[cybele727]

I am making a simple a line dress, round neck, sleeveless for my mother.

Something like this with less pleat/pintucking.

She has wide shoulders and a wide broad back. When she wears dresses like this, there is ALWAYS pulling across the high bust under her arms when her arms are down because her back is so broad.

I am trying to google something to help me modify the patter. The only ones I found are for broad shoulders and that won’t work because it will move the shoulders off of her, ie, set them too wide. The problem is across the back in the area that corresponds to the high bust measurement.

I was wondering if any of you lovely and accomplished ladies can suggest a) a link for a tutorial to do an adjustment, or b) the words I could use to google it myself. I tried things like wide back adjustment patterns and I am only getting wide shoulder adjustments. I need to relieve the stress across the back. The shoulders sit where they should on her.

Thank you! 🙂

[with love Heidi]

I’m wondering if the diagnosis is correct, my The Vouge Sewing Book, 1970, suggest that you would be getting pulling and wrinkles across the “fullest part of the back and is tight when raising arms”, this a diagram of a sleeved dress. Wrinkles across the high bust (according to my book) would more likely suggest square shoulders or maybe pigeon chest. I’m also wondering if the bust dart/shaping need lowering, this is more because of your description of the high bust running under the arms (maybe I’m misunderstanding your description). I’ve taken some photo’s of the pages in the book and added them to flicker here’s the links. Good luck

Square shoulders

http://www.flickr.com/photos/73669617@N07/8646459805/in/photostream

Pigeon Chest

http://www.flickr.com/photos/73669617@N07/8646460935/in/photostream

Large back or prominent shoulderblades

http://www.flickr.com/photos/73669617@N07/8646461471/in/photostream

[cybele727]

That is great! The pulling looks much like a pigeon chest although by no means would you look at my mother and say that. She’s a sturdy woman but her collar bones don’t protrude. She does have a large rib cage though. And when her arms are down there is a straight line fabric pull right across from arm to arm.

Thanks so much.

[with love Heidi]

You’re very welcome. It can be so hard to find info you know should be there but’s not. This old book has so much info thats not easily avaliable today. Glad to help.