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hopesprings_gw

shortening a T-shirt

hopesprings_gw
16 years ago

Sorry for the (probably) stupid question, but is it possible to shorten a T-shirt that I bought? It's a really cute V-neck T, but it's just too long and hugs me in all the wrong places. :) Will it look really unprofessional? Any ideas? Thanks...

Comments (2)

  • cytinda
    16 years ago

    If you have a zig-zag stitch available on your machine, Here's the simplest way to hem your T-shirt:

    1) First, cut your T-shirt off half an inch longer than you want it to be (for hem allowance)

    2) Then fold & iron that half inch over to the back side of the T-shirt (making sure not to stretch the fabric very much).

    3) Now: Set your sewing machine zig-zag stitch to about 3 or 3 & a half (or somewhere mid-way on your stitch guide, not to big & not to small) then set your stitch LENGTH to about 6 or 8 or a bit smaller... You want the stitch length & width to be JUST big enough to work. If it's to wide, it won't look right.

    4) Turn T-shirt right-side out & sew from the inside hem area. Now sew your hem like this: When stitching the zig-zag stitch, have the zig hit the shirt-only area & the zag hit the hem area... As the Zig-Zag alternates: Every other stitch should hit the hem area. Continue to sew your hem all the way around.

    ---> This is how I sew all of my hems on knit garments. You won't have to worry about the garment raveling or fraying because thin knits don't fray. And don't worry about it looking "Unprofessional" because no one looks THAT close at your hem... As long as you have MATCHING THREAD (or invisible thread on pattern garments) the hem will look fine & be Super-Easy to do! (& the zig-zag stitch will stretch along with the knit fabric)

    * If your machine doesn't have a zig-zag stitch you can iron the hem to about half an inch in length, then sew the hem by hand.

    * If you don't have an iron, just fold the hem as you sew, being careful to keep the hem as even as possible.

    ---> The directions above are only for thin, knitted fabrics, with or without stretch.
    When hemming a WOVEN garment you MUST fold the cut area of the fabric under the hem & use a STRAIGHT stitch with a long stitch length.

  • hopesprings_gw
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    cytinda...I do have a zig-zag stitch and the pattern is sort of busy, so I'll definitely try that. Thanks for taking time to explain the process!