How To Raise a Neckline

A couple of years ago, I made a YouTube video on how to raise a neckline on a garment (you can view it here). While that is probably one of my most watched videos, I wanted to do a little update. While the process hasn’t changed, I really want to show and tell you how to raise a neckline. That’s what this post is about.

The process is actually very easy. I have used this many times on several different neckline shapes (including V-neck).

The supplies you need are:

• the pattern piece you want to alter
• tracing paper or sheets of paper
• a marker or pen
• tape

You can watch the video above and I will try to explain as best I can.

The first thing do is tape down the pattern (just in a few places) so it doesn’t move around. I use removable tape.

Next, I trace the neckline from shoulder to the front fold. That’s what you’ll see in the picture above after this has been moved. I trace exactly as is.

Then, holding the tracing paper at the shoulder, I move the paper up as far as I want to raise the neckline. Originally, I said I don’t use this method for more than 1″. But in the video, I did this to raise the neckline about 2″. That’s probably about my limit. Anything more and I question whether I have chosen the right size or style of garment.

When the pattern piece is where I want it, I tape it down and true the lines (make them flow smoothly to the original lines). That’s it!

At the end of the video, you’ll see the finished garment where I used this process most recently.

Here is another way to raise a neckline as well. I have also done something similar.

Let me know if you have any questions. Altering the way I do it does assume that you have a good fit in the shoulder and elsewhere. As you can see, the shoulder seam doesn’t change, which is why I like using this method.

Thanks for watching and reading! I hope this helps someone out there!