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Bodice Back Width: Pattern Alteration

The document provides instructions for altering bodice back width on sewing patterns. It describes common fitting issues that occur when the back bodice is too tight or too loose. The key steps outlined are: 1. Determine the amount of alteration needed by comparing wearer and pattern measurements. 2. Mark the pattern to indicate where the alteration is required, usually across the shoulder blades. 3. Make slashes in the pattern and spread or lap the pattern pieces to widen or narrow the back as needed. 4. Redraw seam and cutting lines to complete the alteration.

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Saqib Ghafoor
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© © All Rights Reserved
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325 views

Bodice Back Width: Pattern Alteration

The document provides instructions for altering bodice back width on sewing patterns. It describes common fitting issues that occur when the back bodice is too tight or too loose. The key steps outlined are: 1. Determine the amount of alteration needed by comparing wearer and pattern measurements. 2. Mark the pattern to indicate where the alteration is required, usually across the shoulder blades. 3. Make slashes in the pattern and spread or lap the pattern pieces to widen or narrow the back as needed. 4. Redraw seam and cutting lines to complete the alteration.

Uploaded by

Saqib Ghafoor
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Bodice Back Width

Extension Family Development


and Resource Management Specialists
B
efore attempting this alteration, read Extension
publications E-372, Principles of Pattern Alteration,
Pattern
Alteration
Pattern
Alteration
E-375
03/06
and E-373, Personal Measurement Chart, for instructions on
basic alterations.
Often the back bodice of a garment is too tight or too
loose because the wearer has a wide or narrow back (Fig.
tting problems can be corrected by altering the
bodice back width on the pattern.
Bodice back too tight Bodice back too loose
Figure 1
If the back bodice is too tight, the sleeve seams will tear
out at the back or horizontal wrinkles will form across the
back. To alter a tight bodice, increase the width of the pat-
tern. If the back bodice is too loose, vertical folds or wrin-
kles will form or the back will hang loosely away from the
body. To alter a loose bodice, decrease the pattern width.
To determine the amount of alteration needed, compare
the wearers personal measurements with the pattern mea-
surements. As a guide, use the back shoulder width mea-
sured 4 inches (10 cm) below the base of the neck. (Refer to
line 9 on the Personal Measurement Chart.)
To help determine where the alteration is needed, check
t of an unaltered garment. Find the point below the
base of the neck where back width differs most from the
pattern width, and alter the pattern there. Most often, al-
teration is needed across the shoulder blades.
Do not confuse a wide back with a round back. A round
back may need both the length and the width altered in
t the
c instructions on altering for a round back,
see Extension publication E-379, Round Back and Dowagers
Hump.
2 .................................................................................................................................................................................
Basic tted bodice,
princess-style bodice and shirt
Here are the steps for altering a basic bodice, a princess-
style bodice or a shirt:
1. Along the shoulder seam line, measure 2 inches (5
cm) from the armhole seam line and mark it. Draw a
vertical line from this point to the lower edge of the
pattern, parallel to the lengthwise grainline or the
center back (Fig. 2).
2. From the vertical line, draw a horizontal line to the
armhole seam line at the notch or at the point where
the alteration is needed as shown in Figure 2.
3. Cut along the vertical line from the waistline or lower
edge to, but not through, the shoulder seam line. Cut
along the horizontal line to, but not through, the arm-
hole seam line. Clip the shoulder and armhole seam
allowances to the seam lines at the slashes (Fig. 2).
To increase the bodice back width:
4. Place tissue paper under the pattern. Spread the
vertical slash where it intersects the horizontal slash
one-half the total width needed. Keep the pattern fat.
Then taper the slash so the pattern sections touch but
do not lap near the waistline and lower edge. The
horizontal slash at the armhole will lap. The clipped
seam allowances will lap or spread as needed. Tape
the pattern in place (Fig. 3).
To decrease the bodice back width:
4. Lap the pattern along the vertical slash where it inter-
sects the horizontal slash one-half the total decrease
needed. Keep the pattern fat. Taper the lap so the pat-
tern sections touch but do not lap near the waistline
and lower edge. The horizontal slash at the armhole
will spread. If needed, place tissue paper under the
spread area. The clipped seam allowances will spread
or lap as needed. Tape the pattern in place (Fig. 4).
To complete either alteration:
5. Redraw the lower edge and/or waist seam line to
maintain a smooth line. Redraw the shoulder seam
and cutting lines as straight lines (Fig. 5).
2


(
5

c
m
)
Clip seam
allowance
Figure 2
Lap
Spread
Figure 3
Bodice
back
Bodice
back
Spread
Lap
Figure 4
Bodice
back
Bodice
back
Bodice
back
Back
Side
back
Figure 5
................................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Modi ed princess-style bodice
To alter a modifed princess-style bodice, follow these
steps:
1. Pin the back bodice pieces together from the armhole
and along the princess seam line as far as seam lines
will match with the pattern fat. Alter the pattern in
the same way as a true princess-style bodice (Fig. 6).
2. Separate the pattern pieces and add more tissue paper
if needed. Tape the pattern in place. Redraw all of the
altered seam lines and cutting lines (Fig. 7).
Vests, tunics and dress
without a waistline
These are the steps for altering vests, tunics and dresses
without waistlines:
1. Measure in 2 inches (5 cm) from the armhole seam
line along the shoulder seam line, and mark it. Draw a
vertical line from this point to the lower edge, parallel
to the lengthwise grainline or center back (Fig. 8).
2. From the vertical line, draw a horizontal line to the
armhole seam line at the notch or at the point where
the alteration is needed, as shown in Figure 8.
3. At the waistline, draw a horizontal line from the side
seam line to the vertical line.
4. Cut along the vertical line from the lower edge to, but
not through, the shoulder seam line. Cut along hori-
zontal lines to, but not through, the armhole and side
seam lines. Clip the shoulder, armhole and side seam
allowances to the seam line at the slashes (Fig. 8).
To increase the bodice back width:
5. Place tissue under the pattern and spread along the
vertical slash where it intersects the upper horizon-
tal slash for one-half the amount needed. Keep the
pattern fat. Taper the spread so the pattern sections
touch but do not lap near the waistline. Realign the
vertical slash edges below the waistline so that the
pattern sections touch but do not lap. The horizon-
tal slash at the armhole will lap and the slash at the
waistline will spread. The clipped seam allowances
will lap or spread as needed. Tape pattern in place
(Fig. 9).
Lap
Spread
Increase
Figure 6
Lap
Spread
Decrease
Increase
Decrease
Figure 7
Bodice
back
Bodice
back
Side
back
Side
back
Bodice
back
Bodice
back
Side
back
Side
back
Clip seam
allowance
Clip seam
allowance
Clip seam
allowance
2


(
5

c
m
)
Lap
Spread
Lap
Figure 8
Figure 9
Back
Back
4 .................................................................................................................................................................................
To decrease the bodice back width:
5. Lap the pattern along the vertical slash where it inter-
sects the upper horizontal slash one-half the decrease
needed. Keep the pattern fat. Taper the slash so the
pattern sections touch but do not lap near the waist-
line. Realign the vertical slash edges below the waist-
line so the pattern sections touch but do not lap. The
horizontal slash at the armhole will spread and the
horizontal slash at the waistline will lap. The clipped
seam allowances will spread or lap as needed. Tape
the pattern in place (Fig. 10).
To complete either alteration:
6. Redraw the shoulder seam and cutting lines to
straight lines. Redraw the lower edge to a smooth cut-
ting line (Figs. 9 and 10).
Kimono or dolman sleeve bodice
To alter a kimono or dolman sleeve bodice:
1. Fold in the shoulder dart, if any. Measure 3 inches (7.5
cm) from the normal neck seam along the shoulder
seam line, and mark it. Release the dart (Fig. 11).
2. Draw a vertical line from the marked point to the
waistline, parallel to the lengthwise grainline or cen-
ter back.
3. Measure down the vertical line about 6 inches (17.5
cm), or to the point where the alteration is needed.
Mark the location.
4. Draw a line from the mark to the underarm curve
seam line.
5. Cut along the vertical line from the waist to, but not
through, the underarm seam line. Clip the shoulder
and underarm seam allowances to the seam lines at
the slashes (Fig. 11).
To increase the bodice back width:
6. Place tissue paper under the pattern and spread the
vertical slash one-half the total amount needed where
it intersects the diagonal slash. Use the spread of the
upper pattern section to measure the amount altered.
Keeping the pattern fat, be sure that the pattern sec-
tions still touch near the waistline. The diagonal slash
will lap or spread as needed. Tape the pattern in place
(Fig. 12).
Back
Figure 10
Bodice
back
Clip
Measure
down about
6
1
2 (17.5 cm)
Clip
3

(
7
.5
c
m
)
Figure 11
Bodice
back
Lap
Spread
Measure amount
of alteration at mark
made in Step 3.
Figure 12
................................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, Acts of Congress of May 8, 1914, as amended, and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department
of Agriculture. Edward G. Smith, Director, Texas Cooperative Extension, The Texas A&M University System.
Revised
To decrease the bodice back width:
6. Lap the pattern one-half the decrease needed along
the vertical slash where it intersects the diagonal
slash. Use the lap of the upper pattern section to mea-
at, be
sure the pattern sections do not lap near the waist-
line. The diagonal slash will spread. If needed, place
tissue paper under it. The clipped seam allowances
will spread or lap as needed. Tape the pattern in place
(Fig. 13).
To complete either alteration:
7. Redraw the waist seam and cutting lines to form a
smooth curve without changing the length of the bod-
ice. Fold in a dart, if necessary, to redraw a smooth
shoulder seam and cutting lines (Figs. 12 and 13).
Bodice
back
Spread
Lap
Measure amount
of alteration at mark
made in step 3.
Figure 13
Ann Vanderpoorten wrote the original manuscript for this publication.
Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin.
Produced by AgriLife Communications and Marketing, The Texas A&M University System
Extension publications can be found on the Web at: http://AgriLifeBookstore.org.
Visit Texas AgriLife Extension Service at http://AgriLifeExtension.tamu.edu.

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