A common adjustment many of us need to make – especially in this computer & smartphone age – is a high round back adjustment (sometimes rather unfortunately called a “dowagers hump”!). If your back doesn’t go up straight into your neck, but rather curves over a bit, you may have a high round back (the opposite of this is if you have a very upright posture). The key signs that you need this adjustment are a gaping neckline, and potentially a back hem that rides up. The good news is that when you sew, you can adjust for it!
This tutorial will use the yoke of the Springfield Top as an example for the high round back adjustment, but you could use the same approach on the Upton Dress, or other woven patterns.
- To decide how much length you need to add to the upper back, measure your back from your waist to the back of your neck where a necklace would sit. Now measure the center back length of the pattern (including the lower back and yoke, and excluding the seam allowance). Your back will be longer, so subtract the pattern length from your back length and that’s the amount you need to add. For instance, if your back length is 15″ and the pattern is 14″, you need to add 1″.
- Get a piece of paper and tape or secure it to your table. Draw a straight vertical line on your paper (shown in red below), and this will be our center back guide. Place your back piece against this line, with the center back on the guide.
2. Draw two lines onto the yoke. The first one should be about an inch up, parallel to the bottom of the yoke and at a right angle to the center back. The second should go from that line up to the neckline, about 3 inches in, and going at a slight angle – don’t worry too much about the exact distance and angle, as long as it resembles this picture it’ll be fine.
3. Now, carefully cut the first, horizontal line, starting at the center back and going towards the armhole. Just before you get to the armhole, stop, and leave a little hinge there. Move the top part of the yoke up gently, maintaining the paper hinge.
4. Cut the diagonal line, starting at the neckline and going down, again leaving a little paper hinge at the bottom. While maintaining the hinge, slide the right hand side piece over so that it is once again against the guide line.
5. Adjust the gap between the bottom and top pieces (where the arrow is) so that it’s the amount you calculated you needed to add in step 1.
6. Place a new piece of tracing paper on top of the pattern piece, and trace the new shape, smoothing out the neckline. Where the gap opened along the neckline, add a dart, about 3.5 inches long.
And there there you have it! When you sew the piece you’ll need to sew the dart first, and you’ll have more space in the back, combined with a nicely fitted neckline.
Have you used this adjustment before? Do you have any other tips?
Hi, I used this alteration yesterday for the first time. Have been sewing for 30 years at least and encountered fit problems along the way. I’m a short plus sized woman with a big rear end, large bust and little waist definition. But met fitting challenges along the way and kept going.
I guess I’ve reached the age now (65) after years of sitting at a computer (and a sewing machine) have taken their toll Skirts always needed to be longer in the back to compensate for my rear end, but now in addition to that and making sure it was big enough to go around I guess my posture has changed. i made a top a week ago and I was so discouraged because it fit so badly. V necks were always too deep (short torso), . But the shoulder seams of my top were so far forward that looking straight into a mirror you could see them. I thought maybe I needed to just move the shoulder seam, but that didn’t do it.
Once I made this high rounded back adjustment, everything fell into place. I need an inch longer at the back, I’ve always added a center back seam for fitting anyway, but I also opened a small dart in each shoulder seam as shown. I had been lowering the front bust dart – then unbappy that it was too low. No more for that either. The dart apex is now just a little too high with the back adjustment, but it’s liveable. I’ll tackle that another time. The garment sits nicely on my shoulder and hangs well.
I’ve got some gorgeous fabrics that I’ve accumulated over the years, traveling (I live in D.C. but go to New York frequently, and Vogue in Chicago has been a favorite for years) But saving the fabrics for the “right” garment. I’ve spent so much time worrying about skirt fitting that I didn’t pay much attention to the top – until now. Had almost quit making jackets. Lots of work, could buy them and they fit reasonably well. But this year with all the new duster patterns I’m seeing, just basically long cardigans, I thought I’d give it another try.
More fitting woes; for store bought skirts (and ones I make) I have to lower the front waist or scoop out about 1 at the center front, tapering to nothing at the side seams for skirts to hang level. I hate the dreaded hiked up in the back look. I’m also working on a dress pattern with a waist. Maybe having the back problem solved will make it easier. But I’m one of those that the front and back waist are different lengths so it has to be worked out individually.
Anyway glad to have find this sight. No one in my family shares my interest. Nearly everything I buy has to be altered in some way (too long usually).
Thank you for this! I did some research into doing a ‘forward shoulder adjustment’ because some of my garments seem to be pulled backwards so the shoulder seams sit too far back, but I am not convinced that the FSA is much more than a cosmetic fix of seam placement. I am thinking this might be more what I need, and may fix what is actually causing those seams to be pulled backwards. Ah, fitting, there always seems to be more to learn!
Sewing expert Cynthia Guffey suggested in a class on fitting, that the total amount needed to be adjusted be divided into to several adjustments. This important particularly if a larger amount needs to be added. In other words, 1 1/2″ would be adjusted in five horizontal lines across the upper back to be spread 1/4″ each. This produces a softer curve. Also, a true Dowager’s Hump adjustment should be made just under the neckline where that specific “hump” is, usually at the vertebrae used to determine the top of the back.
Yes, rounded back and Dowager’s Hump are two different issues. Their names are exactly what they say they are. Roundness occurs when you have poor posture, or sit at a desk or computer all day and eventually you get that slight curve over your upper back. A true Dowager’s Hump is just that – a definite hump, usually just below the neckline and very exaggerated, usually a spinal issue. The above tutorial is excellent for the rounded back, but the Dowager’s Hump would be more suited to the Cynthia Guffey method. You can still divide the adjustment for the rounded back, and two slashes usually does it. You can also add a center back seam and forget the shoulder dart if you like; the CB seam will be curved just like your back. And Jane, sometimes, you still need a forward shoulder adjustment as well, because it makes sense that when you hunch forward, so go your shoulders and they’re pulling fabric from the front to accommodate that! The best thing is to just study your side profile in the mirror and really look at your body to see what it’s doing! You can usually tell right away!
Great post, happens as you age too. Posture is important too. How many adjustments I have made on garments for teenagers too is scary.
I do 2 adjustments as my curvature starts lower. I do this one and the add another smaller amount about mid back. I usually put in a centre back seam, so I can fine tune the back later. There is also a hereditary component to a dowagers hump, so it is not just a posture problem.
So helpful, thanks! I will use this alteration for my husband, he’s a swimmer with broad and round back.
I do a round back adjustment on all patterns. I find a round back causes the side seams to swing to the back and the back to stick out unless I add in the extra length.
I use the method in the tutorial for back pieces cut on the fold. For yokes I use a different method (can’t remember which book it is in). The alternative is to add half of the extra length needed at the bottom of the centre back yoke and draw a slightly curved line that gradually gets closer to the bottom of the original yoke and meets it at the seam allowance of the armhole. The other half of the extra length I add to the back piece basically doing the same addition along the top of the back piece. .
I love this type of post. So incredible helpful!
* incredibly helpful! (Silly spelling)
You are most correct that this is an adjustment that will need to be made more often than not, especially with the common use of computers and cell phones. Also a good reminder to sit up straight when you can. 🙂 this is a very easy to follow and brilliant tutorial. Thank you!!!
In step one, are the measurements backwards? If my back were 14in and the pattern is 15in, I wouldn’t need to make this adjustment, but I would if the measurements were that my back was 15 in and the pattern was 14 in?
Yep, you’re right – I corrected it.