Altering A Shirt Sleeve

Altering Sleeves Techniques
One of our students recently found a great blouse; bought it, and brought it home.   Then she realized the blouse was long sleeved, and she had never altered a blouse before.   She set the blouse on her cutting table, and thought to herself.   This is the a great  blouse.  I love it.  If I try to shorten the sleeves, I could ruin it. 

Long sleeves are great for formal occasions and during the cold weather, but when it gets hot long sleeves can be miserable.   One solution is to shorten the sleeves.  In fact, I suppose you could shorten all the shirt sleeves in May and buy a whole new collection of long sleeved shirts in the Fall.  That way you have plenty of short sleeve shirts plus new shirts too.

Knowledge is power.  It is important to learn to sew and make the appropriate measurements, cuts, and seaming.  Knowing how to sew is a vital skill, but one that may be learned while you are having great fun.

Why would you alter a perfectly good blouse or shirt?  Why would you cut off a perfectly good sleeve?  There are many possible purposes: comfort, style, repair, just want to.  The more apt question is how do you alter a sleeve?

Altering a blouse or shirt sleeve is a project  that can be quick and easy.  Yes, there are  probably a hundred different variations on how to do it.  Cuff or no cuff,  sleeveless, short sleeve, three quarter sleeve, fancy or simple.  There are a a few choices, but for this project we decided to keep it simple.
Step One, set the length of sleeve you want.  This sounds easy, and it is.  However, you do have to choose the length you want for this sleeve.  You may determine this length by comparing other shirts until you find one that is just right.  You can even use this other shirt like a template. 

Now that you have a clear idea what length you want, measure from the top seam at the shoulder down to the point you want your sleeve to end.  Then measure from the under arm seam to the same point parallel point on the sleeve.   To this measurement, add one and a half inches.  Mark the sleeve straight across with a fabric marker.

Third, Cut the sleeve straight across, connecting both under arm and top sleeve measurements. 
Step Four, remove the stitching along the inside of the sleeve to the underarm seam.  Keep in mind that the shape of the sleeve tapers.  You will need to carefully reshape the sleeve to avoid binding under the arm.   To accomplish this, seam on the inside of the sleeve along the taper.   

The inch and a half of fabric to be used for the hem, must be cut and sewn with an angle opposite to accommodate the taper so that when it is folded under it will not bind.

Finally, finish the sleeve hem.  Here you have several choices depending on the general style of the shirt.  You may install a cuff or not.  You may finish with top stitching or blind hem.  In either case, the procedure is much the same.  Fold the edge of the sleeve under half an inch and press it.  Fold it under again one inch and press.  Finally, sew the seam as decided.

Always test your sewing machine before sewing your first stitch.  If your sewing machine is not in perfect order, it is vital that you have any sewing machine repair performed before attempting to use it.  Failure to properly repair sewing machines before starting to sew will result in frustration and possible damage to your project.

If you plan to use a blind hem, you can accomplish your sewing using you sewing machine blind hem stitch with its appropriate blind hem foot.  Or if you plan to do many hems, there is a great specialty machine called a blind hemmer that produced a professional blind hem perfect for sleeves, slacks, dresses, skirts, wherever you may need a blind hem.

Finding sewing resources can be a challenge, but the following resources may be helpful.

Learn to Sew
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Sewing Machine Repair
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