Tutorial: How to adjust a sewing pattern to add ease to a tight armhole – a quick and easy adjustment!

I regularly find that blouse and dress sewing patterns come up a little tight under the armhole on me.  I like my handmade clothes to be as comfortable as possible, so I often make a quick and easy adjustment to add ease to tight armholes.  It is a very simple method and I thought I would share it on here in case any of you experience a similar issue.  I hope you will find this tutorial helpful!

My quick and easy method to add ease to a tight armhole

• Step 1 – Decide size of adjustment. This method involves adjusting the bottom of the armhole to add extra room at this point in the armscye. The first thing to do is decide how much extra room you would like to add.  I typically make a 1cm adjustment, but I have occasionally increased this to 1.5cm for particularly tight armholes.  For this example I will be using 1cm.

• Step 2 – Adjust the front and back bodice pattern pieces to bring the bottom of the armhole down by 1cm.  The pink curved line in the photos below shows the adjustment.  Note – you will need to ensure that the full 1cm adjustment is made all the way through the seam allowance and not just at the edge of the pattern piece, to make sure the full adjustment is achieved in the final garment.

• Step 3 – Adjust the sleeve pattern piece to increase the width at each side by a corresponding 1cm, so that the sleeve will fit the wider armhole created in step 2.  Then taper the adjustment line to bring in line with the sleeve side seam.  (Again, you will need to ensure that the full 1cm adjustment is made all the way through the seam allowance on both sides, to make sure the full adjustment is achieved in the final garment and that the adjusted sleeve pattern piece will fit it into the adjusted armhole.)  Tip: I find it easier to make this adjustment to the sleeve pattern piece after I have traced this pattern piece but before I have cut into the tracing paper.  Otherwise you will need to stick on small extra pieces of paper to make the adjustment at a later point.   

• Step 4 – Cut out your adjusted pattern pieces.  Use them to sew up your project.  Enjoy wearing your handmade garment with extra ease built in at the armholes so that you don’t have to suffer from too tight armholes!

I hope you find this mini tutorial useful and you enjoy adjusting your patterns using this quick and easy method!

I have also made a YouTube video demonstrating the above steps and I have included a link to this video here: YOUTUBE VIDEO LINK