I am teaching my self to sew I am 4′ 11″ i have a natural 39″ bust To have a top fit in the bustline The shoulders and neck line are way too big a lot of tops have designs on them I have no idea how to fix this Someday i hope to just make my own! I am very short waisted Ive tried taking up the shou;ders which ruins the neckline I ve tried putting darts from the shoulder line down the front. Anything I buy once your above the bust line is a catastrophe!!
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Replies
Altering Store Bought Top
Got an old top with the same dilemma that you can use as a test?
Remove the sleeves. If the sleeve opening fits, draw the opening on tissue.
Take in a larger seam allowance at the shoulders. This should reduce the neck opening.
Place the tissue pattern you made for the new arm openings on top of the altered top and recut where you want the new arm opening to be.
Nancy Zieman's Slip and Slide method may help with altering patterns when making your own tops. In which case, you may want to purchase patterns that fit the shoulder and pivot out to increase for the bust line.
To shorten the pattern length, you can fold out the excess pattern. Petite patterns might be a better option.
Make a muslin first. You can use inexpensive muslin or any fabric similar to what you want to use for the project, ie, knit or woven.
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