder seam notch 1cm (3/8”) towards the front.
If your pattern has no collar, you don’t need to do this.
Then simply sew your top as usual.
