If You Shorten the Shoulder Seam, Does the Sleeve Need Adjusting? 

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Thanks Jane!

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You're very welcome! Sorry for the delayed response!.

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Thanks for the kind words... If you shorten the arm opening, then you would shorten the sleeve cap (slash and overlap). Thanks for watching

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Happy to help! Thanks for fitting along with you, Jen

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I’m so happy you found me! Please keep me posted if you have questions about anything specific... I love doing Subscriber Q & A ...thanks for watching!

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I made the adjustments yesterday and it was so easy to do. I appreciate that you took the time to show us regarding the armhole/sleeve measurements and didn't just tell us. I haven't tested it yet.@@JSternDesigns

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Happy this helps! thanks for watching

J Stern Designs I was going to go to the trouble of doing an FBA on one size down in the pattern for this problem but this solution seems so much easier and sensible for a small adjustment. Again, thank you!

Thank you for your kind words!! Those are all great topics. And, you've given me an idea. I have a friend who just opened her own tailor shop... Maybe I'll do some tutorials with her over at her shop to show how to deal with the underarm gusset and rolled cuff on a jacket sleeve with a lining. Stay Tuned! Thanks for watching

I am so excited! I anticipate each video because you're clear, take your time, and explain things us newbies are overthinking about. Your videos give more actual teaching information because you not only answer, but show why it's the answer and what else to look out for. Thanks for all your excellent work!

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Thank you for your kind words. Cutting off the entire shoulder seam and shift it toward the neckline it does shift fabric off the shoulder and closes the neckline. This is a good way to do it if the shoulder seam is the right length.

Can you grade the pattern down one size through the armhole and shoulder to make the amount you need to shorten a little less?

@@JSternDesigns Not really, I'm already using the smaller of 2 sizes to mitigate some of this. I'll get started on the pattern adjustment and see how it goes.

I think I made a good plan of attack... see your second comment :) Thanks for fitting along with me

:) you could have taken the sleeve cap in a little by either trimming a little of the fabric away from the edge of the cap ...or taken in the under arm seam slightly :)

:) I should, I have broader shoulders too! You can do this adjustment in the reverse. Slash and spread instead of overlap the vertical slash. You can true up the armhole the same way and you shouldn't need to adjust the sleeve. Thanks for fitting along with me!

I'm so sorry for the delayed response. If you need to take in side seam and shorten the shoulder, you can draw the horizontal line a little bit below the base of the armhole instead of at the armhole. Then you can slide the entire armhole and the very top of the side seam in 1/2"... true up the rest of the side seam below the adjustment to take the entire side seam in. Hope this helps!

That is a great suggestion, and I'm trying to add before and after pics when I have them. Here is a tutorial where I showed a pic of one of my wonderful subscriber wearing a top that needed a shoulder slope adjustment. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--D6BmIiMNXY.html thanks for fitting along with me!

That sounds like a great topic for an upcoming video! Meanwhile, if the armhole edge of the shoulder seam is hanging past the tip of your shoulder, that's when you would need to shorten it. If the fabric is not hanging properly on your shoulder, you need to adjust the slope of the shoulder. In the case I shared in this tutorial, the fabric at the tip of the shoulder would look like it's pulling and it would be loose and not laying right at the neckline edge. ... Stay tuned for more, thanks for watching!

If you have to shorten the shoulder 1 1/2"... It sounds like you may need to go down one size... I can't think of a way to remove that much from the length of the shoulder without also taking some off the high bust. It may be that you need a smaller size and a larger full bust adjustment ... You can also add to the high bust a little if you need to along the armhole if it's too snug in a smaller size. You can pick up the shoulder to pick it up at the armhole to fix the slope. Hope this helps, thanks for watching

Glad it was helpful!

Hi Aine, Happy Dance... I already did a video for that! Here's the link (keep me posted if you have questions) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OF1FFZvPgVk.html

I'm so happy you enjoyed this tutorial. Here's my Amazon Associate Link to my favorite clear grid ruler. jsterndesigns.com/product/clear-grid-ruler/

So happy you're fitting along with me. Instead of doing the traditional petite the armhole adjustment, try raising the base of the armhole... Here's a tutorial for that ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZcPS61NbVUg.html. You can narrow the shoulder, true up the armhole, then raise the base of the armhole. If your cb seam looks bumpy after doing a sway back adjustment, maybe try making two slash lines from the CB to side seam and split the total your pleating out. This may make the fabric lay smoother. Hope this helps!

@@JSternDesigns thank you for taking the time to reply….I think you’re the only RU-vidr that does this, makes for a very loyal follower! I will try this although I did think I needed the petite adj all the way across to lift everything up to where it should be eg waist, shoulders etc but will def try your way first!! It’s a good job I have so many old sheets (begged from family and friends!) . Thanks again, looking forward to bodice tutorial later.

That's a great idea.... Stay tuned!

That's a great question.... and perfect timing. I will answer this next week on Fit Tip Tuesday! Stay Tuned :)

@@JSternDesigns oh thank you so much, I’ll be watching💖

Thanks and thanks for watching!

If you google dotted, gridded or alpha numeric paper, you will find lots of options... I get mine from a variety of websites like Panda Trim. So Sorry for the delayed response

If you have a significant amount to shorten your shoulder (I would say more than 3/4") You should walk the sleeve into the armhole to be sure you don't need to lengthen it to agree with the adjusted armhole. It sounds like you need to blend between sizes along the armhole ... maybe pick a larger sleeve size to help with the added length of shortening the shoulder 1 1/4". Hope this helps, thanks for fitting along with me

If the cap has gotten a little to short, you can "scoop" the curves between the underarm seam and front/back notches a little bit to lengthen it. Hope this helps, thanks for fitting along with me!

:) Sometimes the "easy to sew" beginner instructions can make it harder to sew. If you are new to setting in sleeves, trying to flat construct a sleeve that is designed to be a set-in sleeve can be harder to do vs. just setting it in, matching the underarm/side seam and notches. How do I know that? I ended up botching many a sleeve doing it that way before I learned how to set in a sleeve! Keep me posted if you need help with your wife's jacket! Thanks for watching

@@JSternDesigns Thanks for the prompt, as usual, reply. As soon as I learned how to inset sleeves, I did it for everything, regardless of the instructions. On my suit form, I left the underarm of the armscye alone and folded the shoulder back to where it needed to be, and ironed the triangles of fabric to create a new 'edge'. I inset/pinned the sleeves to that new configuration. To match the new armscye, I cut new and wider sleeves, but kept the sleeve head the same. This is one of the reasons I always buy extra yardage. Lots of it. I used the first sleeves' fabric for the lapels.The shoulders came out fine, happily, and the bodice is still loose, the way my wee wifey likes coats. The shawl collar fake lapels, separate pieces laid atop the bodice and around the back of the neck were a real pill. I had to recut the fabric to curve and lie flat when attached to the bodice. If I hadn't a suit form to conform pieces to, the collar would have rippled and rolled like a roller coaster. Your videos are always helpful and full of info. They're also calming; I have to walk away from my project and force my ADHA self to slow down and listen, and refocus. Mahalo🤙

Thanks! ...and thanks for fitting along with me

Hi... That's a lot to remove from the shoulder (you would be taking in the chest/upper bust 4"-6" as well.) Can you email me a photo of you wearing a top that needs this adjustment so I can see what it looks like? (jsterndesigns37@gmail.com

I'm so sorry that I'm just answering you now. It depends on how big the adjustment is.. .If you need to shorten you shoulder seam more than an inch, you may be working with the wrong size. It might be easier to go down a size and make room in the bust and where ever else you need more ease. If you shorten the shoulder more, the armhole does start to get bigger and the shape gets weird so the sleeve doesn't work. Hope this helps

If you're shortening the shoulder to get the armhole up to the tip of your shoulder, you need to shorten it enough to get the armhole positioned properly. If you have more than 3/4" - 1" to remove, check to see if you're working with the right size or consider using a different pattern that's in a better agreement with your shape.

If the shoulder seam is sitting on the tip of your shoulder (meaning it's in the right place.. but the neckline is too wide and gaping away from you, you can take some ease out along the CF edge to make the neckline more narrow. If you need the ease through the bust, waist and hips, you can add some back along the side seam. This way you're not adjusting the shoulder if you don't need to. I'm so sorry for the delay in responding!

I am working with I manʻs shirt patter and need to bring in the should seam about the 1.5 inches…..do you think that amount will affect the arm hole?

If you take the shoulder up, you're shortening the armhole... Walk the sleeve cap into the armhole to see how much length you need to remove from the sleeve cap to make it agree with your shortened armhole... Hope this helps!

3 cm is kind of a lot. You can try this method ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OF1FFZvPgVk.html I would take 2 cm off the shoulder... then shorten the base of the armhole/side seam .5 cm on the front/back... To make the sleeve fit, take in the top of the side seams .5 cm too.

Thank you