Thank you!!! This is brilliant!!! Directions are very clear and easy to follow. I've watched a lot of videos to try to understand how to address this issue and your video is the very best I've seen. Thank you so very much!!!
Hi. I am so glad you did this video, I always have a gaping neckline. I have sloped or small shoulders not sure which. I am very top heavy and when I try adding to my bust everything else fits big. Even when I don't adjust the pattern the necklines are too low and they don't fit my shoulders. I have found they are now making patterns with different cup sizes, That helps a lot. Instead of making my pattern bigger, (eg: a size 24 when I need a 22) I can cut the 22 and use the larger cup size fits better. The necklines still are too big. Glad someone is doing the big girl stuff.
I hope this is an easy solution for you to eliminate your gaping neckline problem, Jo Sam. I figured if I'm having these problems, others might be also so I'm glad to help. Thanks for watching.
@@KatrinaKay45 Just wanted to follow up with you....I finished the top yesterday making the adjustments for the gaping neckline ....I was thinking I only needed to make the adjustments to the front, but followed your instructions and made adjustments for both the front and back....very happy with the results, the top fits so nicely at the front neckline now....a huge thank you to you Katrina! I've subscribed and look forward to learning more from you.
Your channel just showed up while I was scrolling through RU-vid and I am so thankful. I watched just one video of yours and the detailed information was on point! You’ve got a new subscriber here and I will spread the word to my sewing friends 😉
So glad I found your videos. Very informative, lots of needed detail, very easy to understand. Have sewn for many decades, but still enjoy learning from an expert! Thank you.
Thank you Katrina for your reply once again. I will try this other method that you suggest. I did do some adjustments, but they do not have seem to have made any difference. I think I will leave it for the moment, to try and get my head around it. I will let you know how i get on (if ever). Best wishes.
Thanks for sharing.... Question...could you do a tutorial on a sway back adjustment? I have 2-3 inches to remove. Thanks again and glad to see you are back.
I will definitely add that to the list. If you don't want to wait, I've seen a couple of videos on RU-vid showing how to do that adjustment. Sorry, I can't remember who it was off the top of my head.
Hi Katrina, thank you for your previous reply to my gaping neckline question, I am now going to try this method which I believe will look better than having to take out a large wedge on one neckline. Excellent advice.
Hi Katrina, this video is very helpful , I have been faffing around with the Eva dress by Tessuti for days , doing FBAs on a smaller size in the hope of fixing the gaping neck , I had given up ! Thank you very much ! Karen
I tried doing an FBA on a smaller size on one of my patterns and that didn't work for me either, Karen. I hope this method works for you and glad I could help. Thanks for watching.
Thank you for this video! I am very impressed with your skills ! How do you choose where to draw those cutting lines, can it be slightly higher or lower or at a different angle ?
Hi again Katrina, I'm not sure if I have solved the problem yet, I am still having difficulty in aligning the templates up. I have taken the toile apart to see if I can alter it with that, I also need to eliminate fullness at the bust line as there is too much fabric there to sew into the front panel, I have done a full bust adjustment, so I am looking to do that too. Plus a gaping armhole. The problems seem to keep arising, but I will carry on until I can get it right. Many thanks once again for all your help.
Since it's a challenge lining up the template, measure how much you took out, on the template, at each princess seam & neckline and take the same amount out on your pattern pieces.
I have a purchase pattern that bodice gaps at the neck, gaps at the armhole in the front AND in the back. I'm about to lose my mind fitting it. I am going to try this method. Thank you.
Thank you Katrina for the great video! The pattern I'm making has a facing at the neck that is under stitched and turned to the inside. How do I adjust the facing pieces so that they match the new neckline?
Instead of adjusting the facing, create new facings from your altered neckline. Use the old facings as a guide by measuring the length of the center front and center back. Then make the CF & CB of your facings the same length.
Oh, thank you this is very helpful and clear. One question though; does this change how the shoulder fits? I already made an adjustment for sloping shoulder, and this seems to send it back the other way.
Wow great 👍 video. You made this so easy to understand. I have been struggling with this adjustment. It seems i have rather square shoulders... And no boobs. Neckline always gaping... I think I can make this adjustment now.. I just made a top and it has this issue. Ugh. I will make pattern again and follow your video. Wish me success.☑
Just found your channel! You rock! Going to binge watch after work today! I have tiny straight, square shoulders and a huge caboose! I never quite realized this (denial) until I started sewing my clothes and couldn't figure out what was wrong! What can I do for you in return for what will certainly be expert help?
Hi, thank you for this video! I’ve been trying to figure out how to fix a gaping neckline and found your video. Do you have to do both front and back pattern adjustments? Or can you just do the adjustment to the front?
If you only adjust in the front it will change the shoulder slope in the front and sometimes this causes problems. Adjusting front and back gives you a better fit. I'm so glad this video provided a solution for your fitting problem. Thanks for watching.
You're creating a hinge at the armhole on the stitching line, not cutting through the stitching line, so your armhole measurement should not change at all. You might have to reshape it a little, but that's all. Then reshape your seam allowance to match the shape of your stitching line.
Hi Katrina, I am trying to use this method for a princess line. I am not having much luck, as the alterations for the neckline are on the front, and back of the pattern, which does not have an armhole (because there is a side panel). I do not know if this would work for a princess line, and wondered if you could give me some advice on how to reduce the gaping neck which is on both the front and back neckline ( I have round shoulders), of about an inch on both the front and back necklines, ( 2 inches is total). I was working in cm. so I want to reduce the front and back necklines by 2 cm for each panel. When I have tried to do this, the wedge again, is far to wide. Any suggestions as to how to go about it? Many thanks Val.
If you have to remove 2 inches total, you're dividing that by 4. So you should be removing 1/2 inch from the front neckline and 1/2" from the back neckline. The best way to do this for princess seams is to pin the front and side front together on the stitching line. Pin as far as you can with your pattern pieces laying flat on the table. Do the same for the back. Then trace them onto paper, shoulders, neckline, part of the center front (and center back for the back pieces) and part of the armhole. Make sure you also trace the stitching line. Do the gaping neckline adjustment. Securely tape everything in place. Reshape the necklines. Then cut your tracing apart on the stitching line. Then place the tracing on each of your pattern pieces ( being sure to match the center front and center backs. Change them accordingly, using the tracing as a template.
@@KatrinaKay45 Hi again Katrina, thank you for your excellent instructions of curing a gaping neckline. I have got to the point of cutting the stitching line off the template, (I hope that is right), but am unsure of where I need to place the template on my original pattern. Do I place it alongside the original stitching line on my pattern and tape it down? Then do I cut around my template which is placed on my original pattern following the adjustments that I have made? Do I also cut the templates in half (down the middle) and place them on top of my original pattern? Sorry for asking so many questions, but I think I am finally there, and hopefully all your wonderful instructions will have solved my problem. With many thanks Val.
@@valeriepoole1535 For the front piece, try matching the the template at the center front and center front meck and the side front match at the armhole. Do the same for the back. Your armhole measurement should not change at all. Your shoulder seam should be lower as it goes toward the neckline. IMPORTANT: make copies of your original pattern pieces before you make changes to them, if you haven't already. It's always good to have a backup just in case.
Hi Katrina, how do we know if we need to do this adjustement or making a dart for the back bodice ? (because i have a gaping on the back bodice and i saw some video telling that i need to put a dart...) thanks for the reply
Hi Jazzy, A gaping neckline causes your garment to sit away from your body at your chest or back, and sometimes the shoulder. No matter how much you pull and tug, there’s always a gap because it won't lay flat and smooth against your body. It's like having a top that's a size too big in the neckline. Some people do need darts in the back, but that's because they have a rounded back that's affecting the fit of their neckline. But a gaping neckline is not always caused by a round back. In my case, it's because I have narrow shoulders. If the method I show in the video works for you, I wouldn't add the back darts.
Hello Katrina. 1st. can you please send me the link again to download the PDF instructions for the neckline and lowering the hem. I thought I downloaded it, but can't find it. 2nd, I am trying to fix the gaping neckline on a paneled pattern. In this case, the armhole is a partial one. Do I use the same instruction as I would for a full armhole? Thank you so much. (I am going to assume there are no dumb questions).
Hi, Jo Sam. I'm glad you found the link. And you are absolutely right, there are no dumb questions. I would definitely do this alteration the same way. Depending on how much you need to take out of your neckline, if it changes the shape of your armhole a little, use a French curve to reshape it.
Hi Katrina. I tried the gaping neckline adjustment on a pattern. I would have to take a lot in, it was still too low and too much shoulder area exposed. Now I've been looking at bust increases I'm very top heavy. So when I go up to the bust measurements it makes everything too else big. between my shoulders and neck are too exposed. My neckline is too low for me. I wear a sz18W 20 off the rack. I cut the neck and shoulders out at size 18, but it runs kinda big most times. I need to make a higher neckline. I really don't want to write all this out, but if you could inbox me with a suggestion I really would appreciate it.
Hi Jo Sam. Pattern sizes and sizes off the rack are totally different. If you want to make sure you're using the right pattern size, go to my blog post here: bit.ly/2stkl5F. Pattern companies have an excessive amount of ease built into their patterns, so first you need to figure out if you have more ease than you need. You might be able to go down a pattern size.
