There was much to like about my first make of Vogue 8881, but it had a problem that is not unusual for me.  The neckline was much too big – too wide, and too low. I have rather narrow shoulders.  The rest of it fitted me fine.  So for the second make, I made some alterations. And it’s just right!

This time I got out the pattern pieces and some spare paper and cut and redrew. I moved the armholes in about half an inch at the shoulder seam, blending back to the original cutting line by the time that I got to the sleeve notches. I took a half inch tuck in the centre back of the pattern piece, and moved the neckline in half an inch on each side.

I altered the front pieces in a similar way. I moved the armhole in half an inch at the shoulder seam, blending back in to the original cutting line at the sleeve notches. This narrowed the shoulders while keeping the width at the bottom of the armhole, around the body. I didn’t alter the sleeve heads at all, after first walking the measurements and allowing for the fabric being a cotton/lycra with great recovery.

The neckline was brought in half in inch at each side on the front, and raised about an inch. You can see that fairly clearly in the photo. I rather enjoyed working out where I would make the alterations to get the results that I was after.

As with the last make, I couldn’t match the stripes down the front or the back, due to the angle that the pieces meet at. But believe me, they are definitely matched at the side seams and down the sleeve seams! So for comparison, the first version:

and the subsequent, with smaller neckline.

Still open, but not huge. This was one of my Sewjourn makes last weekend. I wasn’t expecting that I would be able to wear it for months, given that it is mid-November, but Melbourne has turned on such a cold spell that I was able to wear it on Tuesday. Never count on it being hot until January!