If you love the Lazo Jumpsuit and Holmes Dress but you’d like a little more coverage at the neckline, this quick adjustment is for you! The best part is these two patterns have an interchangeable bodice with the same neckline shape, so the steps are the same whether you’re sewing the sleeveless Lazo or the sleeved Holmes. In this post, I’ll show you two options: how to raise the neckline while keeping the V-neck, and how to raise the neckline and convert it to a higher, rounded neck. Let’s get started!
Get the Holmes Dress and Lazo Jumpsuit
Tools Needed
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Extra paper
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Ruler
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Tape measure
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Pen or pencil
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Paper scissors
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Holmes Dress or Lazo Jumpsuit pattern
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Deciding where you want your neckline to sit is easy, whether you’re keeping the V-neck or switching to a higher, rounded neck. Put on a low-cut top, or the undergarments you plan to wear with your finished garment. Then measure from the spot between your collarbones straight down to where you want the lowest point of your new neckline to land. This number is your desired neckline depth. Write it down.
Pattern Modifications
For this adjustment, you’ll work with the Front Bodice (1) and Front Facing (3) pieces for either pattern. You will also need Back Bodice (2) for the rounded neckline modification.
1. Place scrap paper underneath the Front Bodice so it covers the entire neckline area. Tape it in place.
2. Extend the front edge of the Front Bodice straight up past the shoulder area.
3. Find the high shoulder point (HSP). On the shoulder edge, draw in the 5/8” (1.6 cm) seam allowances. On the neckline edge, draw in the 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance. The corner where the shoulder seam allowance meets the neckline seam allowance is your high shoulder point.
4. Find the center front on the pattern. On Holmes, it is marked. On Lazo, it is 1 3/8” (3.5 cm) in from the front edge. Extend this marking up vertically.
5. Draw a line through the high shoulder point, perpendicular to the front edge line. Where these lines intersect is the approximate position of the center point between your collarbones.
6. From the intersection point, measure down your desired neckline depth and make a mark.
7. Slightly Raised V-neck: Draw a new V-neckline from your mark, blending smoothly into the original neckline at the seam line. Continue the new line out to the edge of the front pattern piece.
7. High Round Neck: Draw a new rounded neckline from your mark to the shoulder, blending it into the original neckline at the shoulder seam. At the front, make sure the neckline meets the true center front at a right angle to ensure a smooth curve. Continue the new line straight out to the edge of the front pattern piece.
8. High Round Neck: On the Back Bodice, draw seam allowances along the shoulder and neckline. Place the Front and Back Bodices together at the shoulder seams, overlapping the shoulder seam allowances. Check that the new front neckline flows smoothly into the back neckline, and adjust the curve if needed so there are no sharp corners or “jogs” at the shoulder.
9. Once you’re happy with the neckline shape, add 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance to the new neckline only. Then cut out your updated pattern piece.
Next, you’ll make the same neckline change to the Front Facing (3) so it matches your updated Front Bodice.
1. Tape scrap paper to the top of the Front Facing so there’s room to redraw the neckline. Extend both vertical edges of the facing straight up onto the paper. Tip: When extending the facing, make sure both vertical edges stay parallel so the facing remains the same width at the top as it is at the bottom.
2. Line up the pieces. Place your updated Front Bodice over the Front Facing, aligning the front edge and bottom edge.
3. Trace the new neckline and cut. Trace the new neckline shape from the Front Bodice onto the Front Facing. Remove the bodice and cut the Front Facing along the new neckline.
What about the buttons? You can add more buttons as you see fit. The higher the neck, the more likely you will need to add a 4th or even 5th button.
What about the neckline binding? The neckline binding piece is drafted to be longer than the neckline and provide excess binding that is trimmed off. You will not need to shorten the neck binding pattern piece unless you want to conserve fabric and you have made the neckline significantly higher.
That’s it! We always recommend making a muslin after you adjust a pattern. Once you’re happy with the fit, you can sew up your modified Holmes Dress or Lazo Jumpsuit. The best part? The construction steps are exactly the same as written in the instructions - just keep in mind that the illustrations won’t reflect your updated neckline shape.
The Holmes Dress and the Lazo Jumpsuit are both on sale this week for 25% off! No coupon code required. If you purchase both patterns during the sale, you get an additional 10% off! Coupon code automatically applies at checkout. Sale ends March 18, 2026.
