Balance is ultimately relative, insofar as it is purely defined by the ratio of front length vs. back length (ie. neckpoint to chest line in both cases). If you add to one, you change the ratio in the same way as if you removed from the other. So, it doesn't matter if you add & subtract, or just add, or just subtract, so long as the net balance alteration is the same.
Obviously, this is ignoring the change to armscye depth, pocket heights, etc. which occur when you move one balance instead of the other. But these are simply adjusted to compensate. For example, if you shorten back balance by 1cm, it is generally expected that you would also lower back armscye by 1cm too.
To further illustrate this point - balance can also be altered by 'passing up' the side seam so that the relationship between the chest & waist balance marks is used to assess the total change in balance. For example, to lengthen back balance, you sew the side seam together so that the back waist mark is higher than the side panel waist mark. This has an identical effect to changing the balance at the shoulder seams. It is in fact the preferred method of altering balance in circumstances where you do not have enough inlay at the shoulder seam to implement the required alteration.
@Benjamin@RobbieThanks guys!I'm having one of these "not too bright" moments here... (They seem to be increasing at the moment ๐๐)Let me recap:1) I can (and probably should!) change front balance by ONLY adjusting the shoulders - I will not touch the side seams (Well, not in a vertical direction, that is)
2) I have not yet adapted my shoulders to the slope I am having, I will probably drop 1/4 on the left and 1/2 on the right. A closer view in our bathroom (Mirror and horizontal and vertical lines behind me!) revealed at least a dropped right shoulder.
3) This should clean up the back. Further excess cloth at the back, below the scye, can then be reduced by taking in the side seam - and:
4) I will very probably need to take off material at the shoulders too, as they are too broad, I'm guessing 1/2" at both sides.
As this will involve whipping out my shears, I will do this as last step, if all other issues are (mostly) cleared.
Which is now my plan of attack:
1) fix front balance - 1/4 to 1/2 up in the back.2) adapt shoulder slope3) take in excess at the side seam between waist and scye
Balance is ultimately relative, insofar as it is purely defined by the ratio of front length vs. back length (ie. neckpoint to chest line in both cases). If you add to one, you change the ratio in the same way as if you removed from the other. So, it doesn't matter if you add & subtract, or just add, or just subtract, so long as the net balance alteration is the same.
Obviously, this is ignoring the change to armscye depth, pocket heights, etc. which occur when you move one balance instead of the other. But these are simply adjusted to compensate. For example, if you shorten back balance by 1cm, it is generally expected that you would also lower back armscye by 1cm too.
To further illustrate this point - balance can also be altered by 'passing up' the side seam so that the relationship between the chest & waist balance marks is used to assess the total change in balance. For example, to lengthen back balance, you sew the side seam together so that the back waist mark is higher than the side panel waist mark. This has an identical effect to changing the balance at the shoulder seams. It is in fact the preferred method of altering balance in circumstances where you do not have enough inlay at the shoulder seam to implement the required alteration.