How to Adjust Neckline Height
Do you want to raise or lower the neckline for the Luna Dress or Blouse?
Ready to give the front neckline of your Luna Dress or Blouse a little makeover? It is actually an easy fix to raise or lower the V neckline! This simple adjustment can make a big difference in the overall look and feel of your garment, ensuring it flatters your body and suits your personal taste.
A few things to note before we hop in. The Luna is a pullover style which means that the V opening still needs to be large enough to accommodate your head when putting on the garment. I think it could be raised up to 5cm (2”) but I would definitely make a test muslin before cutting into your good fabric! If you have a petite frame and need an overall adjustment to the upper bodice, see our guide for a Petite Adjustment here. This pattern was drafted for a 168cm (5’-6”) individual so please take that into consideration when choosing which adjustment to make.
Take a peek at the Finished Garment Measurements below to see where the neckline will fall on you and make a decision about how much to raise or lower it by. The V point is measured from the High Point Shoulder straight down. It was designed to sit approximately 5cm (2”) above the bust apex, but as you know we all have a different bust fullness and/or apex location!
Step 1: Slide a piece of paper underneath your pattern. Decide how high you'd like to raise the neckline, then draw a vertical line straight up from the V-point by that distance.
Step 2: Using a french curve (or a steady hand) blend a line from the new V-point all the way up to the shoulder seam. Next, cut out the shape you just created making sure to include the original neckline also.
Step 3: Now we are going to copy that shape to the neckline portion of the pleats. *If you are making the pattern without a front pleat, then you can move to the next step.
Take the shape you just cut out and line it up with the other neckline edges. You will need to flip it around for one of them. Note that the top of the pleat edge doesn’t extend as far up as the original shape you created. Just draw a straight horizontal line at the top of the pleat and trace the new neckline edges from there.
Step 4: Now let’s add the front seam allowance. Extend the original Center Front line up to meet the height of the new V-point. From there extend the line horizontally to the left (it should be 1.5cm, 5/8” long) to meet the V-point you previously drew.
Step 5: Now cleanly trace everything and you are ready to sew!
If you want to lower the neckline simply follow the same steps but you will be cutting away the original neckline instead of adding to it.