I'm altering the bust line on a dress with a princess seam. The bust on the side at the arm tends to gap at the seam line.When pin it on the seam line it takes away the gap ,but the armhole doesn't matchon both sides of the seam. Is there another way to alter this to make it fit better?
Thanks Bonnie
It sounds like you need to cut a smaller size and make an adjustment for a larger but. Is the person more than a B cup? Patterns are drafted for a B cup fitting. Here are some notes from Taunton:
you would need to realize that what you are doing is making the bust larger or making the shoulder area smaller for the larger bust, so there won't be quite enough fabric to bring it out to the natural armhole.
If you separate the facing from the dress, then take it in on the seam line as you said, cut the upper edge to match the lower, then blend it out to the shoulder. then reapply the facing perhaps lower. try laying this out to see how it does for you, perhaps it will work ok. if not, I'll say you COULD add in a piece in the spot where the fabric doesn't cover, but it is the last resort.
Dear Bonnie,
First, let me say that I think that people who do alterations are true heroes--I HATE fixing ill-fitting things. But I can do it--I just don't like to. If this gap is fixed by pinning at the princess seam, that's where the alteration needs to be made. A princess seam is nothing more than a dart that has been changed into a seam. Since the gown is sleeveless, you'll have to remove the facing, and re-sew the princess seam. I know that part of the seam will be smaller than the other (think of how a dart is made, and all the fabric involved...), but it doesn't have to be a regulation-size seam. If there is a lining in the top, you can replace the armhole facing with bias, and hem-stitch it to the lining.
Teri
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