this 1940s diy is for triangular shoulder pads, a staple of dresses and blouses from the 40s. the fashion style accentuated the shoulders of the female, resulting in designs with wider and straighter shoulders than the actual body.

these vintage shoulder pads are not difficult to make. every time you make a new set, you get a new chance to shape it to your liking.

First, shape cotton batting, sandwich it between muslin squares, tack all three layers together. After stitching and forming, cut the square diagonally into triangles at the thickest edge 3/4″ or 2cm thick.

After making the pad, cover it with bias-cut material, hand-stitch edges closed neatly. Hand-stitch pads for better shaping. Attach cleanly covered pads to design seams, avoiding stitching into the body for invisible connection.

how to make vintage shoulder pads

makes 1 pair

what you will need

• fabric scissors
• 1-2 sewing needles
• 1 spool matching sewing thread for tacking and stitching
• 1 spool contrast sewing thread for basting (optional)
• 2 squares of 15x15cm or 6″x6″ muslin (lightweight and tightly woven cotton fabric)
• 1 square of 15x15cm or 6″x6″ cotton batting + some extra to shape ( note: final thickness should be 2cm/3/4″ sloping to nothing)

to cover

• 2 squares of 17x17cm or 6.75″x6.75″ blouse material (cut on bias if using triangle scraps to cover)

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method

first the batting is shaped or formed, then the batting is tacked between the fabric squares. finally, the pads are covered in blouse or dress material.

prepare

• thread your basting needle with contrast thread.
• have your scissors handy.
• collect the 2 squares of 15x15cm muslin + your cotton batting.
• measure the thickness of your batting to calculate if you need to cut-out or build-up thickness to reach a height of 3/4″ or 2cm.

form the pad

in order to form the pad, remove or cut-out excess height at the edges, tapering up to the center which should be 2cm high. building-up refers to layering too thin batting. torn or cut pieces of batting can be layered at the center of your square to 2cm. edges always taper to nothing. when finished, the batting held in profile should look like a tiny mountain.

building-up

Layer extra batting at the center to build-up the batting, mix and thin out the edges with a needle tip similar to needle felting. it is advisable to work on a table or other hard surface.

cutting-out

with the use of your scissors you can trim around the square to create a sloping effect.

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sandwhich the layers

after you create your sloping mountain, sandwich the batting between your 15cm cotton squares. secure the layers with long basting stitches running around the edges. for this, use contrast thread, it is easier to removal later. thread your needle with a matching thread and whipstitch all edges. remove basting by clipping long stitches with the scissors and gently, pulling through.

tack the layers

Using the illustration below as a guide, stabilize the pad with tacking. Thread your needle with matching thread and secure the thread with a back stitch when starting and finishing. Enter at the bottom position of the farthest column to the right, stitching up, over, and down again, as illustrated.

Lean the first column to the left and stitch the second column closer to create an upside-down V. Ensure equal lengths of stitches on both front and back sides. Secure with a back stitch after tacking and then cut the thread.

cut in two

create your two triangle pads by cutting the square diagonally in half. there should be no need to stitch over the cut edge, because we will finish this with a cover.

making a cover

to complete your vintage shoulder pads, create a cover. place 1 square of 15x15cm dress or blouse fabric, right side up on the table. fold the top, left corner down to bottom, right corner to form a triangle. these are now bias triangles. press your triangles with a warm iron before stitching 1cm from edge along the left side. press seam and turn, forming pockets.

slip-stitch closed

slip your triangle pad into the pocket you created, then turn in loose edge and slip stitch the last side closed. don’t stitch too tight, make sure the pads don’t move around inside the cover though, but don’t compress them either.

attach the pad

Attach the pads to your dress or blouse invisibly. You should work on the mannequin for the best results. Turn your piece inside out and dress your mannequin, ensuring the shoulders sit correctly. Pin your pads in place with safety pins and try on for fit. Adjust as needed before attaching to seam allowance.

finish

once you have the desired fit you can attach the pads to the inseams of the piece. once again on the mannequin for added stability, tack to top shoulder and armhole seams, as illustrated. stitches should catch the inside seams and not show on the outside.

tips

• mannequin: no mannequin, no problem. you are the best mannequin alternative. try on the piece on inside out and pin your pads in place. check the fit, right side out. if everythings good, roll up a small towel to use as a substitute shoulder. with your piece once again inside-out, insert the towel roll into the armhole to stabilise the shoulder curve and tack down the pads to inseams.
• cover.1: use a skin tone or lingerie color of similar weight & material to cover.
• cover.2: create a 3 piece pad cover of remnant material. for 1 pad: cut two triangles the size of the pad. the third being 4cm high x the length of the thickest edge. for all edges add 1cm seam allowance. if using woven material cut these pieces on the bias.

• prewash: remember to prewash all your materials, shrinkage after the fact is really disturbing and unnecessary.
• batting: though cotton is recommended here, there are alternatives. leftover wool yarn scraps can be felted and used, as well.

info provided by Tammy Sue Steffens Textilwerkstatt in Hamburg, Germany