Some alterations of RTW are worth the effort

May 14, 2015 6 Replies

A couple of years ago, I purchased a nice light-weight long-sleeved denim shirt to embroider with several Oregon lighthouses. After laundering the shirt, I centered four designs, angled in a Vee on the upper fronts, and embroidered them. However, I have worn the shirt exactly once, because the sleeves are waaaay tooo looong, and I hate the sloppy look of shoulder seams half-way down the arm. So, it hung in my closet awaiting alteration.



Today, tried it on, pin basted the sleeve caps higher on the shoulder in order to raise the cuff, and marked the new location. It took a lot of unpicking: two rows of top-stitching, one lock-stitch seam, and a four-thread overlock edge finish. I pressed the sleeve heads and armscyes, eye-balled and marked a new armscye seam, re-shaped the sleeve head so it would fit the new armscye and pin-basted. After a little further adjustment, I sewed the new seam, serged it, pressed toward the sleeve, and double top-stitched.



Well worth it, because I love the lighthouses. ;-D



Beverly



A couple of years ago, I purchased a nice light-weight long-sleeved denim shirt to embroider with several Oregon lighthouses. After laundering the shirt, I centered four designs, angled in a Vee on the upper fronts, and embroidered them. However, I have worn the shirt exactly once, because the sleeves are waaaay tooo looong, and I hate the sloppy look of shoulder seams half-way down the arm. So, it hung in my closet awaiting alteration.

Today, tried it on, pin basted the sleeve caps higher on the shoulder in order to raise the cuff, and marked the new location. It took a lot of unpicking: two rows of top-stitching, one lock-stitch seam, and a four-thread overlock edge finish. I pressed the sleeve heads and armscyes, eye-balled and marked a new armscye seam, re-shaped the sleeve head so it would fit the new armscye and pin-basted. After a little further adjustment, I sewed the new seam, serged it, pressed toward the sleeve, and double top-stitched.

Well worth it, because I love the lighthouses. ;-D

Beverly Doesn't it make you feel good to finally have the shirt adjusted "just right!" Barbara in cool SC

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I agree some things are worth doing, I'm so glad you have rescued the shirt Beverly I'm sure it will have a lot of outings now. The weather should be about right for that shirt now I guess.

bottom and the legs of a twig! Ha as if. I have waited 2 weeks to find the time to unpick the centre back seam and waistband so that I take a triangle from the centre back and rid myself of the gappy waistband at the rear. Much better I also took the time while I was sewing for me to take in the top of a dress that also gapped badly because it fitted my hips and I have no compensatory bust.

Sometimes when I do these jobs I say to myself it would have been as easy to make it myself from scratch and be right the 1st time but..... I can't resist the ready to wear price sometimes.

Le > Beverly (clip)

I agree some things are worth doing, I'm so glad you have rescued the shirt Beverly I'm sure it will have a lot of outings now. The weather should be about right for that shirt now I guess. (clip)

Sometimes when I do these jobs I say to myself it would have been as easy to make it myself from scratch and be right the 1st time but..... I can't resist the ready to wear price sometimes.

That reminds me of the time I was wearing a dress I made myself to a class I was attending and a girl said to me I can tell you made that , and I said Oh is it obvious it's handmade and she said no it fits you properly. Funny and flattering at the same time.

That reminds me of the time I was wearing a dress I made myself to a class I was attending and a girl said to me I can tell you made that , and I said Oh is it obvious it's handmade and she said no it fits you properly. Funny and flattering at the same time.

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