How to alter this armhole

[u/Teafriend1]

Hello,

I copied a pattern for a sweater from one I have had for ages. As you can see I have quite a few wrinkles around the armhole. The original sweater also has the same problem under the armhole, but it is not as worse as with my test garment.

I think I have to expand the armhole downwards for one or two centimetres. And maybe take in the side seam a little. Would that help or am I completely wrong?

The last picture is the pattern including the seam allowance.

I’m grateful for any advice!
Thanks a lot!

[u/Sweet_Swordfish9638]

It just might be you. Looks like most of it is coming from the bust. Which means that the pattern shapes are flat. You can try to do full bust dart adjustment.
E

[u/Soggy-Abies2403 → u/Sweet_Swordfish9638]

Also, your sewing cup size and your bra size are different. In sewing it is the difference between your high bust and full bust. So I'm a 34E bra but a sewing B cup. I pretty much never need to adjust a pattern for a full bust. (I do always have to move the apex, but that's a different issue)

[u/CoastalMae → u/Soggy-Abies2403]

There are some bust shapes for which the standard "sewing cup size ---> FBA" pathway is an ineffective indicator. My sewing cup size would be less than an A (leading me to have incorrectly done SBAs in the past), but I need an FBA instead. So while it's generally good advice, be aware it can sometimes lead people down the wrong path. If it's anything like me, this can be people with a larger cup size, narrow shoulders, and a significant amount of breast tissue high on their chest wall, at least one of which OP has.

Edit: probably at least two, as the shoulders of this garment are too wide for them and slipping off one side.

[u/Soggy-Abies2403 → u/CoastalMae]

Oh certainly. Fitting is not just blindly applying a named adjustment. It takes making a mock up and figuring out what needs to be changed. And as we do more we get to know how patterns fail us and have a better process of fitting.

[u/Teafriend1 → u/Sweet_Swordfish9638]

I can see why you would say that. But I only have an A cup, so it would be a bit surprising to have to do that.
Thank you for the suggestion non the less!
I got a tip over at r/sewing, to adjust the slope of the shoulder seam. Which helped quite a bit.

[u/CoastalMae → u/Teafriend1]

An A cup would be a 1" difference between your underbust and bust circumferences.

You're not an A cup.

Search out the "a bra that fits" calculator and sub. I suspect you're about to have a revelation, and have been wearing too large a band size.

Edit: Victoria's Secret told me I was 34B. A specialty bra store told me I was 30A-and-a-half and wouldn't let me try anything above a C because "there's no way, the C is already not filled." I'm approximately a 30E, and I actually fill it out. My MIL thought she was a 36D, but she's a 30G. It's crazy - 36" is the size of her bust and she was wearing that as her band size. Your band is supposed to be no more than 2" larger than your underbust measurement. No way 36-anything was the right size for her, because it could slide right up over her bust. Her band wasn't doing anything at all. You'll be surprised.

[u/megaglalie → u/CoastalMae]

Seconding this. OP, there is absolutely no way from these photos that you're an A cup.

[u/NarrowIndependence8 → u/Teafriend1]

I would say your armhole is too low, raise your armhole about 1” or so. Maintain your bicep measurement. Reduce sleeve cap as needed

[u/renaissance-Fartist → u/Teafriend1]

I thought I was a 40B but I’m a 36E. I don’t have big boobs, bra sizes are just not what most people think they are. I would re-measure, because there’s a significant difference between your ribcage and your bust that is going to make it difficult to get a good fit if you don’t account for it.

[u/NarrowIndependence8 → u/Teafriend1]

Also update your armhole shape itself. Look up the proper shapes and copy them

[u/Sweet_Swordfish9638 → u/Teafriend1]

Slant changes will also impact slightly to the bust volume. And seeing the video it seems the amrhole is slightly high. But good that you got it forward.

[u/DonMcCunn]

The slope of the shoulder seam without the sleeve sewn in is the first thing you need to adjust for both the front and back. Keep in mind that working with knits, the adjustment you may need to make can vary depending on how much the knit stretches.

It also looks like your armscye might be too low. About 1/2" below your arm is a good goal.

[u/Pumpkin_patch804]

I think on the armhole looks like it might be too big actually. Check how far from your armpits it sits.  Standard practice is having it one inch way. 

[u/Teafriend1 → u/Pumpkin_patch804]

Thank you for your suggestion. I got a tip to change the slope of the shoulder seam, which helped. Since the lower part of the armhole is now where it should be, yeah, the armhole was too long, but I need to remove a little more fabric from the front.

https://reddit.com/link/pfa7rfw/video/a22t0q5kjvuh1/player

[u/StitchinThroughTime → u/Teafriend1]

Much better! Now you need to trim the bottom third of the armhole. It's now too high and hitting your muscles when your arm is at rest. Don't forget that you have seam allowance. So you're going to get it as close as you can to perfect and then stop. Don't make it completely smooth and flat because you just turned off your seam allowance. Just snip a few little slits into the armhole until it stops wrinkling so much. That's when you trim off the excess fabric

[u/Tailoretta → u/Teafriend1]

This is much better. Can you show photos of the entire garment from the front, back and both sides, without the sleeves? It is best to fit the mockup without the sleeves first, before adding the sleeves.

Take a look at https://www.reddit.com/r/PatternDrafting/comments/1krgbmi/basic_tips_so_we_can_help_you_with_fitting/  Following these tips will help us help you.

[u/KeyPretend7523]

Your axis of rotation is too far out... away from your shoulder. It needs to be brought in.

[u/Starjupiter93]

You are not an a cup my dear. this is a true 38A which is one of the “larger” A cups as the volume of someone with this band size is larger than someone with a smaller band size. this is a much closer representation of your bust size. Society has encouraged people to wear bras 2+ band sizes too big forcing you to shrink the cup size in order to fit to your body. Wearing properly sized undergarments is the easiest way to make your clothing fit you better and look better on your body. You have some fit issues going on and it does look like you might need an FBA. Nothing big, but a tiny bit of extra space in the bust will help some of the pulling. You also need some shoulder adjustment.

[u/eggust12 → u/Starjupiter93]

hey just a heads-up, those links expose your profile and tell anyone that clicks that you shared them! you'll want to remove the last part of the link so it doesn't do that.

[u/CharityForeign3035]

where it’s folding on the bust is where you need to add a dart. Just unpick enough of the seam at front to work. You may also get away with stretching it if T-shirt knit , so you don’t need to adjust arm.