J Stern Designs l Quick Tip: How to Shorten the Shoulder Seam 

i know im asking randomly but does someone know a trick to get back into an Instagram account?? I stupidly lost my login password. I would love any assistance you can offer me!

Sorry I didn't see your comment until now. Happy to help, and thanks for watching~

Sorry I missed your comment... Thanks for watching!

So sorry I missed your comment... Thank you for watching!

Thank you... and thanks for watching!

Jose Serrano thanks so much, happy it helped!

Thank you for fitting along with me! (sorry for the delayed response!)

My Pleasure, happy this helps you, thanks for watching!

Thank you for watching :)

My Pleasure, thank you for fitting along with me

Thank you! and thanks for watching :)

So Sorry I missed your comment. Thanks for watching! (Hope all is well!)

So happy this helps you... Thanks for following along with me!

Glad it was helpful!

My Pleasure... Thanks for watching!

Glad it was helpful!

So sorry I didn't see you comment earlier... happy to help, thanks for watching

Thanks Hazel! and thank you for watching.

So Sorry I missed your comment. Thanks for watching!

You are so welcome! Sorry for the delayed response.

No, that's why she did half off the bottom edge and added half on the top so there was no net increase

@@jesshothersall Jessica, sorry dear I didn't scroll down far enough thank you much

So Sorry I missed your comment. This adjustment doesn't change the length of the armhole. Thanks for watching!

So sorry I missed your Comment. That's a good topic...I'm adding it to my short list of upcoming videos! Thanks for watching

Thank you for fitting along with me! Sorry for the delayed response

Maybe try going down one size... then add room for your belly... Here's a tutorial for that! Hope this helps. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WQj7-OKzpw8.html

Del :) Here is the follow-up video I just uploaded about this topic ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NtKduy42jfA.html. Let me know if you have questions... thanks for watching

did you ever figure out your narrow shoulders? I seem to have the same problem. I"m tall and the shoulder seams are always too long. patterns based on full bust, but the rest all are the measurements I need so making a smaller size with the hope that the shoulder seams would be shorter and then doing a full bust adjustment didn't seem to make sense. just when I sew the tops the shoulders are always - without fail - at least 3/4 - 1" too long. I've seen videos on cutting out templates for sleeves and armholes, but what I think I need is a template for the whole top part - shoulder to armhole........LOL

So sorry I missed your question. Here's a tutorial showing how to take in the high bust to fit the shoulders: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VMi2YjsA95M.html Thank you for watching

This adjustment only affects the length of the shoulder slightly... I would walk the sleeve cap into the armhole to see if you need to adjust it :) Thanks for watching

Thank you for fitting along with me! (sorry for the delayed response!)

Hi, Thank you for watching ...and subscribing to my Channel :) Here is a link to a tutorial showing how to shorten the shoulder if you're working with a constructed garment. Please let me know if you need more help. Jen ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OF1FFZvPgVk.html

Thanks Jen, EVERY little bit helps!

I'm so sorry I missed your comment... This adjustment doesn't affect the length of the armhole. If you have fabric bunching under your arm, you may need to scoop the base of the armhole a little bit. Thank you for watching!

I have a similar problem

I think it would be easier to buy a 2xl pattern... then do a FBA to add to the bust and relax the fit of the waist and hips to make enough ease. Thank you for sewing along with me! Sorry for the delayed response

Thank you for watching!! Technically, I did continue the new armhole past the notch... when I trued up the armhole after adjusting the shoulder. I chose to slash the pattern where the slash will intersect perpendicularly with the armhole. This makes it easy to see how to true it up by trimming some of the armhole above the adjustment and adding some below the adjustment. Does that make sense? Let me know, Jen

Yes, I see. Did it lengthen the armhole at all? Did you need to change the sleeve to fit?

Actually, everything turned out great! I even used this technique on a princess seamed back bodice and all went well. :) Thank you!

mywaytosanjose Yay, I'm so happy, thanks for letting me know :)

Hi, I'm using my Perfectly Fitted Shirt Pattern. I just went to get a link from my website and I noticed that half of my patterns have disappeared from my patterns page. You can find the shirt pattern at Pattern Review.. sewing.patternreview.com/shop/J%20Stern%20Designs (Thank you for asking about the pattern, or I may not have noticed that I had a problem with my website!)

Hi Heather, can I ask what size you need to blend to under the bust? Thanks Jen

I'm so sorry for the delayed response. You can follow this technique exactly in the front... In the back you can shorten the shoulder along the edge of the back yoke... An inch is a significant amount to remove, you may have to extend the adjustment to the bottom of the armhole in the back (under the yoke)... Put the yoke right above the armhole and pretend that it's a standard shirt back. This will help you visualize it. Again, so sorry I didn't answer til now!

If you're working with a men's shirt, and you can spare 3" of ease across your upper chest (because if you shorten each shoulder 1 1/2", that also removes 1 1/2" x 3 across the upper chest) then I would say yes. You can also try trimming it off the actual edge of the upper armhole... blending to zero before you get into the curves at the base of the armhole. (You can take in the back yoke at the armhole edge.) ... Having said that, if you're working with a pattern, maybe try one size smaller and grade up one size as go through the armhole and side seams. This may make the shoulder seam closer to your shoulder measurement so you don't have to make such a large adjustment. Hope this helps! Thanks for fitting along with me

Hi, Sorry about that. There isn't a follow up video for the back shoulder seam... because the steps are exactly the same. Adjust both front and back then put the adjusted seam edges together to make sure there is a smooth transition front to back. Let me know if this makes sense to you... Thanks for watching!

Great questions! This method does not change the length of the armhole significantly. Shortening the width of the shoulder does not affect the cuff ...if you have excess length. A shoulder seam that is too wide will hang off your shoulder, all you're doing is picking that back up. If you have to remove more than 1" because the armhole is hanging off your shoulder more than 1" you might be working with a size that's too big for you. Hope this helps, thanks for fitting along with me

@@JSternDesigns Thank you for the fast reply. I now have much work to do, but with confidence that it will turn out alright.

So Sorry I didn't see your comment until now! If you have to take in more than an inch, I'm guessing you might be working with a pattern that's a size too big. If you go down a size, you can then do a full bust adjustment and let the seams out to add ease where you need it.

Hi again :) When I'm fitting a garment through the bust, I use my high bust measurement to pick the starting size. Then I do a full bust adjustment (because I'm a G-Cup). Then I make a muslin and try the garment on. You can use the fit of the muslin to decide if you need more room across the back of the garment or if you need more room across the bust (or maybe both!). Look at what the side seams are doing... if they are pulling forward, you may need more room in the front ... if the seams are pulling to the back, then the back needs more.

So sorry about that... Usually you use your high bust measurement to pick a size so the shoulders and chest fit, then you adjust the bust if necessary. You can trim off some of the shoulder seam at the armhole edge and blend back to the original edge before you get to the front and back notches. You can shorten the shoulder seam on the pattern by slashing down from the center of the shoulder and across to the center of the armhole and then sliding it in. If you're interested, I have a Shirt Fitting Workbook. I just added a pdf version. www.jsterndesigns.com/product/the-perfectly-fitted-shirt-fit-workbook/ Let me know if this helps, thanks Jen

Im beginning to think the shoulder seam may be OK - but the shirt front is too wide to begin with. I measured the shoulder seam and it doesn't seem to be too wide. I am a "D" and sometimes "DD" cup, so perhaps a smaller size and a FBA is in order? doing an FBA on a smaller size will also increase the waist size? that's OK. just trying to get a handle on what I'm doing...........I did apply to your facebook page.

ssarge2 ... :) can you post pic in the group so I can see what's going on? ... that will help me make suggestions on how to fix your shirt

what would you like a picture of? the shirt - me in the shirt (LOL) - it's such a basic shirt I hate to bother you with it. it's just 3 pieces - front (on the fold) back (on the fold) and sleeves.......beginning to wonder if the issue is the shoulder width (shoulder to shoulder across the chest) is just too big. I hate taking photos of myself, but if you tell me what to show you - I'll do it. thanks for taking the time. which group (FB or here on youtube.?

You in the shirt so I can see how it fits :) In the FB group please ... It's a closed group, so all the members are sewers... some may have the same fitting challenges are you're having!