DIY Resizing a Shirt

I have a little sewing trick that comes in handy so many times.  Re-sizing a shirt!

My son is 6 foot 3 inches tall and has a 32 inch waist.  Yes, he only weighs 150 pounds.  But he has such broad shoulders that he wears a men's large shirt.  The shirts are usually cut for a much heavier man so, you guessed it, they hang like a sack on him.  Voila! The shirt re-size to the rescue!

Have the person (my son) put on the shirt.  Pin up the sides and even under the arm if needed where the new seam will go.  Have them take the shirt off.  It is important that they can comfortably get the shirt on and off (especially if it is a pull-over) and you know this before you start sewing.

Carefully measure how far in the new seam will be at each pin.  I try to average the measurement and make both sides the same at that point.  Then with the shirt inside out pin the new seam. (I go pin by pin.)

For this shirt, I made it more narrow it at the waist and gradually flared it out under the arms.  I measure from the bottom to the narrowest place at the waist and make sure the sides are even. Stitch the seam. Have them try on the shirt to make sure it fits and the seam look smooth. I usually sew a zig-zag stitch inside the seam allowance so the fabric won't fray.  Trim the seam close to the zig-zag stitching.

I also did this for several of my blouses as I have lost 30 pounds over the last year. I just can't go out and buy a whole new wardrobe and some of these shirts were my favorites!  I had a helper pin up the shirt while I had it on. I sewed them up and they look great, plus I feel great that I'm not wearing big baggy shirts!

Save some dough, be resourceful and give it a stab.  (Just don't stab your finger with the pin!) You'll be glad you did! :)

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DIY Cardigan Sweater Refashion

{Gloria here.} I just love cardigans.  I prefer them to pullovers because they're so much easier to put on and take off.  Also, we live in a lovely temperate climate... and sometimes you need a sweater, but then later it gets too warm and that thing just has to come off.  :)

So, this means I love re-fashioning sweaters into cardigans.  Let me show you how it's done! :)

You will need:

• A pullover sweater
• Fabric 
• Interfacing 
• Snaps
• Matching thread

• You will need two pieces of fabric for the binding.  Measure the length of the front of the sweater and add at least 3 inches. My measurement was 23 inches.  I chose to make the binding a finished 1 inch wide so I had to cut it 3 inches to start. You can make it narrower or wider depending on your taste and adjust measurements accordingly. :) My strip was 3" by 23".
• Cut two strips of fabric and cut two pieces of interfacing the same size.
• Iron the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric.  Press over 1/2 inch on one long edge.

• Find the center of the sweater by measuring across it.  I didn't show it in the picture but you might want to slide something stiff like cardstock or a wide ruler in the sweater so you don't pin the two layers together or cut the back of the sweater.
• Pin the center line.  Cut it open.  This cable sweater made it easy because the cables gave me a nice line to follow.
• Pin the unpressed long edge of the fabric to the sweater right sides together.  Leave some fabric hanging over the neckline and bottom of the sweater. This will be tucked in later. Sweaters are stretchy so be sure the two edges are the same length after you pin on the fabric strips.  
• Using a 1/2 inch seam, stitch together with the sweater on the bottom as you go otherwise it will pucker.
  
  
  

• Press sweater toward the fabric, (make sure the iron isn't too hot).
• On the piece hanging over the end, turn under the fabric by the seam.   Press.
• Turn over the fabric to line up nicely with the sweater and press.  (You may want to trim it a little before turning.)
• Fold the fabric over the sweater so it is past the seam that you just stitched.  Press and pin.
• Before you start sewing, hold the two threads and pull with a gentle steady pressure as you begin to sew. That will help the machine get started sewing smoothly and not get bogged down.
• Stitch the fabric down using a narrow seam as shown in the picture.
• Measure out where you want the snaps so they are evenly placed.  Stitch them on.

Voila!  You are done!!

It is important to use matching thread so that when you sew the sweater, the thread doesn't show.

You could always use buttons and make buttonholes instead of snaps.  Also, I have made several cardigans with zippers and hope to show you that tutorial some time in the future.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.  We are happy to help!

Happy sewing!

 You will find us linked up at some of these fine sites. And at Common Ground.