Do you have some clothes in your wardrobe that stay there for years? You just don’t wear them because of a little detail you don’t like or some fit issues.
But the fabric is too pretty so you just can’t let it go. Why don’t you alter it to your taste?
Clothing alterations require some practice, but they are nothing to be afraid of. They are not as exciting as sewing a new piece of clothing, but worth the effort at the end.
In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how I’ve altered the sleeves and the collar of this dress.
The dress was a gift from a friend and we really liked the liveliness and print of the fabric, but it didn’t fit her body type and taste.
You can use this tutorial to alter the size of the sleeves and collar whatever the reason is. At the bottom of this page, you will find the video tutorial. If you prefer written instructions, here are the steps to follow:
Detach the details we are going to alter
What I need to do first is to remove the collar (picture 1) and the sleeves (picture 2) completely. I need to remove the cuffs and any remaining gathering, so I can work on the sleeves without anything standing in the way.
I was happy to see that they’ve been attached in a circle so I don’t have to break the side seam, just detach the sleeves.
Alter the sleeves
I’ve prepared the sleeve detail from another pattern that I have and I am going to use it to replicate the curve (picture 3).
Usually, I would prefer a pattern for woven fabric if I work on wovens or a pattern for knitted fabric if I alter knits.
In this case, there is no difference between the front and back bodice, so I am using a pattern without a difference in the front and back curves.
Also, I am using a pattern for a shorter sleeve, so I need to increase the length. To achieve this, I draw a straight line down (picture 3). If you have a pattern with the right length around, by all means, use it to simplify the process.
I always like to measure before I cut, so I am using the cuff to see if there is any need to change the width (picture 4).
My sleeve turned out to be too wide at the hemline, so I am going to take it in. You have to be careful to leave some seam allowance. I might leave it a bit wider if I want to keep a bit of the gathering. We don’t want to restrict the movement of the arm too much.
We need to check if everything is correct before we cut. So, what I am going to do is measure if the length of the sleeve curve matches the length of the armhole curve.
The sleeve measures 6 ½ inches (picture 5). The armhole curve turned out to be 7 ½ inches, which is a difference of an inch (picture 6). So I need to work on the sleeve a bit more.
What I am going to do is extend the length without changing the curve. I am going to redraw the whole curve a bit lower so that I have enough fabric for the new curve.
I am adding that missing inch to the width of the sleeve (picture 7) and then connecting the end of the curve with the end of the hem (picture 8).
My sleeve pattern is also a size smaller, so this is where the difference in width comes from. But it can happen even if the size matches. That’s why I thought it would be nice to demonstrate what to do in those cases.
What’s left for me to do here is cut out the new shape of the sleeve (picture 9).
Once again, I am going to check if the new curve of the sleeve matches the armhole precisely. And it does, so I am using this new sleeve as a pattern for the second one (picture 10).
Alter the collar
When I removed the collar, my first intention was to remove it completely and then make the neckline a bit lower and topstitch. Then I realized that it matched nicely with the cuffs and belt, so I decided to leave it, and just make it a bit smaller.
To change the shape and size of the collar, I need to turn it inside out.
I am pinning both layers of the collar together so that everything stays in place (picture 12).
I am marking the new width of the collar at two inches (picture 13). Don’t forget to leave seam allowance in addition to the width you want.
I am going to serge it, so my seam allowance is not big. You should know that collars are usually not sewn on the serger, but I am being lazy and doing the whole altering on one machine only.
Here are both details of the collar, closed at the bottom (picture 15). I also made the side seam of the sleeves and attached the cuffs (picture 16). The final step would be to assemble everything back in place.
But before I do that, I should go and iron all the new seams so they look better.
Sew everything back in place
To attach the sleeves back in place, first I am going to mark the center of the sleeve. Then, I am going to pin the sleeve to the armhole, starting at the side seams.
Next, I align the center of the sleeve to the shoulder seam. The rest of the sleeve I distribute to the armhole. Use as many pins as you need to secure everything in place.
The sleeve matched beautifully (picture 17), so I am going to the same with the other one. Once I am ready, I will sew the sleeves back in place.
The last thing I need to do is put back the collar. I am going to pin it in place as I did with the sleeves.
First, at the center back and then at the center front (picture 18). While I am pinning, I am careful to go through all 3 layers of fabric.
If this is challenging, stitch both layers of the collar together first (with a straight stitch) and then pin them to the dress.
I distribute the rest of the collar to the neckline (picture 18) and do that with both collar details (picture 19). Then, I make the seams.
I happen to like the altered dress much more. And I hope you found some inspiration in this tutorial to do clothing alterations according to your own style.
Here is the video tutorial on this sewing alterations:
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More on alterations:
I have several mandarin style blouses that are too big around the neck but fit me everywhere else. The back of the blouse has a loop hole and buttons on the mandarin collar to close it. Is there a way I can adjust the mandarin collar to be smaller?
I have researched and found nothing.
Thanks,
I have a couple of sleeveless dresses but the arm holes are to big. The dresses are also slightly too big now as I’ve gone down one dress size. What can I do to reduce the size of the armhole and give these 2 dresses a new lease of life?
Fixing gapping armholes is much easier to do on a pattern than on RTW clothes. But it happens often and I deal with it by doing one of the following: take in the fabric at the side seam, at the shoulder seam, or sewing a dart.
I am planning to make a tutorial on this, but until then, you can watch this video and take in the shoulder seam at the shoulder instead of the neckline if it seems appropriate for your particular problem. Every repair and alteration is a bit different so I hope this helps.
Love to see thrift store alterations. So many things going to the landfill Needlessly. Fast fashion is a big polluter. A sea in Uzbekistan is pretty much dry from cotton production. It takes several gallons of water to produce enough cotton to make 1 shirt.
I would love to see how to alter a tank top that has armholes/neckline that are way too big (but otherwise fits great across the bust. This is a knit tank.