Narrow Upper Chest Adjustment

A few days ago, I was researching how to determine the correct length to hem a sleeve. Surprisingly, almost all the information available refers to men's shirts and jackets. I found one useful article on women's sleeves and on some page, somewhere, I read that wrinkles running into the armhole can indicate that the garment is too wide in the chest and requires a narrow upper chest adjustment. That was off topic but useful information. And new.

Up until then, I'd been operating with the belief that wrinkles through the armhole meant that my armhole was too low. This new information could mean that it wasn't the length of the armhole at all but the width of my upper chest.

I know it's a drawing and not real but I want the seam of my sleeves to look like this illustration in The Stretch & Sew Guide To Sewing On Knits by Ann Person. That's my goal.

Working with Vogue 8691, after sewing the body together to re-check the fit across the shoulders and at the neckline, bust point, waist, and hips, I sewed in the sleeves. Instead of substituting my T & T sleeve, I used the sleeve that came with the pattern. It fits beautifully into the armhole and is really well drafted.

On one side, the armhole remained at the original depth of the pattern and on the other side, I raised it 3/4" for a petite adjustment. The sleeves were adjusted - or not - accordingly and sewn into the corresponding armhole. In the end, BOTH armholes had wrinkles into the underarm and BOTH armhole seams pulled outward in that way that irritates me. I concluded that it was not the sleeve or the shape of the armhole or the petite adjustment that was the problem.

At this point, it seemed that the narrow upper chest adjustment might actually be the answer. To determine what changes would create the look I wanted, I pinned the sleeve to the bodice in the desired shape. If you look at the first picture again, you'll see a fold on the front of the sleeve cap as well as wrinkles on the bodice. I pinned the edge of the fold to the bodice and the armhole that looked the best was the one WITHOUT the petite adjustment.

In her book Fast Fit, on page 182, in the section about Narrow Upper Chest, Sandra Betzina writes put on the finished garment that's too large in the upper front chest, but fits otherwise, and stand in front of the mirror. On one side of the garment pin a vertical fold from shoulder to bust point that pulls the shoulder seam into proper position at the top of the arm. Remove the garment and measure the width of the fold, which usually ranges from 1/2" to 1 1/2". This is the right amount to reduce the upper chest.

Since this garment has a princess seam, as a double check, I pinned along the princess seam to get the look I wanted. At the widest point it is 1 1/2" which doesn't surprise me in retrospect because - after the fact - I finally pulled out my measuring tape and measured across my front chest and then across my back chest and the difference is 3". I am 3" narrower across the front. Curvy has now taken on even further dimensions.

The black sample is made from a lace knit that I picked up in the bargain center for a couple bucks a meter but won't be sewing into any wearable garment because it snags like crazy. I chose it for that reason and because I had enough to sew a second garment to test the changes I'll make based on this experiment. If what appears to be true turns out to truly be true, that means I will no longer be making a petite adjustment through the armhole and then moving the bust point. Instead, I'll alter the center front length below the bust point and make a narrow upper chest adjustment. But let me test the theory first. Hopefully good news and beautiful sleeves tomorrow.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - coffee dates, time to explore theories, phone calls from friends, sunny days