Hi all...I know I'm doing something really wrong, but I can't seem to figure it out. I'm guessing that my measurements are incorrect, but I get the same number when re-measured.

Problem: I have very forward sloping shoulders; a VERY long, broad, and rounded upper back/shoulders; and a concave chest.

when I use my actual measurements, the shoulders come out so bizarre that the fabric doesn't even pretend to meet--there's a gap of about 5 inches.

From doing a draped bodice, I know that my back shoulders need to come forward at a slant from the neck/shoulder intersection, and the front shoulders need to have a similar slant/amount taken off (I used to move my pattern shoulder lines forward about 2.5 inches from the neck shoulder point).

Any ideas on where to start tweaking? or better yet, is there someone in the Seattle area that I can hire for a couple of private lessons and measuring?

Thanks!

L.

There are two numbers that work in concert-
the full measurement from the join of the neck and shoulder to waist straight down.

and the slope which determines the amount of slant or drop which is from shoulder point to CENTER waist

Abolsultly impossible to accuratly measure yourself without twisting out of shape.

99.9% of the time the slope is fractionally larger than the corresponding full.

Kaaren

Thanks....I'll take a look at it.

I didn't measure myself--had engineer hubby make all the marks following the instructions and do the measurements. He's pretty OCD about being precise, but he doesn't sew and it is possible that we misinterpreted where to place some of the marks...but the reality is that I'm a pretty weird shape....