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KrisAntilles (Amanda Burk) Active Legion Member

Joined: 20 Dec 2010 Posts: 865 Location: Great Lakes Base - Michigan Medals: 3 (View more...)
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Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 11:37 pm Post subject: Tunic Shoulder Tuck Tutorial
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In the last few months that I've been working on my Jedi costumes, it seems like questions about shoulder tucks come up a lot. I had originally posted this in one of my WIPs, but thought it might be good to post it here.
I've used this method for both of my Jedi costumes, and it's worked really well:
Jedi #1 - WIP
Jedi #1 - Complete
Jedi #2 - WIP
Jedi #2 - Complete
More tunic and shoulder tucks information can be found in SithariRog's excellent tutorial as well:
Jedi Tunic Tutorials (plus tabards/obi), by SithariRog
If anyone has other methods, ideas, or good pictures of your shoulder tucks, please share them here, to help others who decide to venture down the Jedi path!
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Shoulder Tuck Tutorial
Since there was recently a question about shoulder tucks, for the heck of it I tried to take pictures as I was sewing the tucks in mine. I'm sure there are other methods and ideas, but basically this is the way I kind of understood it from the Simplicity 4450 pattern, and with some of my own interpretation, and so far this way has worked well for me.
On the dress form before the shoulder tucks (side seams are not sewn together yet, just pinned together for the picture on the dress form). Notice the distance from neck to shoulder/sleeve seam is extra wide:
One more, side view:
Iron the shoulder and sleeve seam flat, pressing it toward the sleeve (the dark fabric is the lining of the sleeve, the tan/brown fabric is the lining of the body of the tunic):
Lay your tunic down wrong side up. Figure out where you want your shoulder tuck seam to be, then measure in from the edge of the shoulder/sleeve seam to just past where you want your shoulder tuck seam to be. I used 3 1/4", marked that measurement in a few different spots, then drew a line with disappearing ink:
Form the tuck by bringing the edge of the shoulder/sleeve seam up to the line you just drew. Pin the seam into place along your line, but make sure you don't catch any of the sleeve material as you put the pins in. You're just tacking the seam down so it doesn't move around on you when you flip the sleeve over. I just pushed the pins through the seam and into the fabric underneath:
Flip your sleeve over so it's now right side up. This is why you want to make sure you don't catch the sleeve fabric with the pins you just put in. The reason you can't see the ends of the pins is because they're all inside and/or under the shoulder tuck you just formed, that way I knew I didn't catch any of the sleeve material and snag it when I flipped the sleeve over:
Pin down the sleeve along the seam that you pinned down inside, so it stays put when you pull the inside pins out:
Flip the sleeve back over wrong side up, and pull out all the pins that you tacked down the sleeve with:
Pins all removed:
Flip the sleeve right side up again. Add a row of pins on either side of the row of pins you have in the seam. Then go through and pull out the center row of pins since this is where you'll be sewing your shoulder tuck seam and they are in your way:
Figure out how long you want your shoulder tuck seam to be. Measure that out and mark a beginning and ending point for your shoulder tuck seam. I marked mine at 5" on each side of the center shoulder seam, and marked with disappearing ink. So my total shoulder tuck seam is 10" long:
Head to the sewing machine and sew down your shoulder tuck seam. If you're fabric is really thick, make sure you have a heavy duty needle. I actually used a leather needle for mine, because there's multiple layers I'm sewing through and linen fabric of this tunic is pretty thick:
Seam is stitched down:
Pins pulled. Under side of the shoulder tuck:
Top side of the shoulder tuck:
And looking at the finished shoulder tuck seam from the inside:
And on the dress form with both shoulder tucks complete:
 _________________ Jedi - Great Lakes Base
TS-50136 - Great Lakes Garrison
Follow my costuming adventures (both Star Wars and non Star Wars):
Dun Got Class Costuming Creations

Last edited by KrisAntilles (Amanda Burk) on Sat Oct 19, 2013 12:45 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Jaina Solo (Shea Standefer) Rebel Legion Reserve

Joined: 03 Mar 2009 Posts: 51
Medals: None
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 7:38 pm Post subject:
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I gotta tell you, these shoulder tucks are driving me nutzo.
I get it totally if the shoulder tuck is just on the top of the tunic. But this picture implies that the shoulder tuck goes all the way around the sleeve:
Am I missing something? If the shoulder tuck goes all the way around the sleeve, wouldn't that change the shape of how the sleeve fits into the tunic? _________________
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EeanLedgor () Active Legion Member

Joined: 01 Apr 2009 Posts: 3954 Location: Alabama Medals: 8 (View more...)
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 9:11 pm Post subject:
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If you look closely at Amanda's tutorial, she does not sew this shoulder tuck stitch all the way around the sleeve. And...neither do I
I only sew about 4" - 5 " on either side of the shoulder seam...and not all the way around the sleeve. The results in a stitch that is 8" - 10" long. This stitch over the top of the shoulder is visible, but will be covered by the tabards.
And yeah...for me, the shoulder tucks are probably the most difficult part of a Jedi outer tunic. I pin, try it on, then usually spend a while repining to get everything even.
I will also say that I sew the shoulder tucks in place just after I've attached the open sleeves...and BEFORE I sew the side seams (and therefore, sleeves) together. For me, it's easier that way. I hope that made sense. _________________ Past Offices held within the Rebel Legion: LMO, Asst. LMO, Legion Costume Judge, DCO and DXO KJO, BCO and BXO Tranquility Base
Writer of many costuming tutorials.
Maker of costume props and costumes for Rebel Legion and 501st members. |
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KrisAntilles (Amanda Burk) Active Legion Member

Joined: 20 Dec 2010 Posts: 865 Location: Great Lakes Base - Michigan Medals: 3 (View more...)
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Aima Fordyce (Amber Olsen) Rebel Legion Reserve

Joined: 29 Apr 2014 Posts: 24 Location: FL USA Medals: None
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Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 1:02 am Post subject:
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THANK YOU.
I have been following the wonderful and detailed tutorials on this site for many months before diving into the project. But last night, I started sewing. And this "tuck" business was messing with my brain! This is a life saver. |
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KrisAntilles (Amanda Burk) Active Legion Member

Joined: 20 Dec 2010 Posts: 865 Location: Great Lakes Base - Michigan Medals: 3 (View more...)
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Posted: Thu May 01, 2014 1:55 am Post subject:
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Aima Fordyce wrote: | This is a life saver. |
Glad it was helpful!!! _________________ Jedi - Great Lakes Base
TS-50136 - Great Lakes Garrison
Follow my costuming adventures (both Star Wars and non Star Wars):
Dun Got Class Costuming Creations
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Woone Desal ()
Joined: 14 Aug 2014 Posts: 30 Location: Arizona Medals: None
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2014 7:39 pm Post subject: Shoulder Tuck
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This tutorial was a great help! _________________ “For over a thousand generations, the Jedi were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic — before the dark times. Before the Empire.” |
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Matty8393 (Matt Melton)
Joined: 04 Aug 2014 Posts: 84 Location: Dahlonega, GA Medals: None
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2014 3:06 pm Post subject:
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Since I am working with the 5840 pattern that does not have the shoulder tucks, what kind of allowances or modification should I do to the pattern in order to make the tuck? Make the shoulder area of the tunic wider and sleeves a bit longer to make room for the tuck? |
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EeanLedgor () Active Legion Member

Joined: 01 Apr 2009 Posts: 3954 Location: Alabama Medals: 8 (View more...)
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2014 4:57 pm Post subject:
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Generally, I just make the sleeves longer and tuck the sleeve under the shoulder, hiding the shoulder-to-sleeve seam. Oh....and I make the sleeves longer on the sleeve end.
Hopefully someone else will chime in too to give their opinion as well...there's more than one way to skin a gundark
The 5840 pattern is okay...but for my personal tastes, the body of the tunic and the sleeves are a bit form fitting. _________________ Past Offices held within the Rebel Legion: LMO, Asst. LMO, Legion Costume Judge, DCO and DXO KJO, BCO and BXO Tranquility Base
Writer of many costuming tutorials.
Maker of costume props and costumes for Rebel Legion and 501st members. |
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Cobalt-60 () Active Legion Member

Joined: 14 Nov 2013 Posts: 1852
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Matty8393 (Matt Melton)
Joined: 04 Aug 2014 Posts: 84 Location: Dahlonega, GA Medals: None
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2014 5:22 pm Post subject:
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SithariRog wrote: | Generally, I just make the sleeves longer and tuck the sleeve under the shoulder, hiding the shoulder-to-sleeve seam. Oh....and I make the sleeves longer on the sleeve end.
Hopefully someone else will chime in too to give their opinion as well...there's more than one way to skin a gundark
The 5840 pattern is okay...but for my personal tastes, the body of the tunic and the sleeves are a bit form fitting. |
Makes sense, I think. I think I can explain it to my seamstress (wife) and get what it needs to do across. She's pretty handy with patterns having to modify some for her now and then, not for costuming though. And doing the mock up will help a ton.
Hopefully we can modify the pattern to make it how it needs to look. Your Tutorial and a few others will come in really handy. |
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Ixam Let'si (max) Active Legion Member

Joined: 20 May 2013 Posts: 1946 Location: SYDNEY Medals: None
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Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 1:27 am Post subject:
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so its the shoulder going over the top of its (subsequently pull sleave up) as opposed pulling the sleave under the shoulder seam to meet higher up in the shoulder.
Hence why the shoulder section needs to overhanging to accomodate the shoulder tuck and the should tuck to be ON the shoulder.
aaaah that makes sense now. _________________
Do or Do not, this is no try. - Yoda |
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serephent ()
Joined: 04 Nov 2016 Posts: 49
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Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2016 12:38 am Post subject:
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My question isn't about the tuck itself, but actually about the whole OT. I see you have what looks like an extra set of seams running up it? The whole think seems much more form fitted (and probably flattering) than the normal one? Is this specific to a named character, or generic? |
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Alplily ()
Joined: 03 Nov 2017 Posts: 11
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 1:43 am Post subject:
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Is there any chance of this tutorial being updated with visible photos? Tx. |
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Lora Skywalker () Base Membership Officer

Joined: 24 Jul 2008 Posts: 7275
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Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 2:42 pm Post subject:
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Hmm, I can see the photos, but I also have a photobucket add on to my browser. Might be what makes the difference. _________________
Nordic Base BMO | DL of Aurora Delegation | CRC | She/Her They/Them
RLGS Detachment website: http://www.senate.rebellegion.com/
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