Truly appreciate that you are teaching alterations on a constructed garment.... With clear and detailed explanation... Thank you so much... Look forward to more such videos.
This is an amazing tutorial!!! Thank you ever so much for sharing this incredibly easy to follow video! You made it look effortless! Can hardly wait to try this!
I just made a blouse with Rayon material and realized the shoulder seam was approx. 3/4 inch to long after I had set the sleeve in. Your video on this predicament gave me the clear, concise way the solve my problem. Thank you so much.
I often do it this way, and wondered if I was "doing it right". I have to adjust one shoulder more than the other, since my shoulders are not equal. Thank you for this detailed and easily understood tutorial.
Very well done video that makes me more willing to do this. I hope I can find a similar video from you on attaching the sleeves. I have removed the collars on men's dress shirts since banded collar shirts are hard to find and often very expensive, so if you have or ever do a video on that I would like to see it as I often end up with less than clean seams when I do mine.
Thanks so much. I will add how to make a banded collar to my UA-cam List. I have a class at patternreview.com called the perfectly fitted shirt. In this class I show how to fit and construct a shirt step-by-step. If you like my teaching style, I think you would really benefit from this class... Here's the link to check it out :) sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/sewingclasses/class.pl?id=156 (good news, it on sale right now too!)
Hi. This is very helpful. But I need to remove about an inch. Will it still work? Doesn’t the curved area increase too much? I am wondering if I can do it the way you show or if I should decrease the side seam by 1/2 inch or so to have more fabric in the sleeve cap to accommodate the increase in size of the armhole. Thanks!
Hi Nancy If the tip of the shoulder is hanging off your shoulder 1" then that's what you have to remove. I'm going to play with this adjustment and share it in a Fit Tip Tuesday in the next few weeks. Thanks for watching!
@@JSternDesigns I’ll be very interested in your findings! In the meantime I tried the slash/move method to create a new pattern piece just to see what that would do to the adjustment and it resulted in basically exactly what you suggested. So I went ahead and did it your way. I took 3/4 inch (at the top) blending down gradually and a little from the shirts side seam and everything is ok...except I really could have taken more if I wasn’t so nervous. Thanks for responding.
@@JSternDesigns P.S. My 90-yr-old mum wants me to alter a T-shirt of hers. I've done lots of non-stretch for her, but was nervous to do this. It's a special design on the T-shirt, otherwise it wouldn't be a big deal. 🤗🤗
The technique would be the same with a knit top. Also, I like to use a fusible stay tape on the shoulder seam so it doesn't stretch out of shape and grow longer. Thanks for watching
My pleasure, Yes, you can sew the sleeve back on using the same seam... You may have to ease a little extra along the cap into the armhole if you had to shorten the shoulder seam a significant amount. Thanks for fitting along with me
Depending on how much you have to trim off... you may need to trim the sleeeve a little bit too... Pin the sleeve in to see how it fits before adjusting it! Thanks for fitting along with me
if the side seams also need taking in, would you do that after you took the sleeves out and how would that effect the sleeve? Would you also take in the side seams of the sleeve?
Taking in the side seams starting right up at the top will also shorten the armhole. I think I would pin the sleeve back into the armhole after shorten the shoulder to see how it fits before taking in the side seam... You may have to take in the underarm seam as well to get it to fit. Hope this helps! Thanks for fitting along with me
You can follow this to shorten the shoulder... then take in the side seams as needed... the good news is that you can take in the sleeve a like amount as the side seam by trimming off some along the underarm seam. Walk the sleeve cap along the adjusted armhole to check the ease after you adjust the shoulder and side seam and before you adjust the sleeve cap! Hope that helps, thanks for watching
Nice video. I am trying to take in the shoulder on a blouse that is too big, the sleeves were also too long & also have to take in sides. I had success on other blouse, but a flannel type shirt is causing me stress. after I measured cut out the sleeve hole, I was not able to fit the sleeve back in...obviously I did something wrong. Can you make suggestions? Thank you for the tips. Appreciate you sharing your talent.
Hi Bij, I'm sorry you're having trouble with your flannel shirt pattern. I think I need to see photos of the two pattern pieces so I can see what's going on. I have a facebook group called "J Stern Designs Fitting and Pattern Perfection" If you join the group you can post photos there so I can see them (Plus it may inspire others too!)
When it comes to scooping the armhole, how do we know where the deepest part of the scoop should be ? Must it be pointing towards the fullest part of bustline ?
I did a new series showing how to fit a bodice. Part 1, working in the Blue Zone will show you how to figure out where the armhole should sit. Check this out: ua-cam.com/video/gNsFm8t_F8o/v-deo.html Hope this helps! Thanks for fitting along with me
By removing 1/2 " at the shoulder seam you have made the arms eye larger, but made no adjustment to the sleeve. I need to remove 1 1/2" at the shoulder...how do I adjust the sleeve? And should the arms eye of the ualtered sleeve be the pattern one traces and cuts on the first arms eye then that become the pattern for the next arms eye? And still, how to adjust the sleeve?
Sorry for the delayed response!! Trimming off the shoulder length and some of the armhole should not affect the overall length of the armhole... so there is no need to adjust the sleeve cap. Thank you for sewing along with me! Sorry for the delayed response
I have got a white shirt that needs about 1.5 inch off the shoulder. If i do it the wY you have, how would i have to alter the sleeve to make it fit please?
Thanks for checking in... 1 1/2" is a lot to trim off the shoulder & the armhole might get longer than the sleeve cap. I think I might try basting in shoulder darts (equal and aligned front/back) to get rid 3/4", then trim 3/4" to get rid of the rest. (Center the darts at the finished length of the shoulder). That should allow you to set the sleeve back in... If you need a little more ease in the cap, take out the top of the underarm seam and sew it back using a small seam allowance. If you sew at 1/4" you'll be adding 1/2" back into the length of the armhole. Hope this helps! Thanks for fitting along with me
Tank u so much for sharing this helpful video, my shirt is 3 inches bigger than my shoulder ( my shoulder is 16" and my shirt shoulder is 19") am i to cut off 3"? Lots of love for you, all the way from Nigeria west Africa.
My Pleasure! I might try removing 1" from each shoulder and see how it's fitting. If you need to take more off, you can fine-tune from there. If you want to test it, you can stitch a line where you think you're new seam is going to be on the shoulder and armhole. Then baste it together with the sleeve and check the fit before cutting off the excess. Thank you for fitting along with me from Nigeria!! I
Hi loved this tutorial for too long shoulders. My garments shoulders have come out about two inches two long. Would I be able to use your method to shorten them without altering the armscye (circumfrence of the sleeve cap).
Two inches is a lot to short the shoulder. Are you sure you are working with the right size (Measure your high bust measurement ... wrap tape measure around your back, under your arms and over your bust to get that measurement... and compare it to the size chart. If you used your full bust measurement, you may be working with a size that's too big for you. If you are using the right size, check to see if the neckline is too big... If it is, you can take the neckline in a little bit which will draw the shoulder in closer to the tip of your shoulder... Then you can shorten the shoulder the rest. Let me know if this helps! Thanks Jen
@@JSternDesigns Thank you for your help. I think I will start again and adjust the pattern. The rest fits fine, bust, hips etc it's just the shoulder. Your tutorials are a great help. Thank you.
Will the sleeve sit a bit shorter now at the wrist? If so, should I make the seam allowance smaller when I reattach the sleeve? Thanks for the great information!
So I need to take my shoulders in about 3 inches and also the sides .. can this be done as this new shirt is stating my correct size but wayyyy to big .. thanks for your video🇨🇦♥️🌷
Hi Loretta, If your shirt is hanging off your shoulder 3" and the side seam is also 3" too big, you can slash from the middle of your shoulder to the hem and slide the entire side piece in 3". Then true up the shoulder seams. This will need to be done front and back :)
@@JSternDesigns when u say slash , does that mean cut ... If so do that mean I will have a cut seam going down on both shoulders to bottom of garment ...
You can try a few things... First, if you have a little extra ease at the base of the armhole, you can take the side seam in a little bit.. Second, you can let the underarm seam out a little bit to lengthen the cap edge & You can also deepen the front and back curves where the notches are to add a little length there too! Hope this helps! Thanks for fitting along with me
As long as the transition across the shoulder seam is smooth front to back, you can try that... I prefer to lay it flat so I can see the shape I'm making :) Thanks for watching
@@JSternDesigns.... The jacket was designed that way, however I don't like the look of the gathering at all and would rather take the gather completely out. Sorry, that I'm not that good at explaining it so well. Thanks again😄💐
If I were fixing a ready-to-wear shirt, yes, I would have used a seam ripper (carefully)... This is a shirt I was sewing using one of my patterns that needed the shoulder to be shortened a little bit. (The process is the same after the sleeve is removed :) Thanks for watching
Am I right in thinking you have now made the armhole slightly bigger than it was? I know yours wasn't much different, but I have an unlined raw silk jacket with shoulders a couple of inches too wide. If I just cut the top and sides of the armhole that much, I'm worried the sleeve won't fit back in? (The jacket is too big for me now, but I love it too much to part with it)
I'm so sorry I missed your comment. This adjustment doesn't affect the length of the armhole enough to make is necessary to adjust the sleeve cap. Thanks for watching!
I have a shoulder width that is 9" and needs to be 5" (plus size girl). When I take the sleeve off and remove the excess, the sleeve will not fit back. Any suggestions?? Thanks
Taking 4" off is a lot :)) I'm guessing your armhole is now too big for the sleeve cap. You can "scoop" the curve on either side of the sleeve cap a little bit to give your sleeve cap more length to match the longer armhole. ... Hope this helps! Thanks for watching
In most cases, you can just sew it back on. If you have a significant amount to shorten and you make the armhole longer, you can take in the top of the side seam to remove some of the length (if you have a extra ease there). You could also let out the underarm seam as much as possible to lengthen the cap to match. Hope this helps, thanks for watching
Sadly there is a limit to how much you adjust the sleeve length on a shirt that's already sewn together. If you need to remove several inches, you may be working with a size that is too big for you... or you might be trying to change the style of the armhole from a dropped shoulder to a set in sleeve. You can try to pin the sleeve up higher on the shoulder (along the armhole) before you trim to make sure you can get it back into the armhole. Hope this helps! Thanks for watching
Basically you would do it the same way... Carefully pick out the serged seam around the armhole. If you clip the threads through the stitch in the front and back (about 4 inches from the shoulder seam) You can pull out the needle threads and the looper threads will just fall off). Then shorten the shoulder as shown in the video and sew the sleeve back on. Hope that helps :) Jen
Aren’t you making the arm hole bigger by doing this ? Of course you could do a bit more ease in the sleeve but would this still be the case if you took an inch of the shoulder width? I wouldn’t want to end up with a puff sleeve
You may be making the armhole a little longer... it depends on how much you need to shorten the shoulder and the shape of the armhole. Walk the sleeve to see how much ease you have after adjusting the armhole. It's a compromise between getting the sleeve to hang from the tip of the shoulder vs. hanging off & where you can trim off the excess length in the cap if that happens... If you have extra ease in the bicep of the sleeve, you can trim it off the underarm seam... Hope this helps, thanks for fitting along with me
Thanks so much for the informative video! I still haven't made my ponte knit jeans for real since I took your class in Novi. Got a good ponte knit source? I can't find any locally...
Doesn't the armhole end up a little bigger after the adjustment? That is what tailors often tell us. And so apparently, the precut detached sleeve will fall short when trying to reattach. This issue is of course if there is no gathering on the sleeve cap.
That's a great question! If you trim off the armhole edge from the shoulder seam, following the contour of the original armhole edge as you gradually blend back to the original edge, the length of the new edge is not significantly different & the sleeve should go right back on. If you find that the sleeve cap is too short, this amount should be very small... you can shorten the armhole by sewing a slightly deeper seam at the tip of the shoulder... For example if the cap ended up being 1/4" too short, if you sew 1/8" deeper along the shoulder seam, it will fit, and that tiny adjustment to the shoulder seam should not affect the fit unless you're working with a very close fitting top. Hope this helps!
Trimming off the shoulder length and some of the armhole should not affect the overall length of the armhole... so there is no need to adjust the sleeve cap. Thank you for sewing along with me! Sorry for the delayed response
Sorry I missed your comment. If you need to take in the shirt to make it more narrow, you can create a "Princess Seam" through the shoulder. That way you can pleat out the excess length in the shoulder and take out excess ease in the shirt. Continue the princess seam down to the hem... Sew really close to the fold of the pleat in the areas where you don't have excess ease. Thanks for watching!
I'm trying to rip out the sleeves of the blouse I plan to alter. It is put together and I've spent hours trying to rip out the seams. Any suggestions? Could I just cut out the seam and include this in my measurements. Want to take up the shoulder seams 1 inch. Blouse fits perfect everywhere else.
Hi Juanita, If the sleeve cap is smooth (not so much ease that it's gathered) and if the sleeve is not fitting or snug so that you'd notice that the seam allowance was cut off ... I think you'll be ok. Only include the seam allowance from the armhole in your measurement... so if your seam allowance is 1/2" then shorten the shoulder 1/2" to get the 1" you need. Let me know if you need more help. :) Jen
Hello, I did the same procedure as shown on the video but used a Book for help. Now, after cutting excess fabric at the shoulder I have the Sleeve to worried about. I made a tracing on the sleeve proportional to arms length; however, the armscye does not fit entirely to the shoulder of the dressing shirt. I pinned the armscye to the shoulder point and a bulge shows from the armpit. Where did I go wrong? Hope i can get help or tips on fitting a sleeve onto dressing shirt.
I'm sorry you're having trouble fitting the sleeve cap back into the armhole. Try running two rows of gathering stitches along the edge of the sleeve cap. One 1/4" and the second 3/4". Start and stop 3" from the underarm seam. Try gathering the cap to fit the armscye. If there is still too much ease, you can trim a little of the cap off to reduce the total measurement of the cap. Let me know if this helps Thanks Jen
:) ... you do not need to take 3/4” off sleeve. You can double check to be sure the sleeve cap fits into the armhole after you true it up by walking the edges... it’s likely the sleeve will still fit!
If you are working with a ready-to-wear top... try pinning the fabric up at the tip of the shoulder to shorten the top of the armhole ... You can also take the side seams in at the base of the armhole to make it smaller (If you have excess ease to work with)... Hope this helps!
Hi. I have just made a dress, and it is Way to Big In the shoulder seam😫 Can i use this method to trim og 2 inch of the shoulderseam? And Will the sleeve still fit?
Sorry to hear about that... You can probably remove up to an 1" from each shoulder seam... but if you need to remove 2" on each side, I think it may be too much. You have have to go back to the drawing board, start with a smaller size... Let me know if this helps.
It helps for sure😉 Thanks a lot. I was affraid that it was to much, and since the fabric is sold out, i Will have to come Up With some kind af gathering on the top sleeve. 🙈 gonna Call it a “design feature “ instead of a mistake🤣🤣 Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a very frustrated Dane🇩🇰
The overall length of the armhole is not significantly affected, so you can re-insert it back in. If there's ease in the cap, sew two rows of gathering stitches at 1/4" &3/4" so you can sew the the sleeve cap into the armhole between the rows of gathers. Hope this helps, thanks for watching
Desperately trying to find help on putting sleeve back in after shortening from the shoulder. Do you have a video anywhere on inserting altered sleeve?
Hello Di Toma, If you've just shortened the shoulder and trued the armhole back up... it should not affect the sleeve. Can you tell me how you altered the sleeve?
J Stern Designs I believe the reason so many of us wished you had attached the sleeves is that some of us have never done this before. Saying nothing has changed on the sleeve does not relieve the anxiety. We really need to see it done. Just saying.
@@makinggreatbread Like your name! "Great Bread". Love the stuff. FWIW ... There are many resources available on how to attach a sleeve. That wasn't the purpose of this video. Premise was that the person had ALREADY attached the sleeve and needed to make a change afterwards. Thus, after making the change, it was a simple matter to RE-attach the sleeve.
Great Bread Just baste the sleeves in prior to sewing regular stitch. It should be fine. All you have done is shortened the shoulder seam, so you have to remove the excess fabric that "used to fit" the original longer seam. Therefore, everything should now match perfectly provided you marked center of the sleeve cap prior to the alteration. Relax and test technique on a similar garment you intend to donate to the Goodwill.😊Don't worry...Sew happy!😌
Yes, it would... but you need to be really careful when you take off the sleeve. Knit fabrics are harder to take apart and easier to make holes in! Good luck and thanks for watching
I’m altering a ready made blouse, taking up the shoulder. Understand the video on this, but not sure about putting the sleeve back in the altered armhole. Any suggestions.
Trimming off the shoulder length and some of the armhole should not affect the overall length of the armhole... so there is no need to adjust the sleeve cap. Thank you for sewing along with me! Sorry for the delayed response
I just found your videos. They are great. I have a question. My husband has lost wait due to an illness. He has a lot of expensive dress and suits. I want to adjust his dress shirts. The original shirt size was I8, with a 34 35 inch sleeve length, he is now a 16 1/2 with sleeve length 33. Can I adjust these shirts. I’ve been sewing for over 45 years, but never did alterations like this. Do you think I can decrease it this much??.
I'm so happy you found me! I hope you're husband is feeling better. Adjusting your husbands shirts will be a little bit of work. I think I would take the collar/stand off the neckline and pin the shoulder seams deeper to take up the excess around the neck...If you pin 3/8" below the original seam that will make the neckline 1 1/2" smaller... Then take the collar/stand apart at CB and make a like adjustment so you can put it back on. For the sleeves, take those off and measure down an inch along the cap edge... and cut it off - removing an inch of length in the sleeve. This will make the cap length a little shorter, so you might have to take in the side seams at the top to make the armhole a like amount shorter. Then sew the sleeve back on. If your husband's shirts are really expensive, I would practice this on an old shirt that you won't worry about screwing up. Hope this helps, thanks for watching
Make a mark on the sliver, itself, before you remove it from the shirt. Any kind of mark that lets you know that portion is from the front. Make an x or maybe a ✔ mark, for example.
I'm so sorry I missed your comment... Happy to help. Thank you for watching! ...and thank you to Oldtimer Lee and Jude Jane for chiming in with great answers!
Hi Jenny, Thanks for watching :) 3" seems like a lot so shorten a shoulder. Is the pattern designed to have a set in sleeve, or is it an oversized shirt pattern that has the armhole hanging off the shoulder intentionally?
Trimming off the shoulder length and some of the armhole should not affect the overall length of the armhole... so there is no need to adjust the sleeve cap. Thank you for sewing along with me! Sorry for the delayed response & thank you for fitting along with me.
Was it worth all that work to take such a miniscule amount off and using the scrap as a template ! I think your lesson would have been better to shorten shoulder an inch or two and then putting the sleeve back in. My trouble witb shortening the shoulder is that the armhole then becomes too big for the sleeve. Would love to know what im doing wrong.
@@chitrachopra1947 Yes it would bring the sleeve up from the wrist, but usually the problem is that the sleeve is too long from the shoulder being too wide to begin with. We've all seen heavier guys wearing shirts like that. They need to fit their large tummy, so they buy a shirt too fit their girth, then the shoulder and arms just hang wide and long. 🤣
So sorry I missed your comment. It is difficult when you have to purchase a shirt to fit and then it's too big above the bust and shoulders. There is a limit to how much you can shorten a ready to wear shirt before it gets out of whack... This was just an example of how to short the shoulder seam at the shoulder edge... Thanks for watching
Mam please explain in English or Tamil slowly n clearly I can't understand u cut shoulder deeply how it can tighten please explain in English or Tamil complete video
So sorry I missed your comment.... Trimming fabric from the armhole through the shoulder seam shortened the length of the shoulder seam. This does not affect the length of the armhole, so the sleeve does not need to be adjusted. Thanks for watching.
This is part 2 on how to make this adjustment. Watch part 1. In the prior video, she showed how that overhang limited her arm movement. It is more than a simple cosmetic change. Well worth the effort, as I don't like garments that restrict normal body movements.
I'm so sorry I missed your comment... Fitting is a personal thing... some people fit precisely, where a small adjustment makes all the differences, others are happy if it's in the ball park! Thank you for watching! and Thank you Oyikes and Oldtimer Lee for chiming in with great answers...
totally disappointed in this video. what's the sense of showing how to shorten the shoulder without showing how to put the sleeves back in? Obviously there will be some adjustments to be made in that next step
Hi, I apologize for not mentioning the next step. Shortening the shoulder seam by trimming off the edge of the armhole does not significantly change the length of the armhole, so there no need to adjust the sleeve. There may be a slight reduction in the amount of ease the cap has, but I did not notice any difference when I put the sleeve back on. Please let me know if you need more help with this and thanks for watching.
J Stern Designs some people may have lost a little bit of weight therefore the sleeves would be too big and it just would have been a more complete process to see it through. I will probably tackle it tomorrow thanks for responding
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Truly appreciate that you are teaching alterations on a constructed garment.... With clear and detailed explanation... Thank you so much... Look forward to more such videos.
I'm so sorry I missed your comment... Happy to help. Thank you for watching!
I love your clear videos. I have been needing this alteration so many times but had no idea how simple it would be.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for following along with me
This is an amazing tutorial!!! Thank you ever so much for sharing this incredibly easy to follow video! You made it look effortless! Can hardly wait to try this!
Thank you for the kind words... so happy it helps! Thanks for fitting along with me.
I just made a blouse with Rayon material and realized the shoulder seam was approx. 3/4 inch to long after I had set the sleeve in. Your video on this predicament gave me the clear, concise way the solve my problem. Thank you so much.
Joy Christianson I’m so happy this tutorial was helpful... thanks so much for watching
Finally a good tutorial on this! I ruined 3 shirts trying to figure this out! Now if I could only get the sleeve back in.... ☺️
So sorry I missed your comment... Thank you for watching!
I often do it this way, and wondered if I was "doing it right". I have to adjust one shoulder more than the other, since my shoulders are not equal. Thank you for this detailed and easily understood tutorial.
Thank you and thanks for watching!
Thank you so much, this is a problem I have with every pattern!
Happy to help! Thanks for watching
Very helpful adjustment. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
Process is perfect & easy.
Thanks so much!
Very useful video to learn how to solve an ever occurring problem every time we buy new shirt and find shoulder too long
Thanks
So happy this helps you, thanks for watching
Ahhhsoooooo! Thank you J! Mystery solved with a great demonstration!
Yay, so happy the mystery is solved!
Thank you for sharing!this smart and helpful.💕
Thanks so much! ...and thank you for fitting along with me
Thanks for letting me know what can be done and how to do it😊
You are so welcome!
Thank you so much. Very helpful info.
So happy this helped you! Thanks for watching
Great instructions!..Hello can show on video how reduce the sleeves after do the shoulder?… please….🙏
Yes I can... Here you go! ua-cam.com/video/BTQsczfroTk/v-deo.html
I liked your video. You show great details. Thank you.
Thanks so much! and thank you for sewing along with me!
Very well done video that makes me more willing to do this. I hope I can find a similar video from you on attaching the sleeves. I have removed the collars on men's dress shirts since banded collar shirts are hard to find and often very expensive, so if you have or ever do a video on that I would like to see it as I often end up with less than clean seams when I do mine.
Thanks so much. I will add how to make a banded collar to my UA-cam List. I have a class at patternreview.com called the perfectly fitted shirt. In this class I show how to fit and construct a shirt step-by-step. If you like my teaching style, I think you would really benefit from this class... Here's the link to check it out :) sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/sewingclasses/class.pl?id=156 (good news, it on sale right now too!)
Thank you, as always.
My Pleasure, thank you for following along with me
Thank you for a clear explanation of how to shorten the armhole.
So sorry I didn't see your comment. Thank you and thanks for watching
I wish that I could give you more than One Thumbs Up because I've come back to this lesson LOL more than once!
Thanks again!!!!
:)
Hi. This is very helpful. But I need to remove about an inch. Will it still work? Doesn’t the curved area increase too much? I am wondering if I can do it the way you show or if I should decrease the side seam by 1/2 inch or so to have more fabric in the sleeve cap to accommodate the increase in size of the armhole. Thanks!
Hi Nancy If the tip of the shoulder is hanging off your shoulder 1" then that's what you have to remove. I'm going to play with this adjustment and share it in a Fit Tip Tuesday in the next few weeks. Thanks for watching!
@@JSternDesigns
I’ll be very interested in your findings! In the meantime I tried the slash/move method to create a new pattern piece just to see
what that would do to the adjustment and it resulted in basically exactly what you suggested. So I went ahead and did it your way. I took 3/4 inch (at the top) blending down gradually and a little from the shirts side seam and everything is ok...except I really could have taken more if I wasn’t so nervous.
Thanks for responding.
Fantastic clear video,thank you
+carol davis Thanks Carol :)
Can I use the same method on a T-shirt? Thank you for your great instructions!
Yes you can! The trick is taking out a seams without making a hole in the knit fabric. Thanks for watching
@@JSternDesigns Thank you again! I really really appreciate your clarity and detail. It's terrific!👏
@@JSternDesigns P.S. My 90-yr-old mum wants me to alter a T-shirt of hers. I've done lots of non-stretch for her, but was nervous to do this. It's a special design on the T-shirt, otherwise it wouldn't be a big deal. 🤗🤗
Thank you. I am doing a lined jacket.
You’re welcome 😊 Thanks for fitting along with me
Very useful video and clearly explained thank you.
I'm so sorry I missed your comment... Happy to help. Thank you for watching!
Do you have a video on shortening the sleeve and shoulder on a knit top?!!
The technique would be the same with a knit top. Also, I like to use a fusible stay tape on the shoulder seam so it doesn't stretch out of shape and grow longer. Thanks for watching
Thank you for the video. To reattach do i jist assemble as usual? Right sides together using the seams as a guide?
My pleasure, Yes, you can sew the sleeve back on using the same seam... You may have to ease a little extra along the cap into the armhole if you had to shorten the shoulder seam a significant amount. Thanks for fitting along with me
would the sleeve attach smoothly like that or would you need to trim off abit from the sleeve so it fits into the armhole?
Depending on how much you have to trim off... you may need to trim the sleeeve a little bit too... Pin the sleeve in to see how it fits before adjusting it! Thanks for fitting along with me
This is so smart and helpful!
Thank you for fitting along with me! (sorry for the delayed response!)
if the side seams also need taking in, would you do that after you took the sleeves out and how would that effect the sleeve? Would you also take in the side seams of the sleeve?
Taking in the side seams starting right up at the top will also shorten the armhole. I think I would pin the sleeve back into the armhole after shorten the shoulder to see how it fits before taking in the side seam... You may have to take in the underarm seam as well to get it to fit. Hope this helps! Thanks for fitting along with me
Like the video but I need to take in the shoulder and side seams. I think I have seen your video re how to this, or am I mistaken?
You can follow this to shorten the shoulder... then take in the side seams as needed... the good news is that you can take in the sleeve a like amount as the side seam by trimming off some along the underarm seam. Walk the sleeve cap along the adjusted armhole to check the ease after you adjust the shoulder and side seam and before you adjust the sleeve cap! Hope that helps, thanks for watching
Nice video. I am trying to take in the shoulder on a blouse that is too big, the sleeves were also too long & also have to take in sides. I had success on other blouse, but a flannel type shirt is causing me stress. after I measured cut out the sleeve hole, I was not able to fit the sleeve back in...obviously I did something wrong. Can you make suggestions? Thank you for the tips. Appreciate you sharing your talent.
Hi Bij, I'm sorry you're having trouble with your flannel shirt pattern. I think I need to see photos of the two pattern pieces so I can see what's going on. I have a facebook group called "J Stern Designs Fitting and Pattern Perfection" If you join the group you can post photos there so I can see them (Plus it may inspire others too!)
When it comes to scooping the armhole, how do we know where the deepest part of the scoop should be ? Must it be pointing towards the fullest part of bustline ?
I did a new series showing how to fit a bodice. Part 1, working in the Blue Zone will show you how to figure out where the armhole should sit. Check this out: ua-cam.com/video/gNsFm8t_F8o/v-deo.html Hope this helps! Thanks for fitting along with me
By removing 1/2 " at the shoulder seam you have made the arms eye larger, but made no adjustment to the sleeve. I need to remove 1 1/2" at the shoulder...how do I adjust the sleeve? And should the arms eye of the ualtered sleeve be the pattern one traces and cuts on the first arms eye then that become the pattern for the next arms eye? And still, how to adjust the sleeve?
Sorry for the delayed response!! Trimming off the shoulder length and some of the armhole should not affect the overall length of the armhole... so there is no need to adjust the sleeve cap. Thank you for sewing along with me! Sorry for the delayed response
I have got a white shirt that needs about 1.5 inch off the shoulder. If i do it the wY you have, how would i have to alter the sleeve to make it fit please?
Thanks for checking in... 1 1/2" is a lot to trim off the shoulder & the armhole might get longer than the sleeve cap. I think I might try basting in shoulder darts (equal and aligned front/back) to get rid 3/4", then trim 3/4" to get rid of the rest. (Center the darts at the finished length of the shoulder). That should allow you to set the sleeve back in... If you need a little more ease in the cap, take out the top of the underarm seam and sew it back using a small seam allowance. If you sew at 1/4" you'll be adding 1/2" back into the length of the armhole. Hope this helps! Thanks for fitting along with me
Tank u so much for sharing this helpful video, my shirt is 3 inches bigger than my shoulder ( my shoulder is 16" and my shirt shoulder is 19") am i to cut off 3"? Lots of love for you, all the way from Nigeria west Africa.
My Pleasure! I might try removing 1" from each shoulder and see how it's fitting. If you need to take more off, you can fine-tune from there. If you want to test it, you can stitch a line where you think you're new seam is going to be on the shoulder and armhole. Then baste it together with the sleeve and check the fit before cutting off the excess. Thank you for fitting along with me from Nigeria!! I
Hi loved this tutorial for too long shoulders. My garments shoulders have come out about two inches two long. Would I be able to use your method to shorten them without altering the armscye (circumfrence of the sleeve cap).
Two inches is a lot to short the shoulder. Are you sure you are working with the right size (Measure your high bust measurement ... wrap tape measure around your back, under your arms and over your bust to get that measurement... and compare it to the size chart. If you used your full bust measurement, you may be working with a size that's too big for you. If you are using the right size, check to see if the neckline is too big... If it is, you can take the neckline in a little bit which will draw the shoulder in closer to the tip of your shoulder... Then you can shorten the shoulder the rest. Let me know if this helps! Thanks Jen
@@JSternDesigns Thank you for your help. I think I will start again and adjust the pattern. The rest fits fine, bust, hips etc it's just the shoulder.
Your tutorials are a great help. Thank you.
Will the sleeve sit a bit shorter now at the wrist? If so, should I make the seam allowance smaller when I reattach the sleeve? Thanks for the great information!
That's a great questions.... Yes, if you pick up the shoulder and sew the sleeve on, it will be approximately the same amount shorter!
Thank you mam,I did it perfectly
Thank you for serging along with me, Sorry for the delayed response
So I need to take my shoulders in about 3 inches and also the sides .. can this be done as this new shirt is stating my correct size but wayyyy to big .. thanks for your video🇨🇦♥️🌷
Hi Loretta, If your shirt is hanging off your shoulder 3" and the side seam is also 3" too big, you can slash from the middle of your shoulder to the hem and slide the entire side piece in 3". Then true up the shoulder seams. This will need to be done front and back :)
@@JSternDesigns when u say slash , does that mean cut ... If so do that mean I will have a cut seam going down on both shoulders to bottom of garment ...
The hardest part is to reattach the sleeves, because the loop hole is now bigger than the sleeve. I was looking for tutorial for this part
You can try a few things... First, if you have a little extra ease at the base of the armhole, you can take the side seam in a little bit.. Second, you can let the underarm seam out a little bit to lengthen the cap edge & You can also deepen the front and back curves where the notches are to add a little length there too! Hope this helps! Thanks for fitting along with me
Do you take in the under arm seam a little?
That prolly why she didn't do it
I have seen someone match the shoulder seam and cut the back and front armhole in one go to look the same . Is this correct ?
As long as the transition across the shoulder seam is smooth front to back, you can try that... I prefer to lay it flat so I can see the shape I'm making :) Thanks for watching
Now I need to take the full gather out of the sleeve top for a straight shoulder seem without the gathering....helpp
Thank you for checking in... Do you mean that your sleeve cap has too much ease to fit into the armhole?
@@JSternDesigns.... The jacket was designed that way, however I don't like the look of the gathering at all and would rather take the gather completely out.
Sorry, that I'm not that good at explaining it so well.
Thanks again😄💐
@@JSternDesigns ...Yes, true !!
did you use a seam ripper to remove the sleeve?
If I were fixing a ready-to-wear shirt, yes, I would have used a seam ripper (carefully)... This is a shirt I was sewing using one of my patterns that needed the shoulder to be shortened a little bit. (The process is the same after the sleeve is removed :) Thanks for watching
Am I right in thinking you have now made the armhole slightly bigger than it was? I know yours wasn't much different, but I have an unlined raw silk jacket with shoulders a couple of inches too wide. If I just cut the top and sides of the armhole that much, I'm worried the sleeve won't fit back in? (The jacket is too big for me now, but I love it too much to part with it)
I'm so sorry I missed your comment. This adjustment doesn't affect the length of the armhole enough to make is necessary to adjust the sleeve cap. Thanks for watching!
thank you so much for your information.
Thank you for watching!
I have a shoulder width that is 9" and needs to be 5" (plus size girl). When I take the sleeve off and remove the excess, the sleeve will not fit back. Any suggestions?? Thanks
Taking 4" off is a lot :)) I'm guessing your armhole is now too big for the sleeve cap. You can "scoop" the curve on either side of the sleeve cap a little bit to give your sleeve cap more length to match the longer armhole. ... Hope this helps! Thanks for watching
What about the SLEEVE????? How do you put that back on?
In most cases, you can just sew it back on. If you have a significant amount to shorten and you make the armhole longer, you can take in the top of the side seam to remove some of the length (if you have a extra ease there). You could also let out the underarm seam as much as possible to lengthen the cap to match. Hope this helps, thanks for watching
What if it is several inches coming off, how would you go about that?
Sadly there is a limit to how much you adjust the sleeve length on a shirt that's already sewn together. If you need to remove several inches, you may be working with a size that is too big for you... or you might be trying to change the style of the armhole from a dropped shoulder to a set in sleeve. You can try to pin the sleeve up higher on the shoulder (along the armhole) before you trim to make sure you can get it back into the armhole. Hope this helps! Thanks for watching
Any tips for doing this alteration on a t-shirt (stretchy fabric)
Basically you would do it the same way... Carefully pick out the serged seam around the armhole. If you clip the threads through the stitch in the front and back (about 4 inches from the shoulder seam) You can pull out the needle threads and the looper threads will just fall off). Then shorten the shoulder as shown in the video and sew the sleeve back on. Hope that helps :) Jen
Aren’t you making the arm hole bigger by doing this ? Of course you could do a bit more ease in the sleeve but would this still be the case if you took an inch of the shoulder width? I wouldn’t want to end up with a puff sleeve
You may be making the armhole a little longer... it depends on how much you need to shorten the shoulder and the shape of the armhole. Walk the sleeve to see how much ease you have after adjusting the armhole. It's a compromise between getting the sleeve to hang from the tip of the shoulder vs. hanging off & where you can trim off the excess length in the cap if that happens... If you have extra ease in the bicep of the sleeve, you can trim it off the underarm seam... Hope this helps, thanks for fitting along with me
Thanks so much for the informative video! I still haven't made my ponte knit jeans for real since I took your class in Novi. Got a good ponte knit source? I can't find any locally...
...Are you from Novi? I found the best Ponte Knit at Habermann's Fabrics, did you try there?
J Stern Designs i haven't actually yet due to past disappointments. I guess I'll make the attempt again. :)
Doesn't the armhole end up a little bigger after the adjustment? That is what tailors often tell us. And so apparently, the precut detached sleeve will fall short when trying to reattach. This issue is of course if there is no gathering on the sleeve cap.
That's a great question! If you trim off the armhole edge from the shoulder seam, following the contour of the original armhole edge as you gradually blend back to the original edge, the length of the new edge is not significantly different & the sleeve should go right back on. If you find that the sleeve cap is too short, this amount should be very small... you can shorten the armhole by sewing a slightly deeper seam at the tip of the shoulder... For example if the cap ended up being 1/4" too short, if you sew 1/8" deeper along the shoulder seam, it will fit, and that tiny adjustment to the shoulder seam should not affect the fit unless you're working with a very close fitting top. Hope this helps!
@@JSternDesigns Thanks.
Thank you!
You're welcome! Thank you for fitting along with me
I'm not sure if I understand you completely, what do you do for a seam allowance for the sleeve cap?
Trimming off the shoulder length and some of the armhole should not affect the overall length of the armhole... so there is no need to adjust the sleeve cap. Thank you for sewing along with me! Sorry for the delayed response
Love your video, but what if the armhole gets wider
Trimming off the shoulder length and some of the armhole should not affect the overall length of the armhole... Sorry for the delayed response
when you need to make a shirt narrower on top of sizing the shoulder seam, what do you do first and how
Sorry I missed your comment. If you need to take in the shirt to make it more narrow, you can create a "Princess Seam" through the shoulder. That way you can pleat out the excess length in the shoulder and take out excess ease in the shirt. Continue the princess seam down to the hem... Sew really close to the fold of the pleat in the areas where you don't have excess ease. Thanks for watching!
I'm trying to rip out the sleeves of the blouse I plan to alter. It is put together and I've spent hours trying to rip out the seams. Any suggestions? Could I just cut out the seam and include this in my measurements. Want to take up the shoulder seams 1 inch. Blouse fits perfect everywhere else.
Hi Juanita, If the sleeve cap is smooth (not so much ease that it's gathered) and if the sleeve is not fitting or snug so that you'd notice that the seam allowance was cut off ... I think you'll be ok. Only include the seam allowance from the armhole in your measurement... so if your seam allowance is 1/2" then shorten the shoulder 1/2" to get the 1" you need. Let me know if you need more help. :) Jen
Thanks for being so quick with the answer. I'm going to try since the French seams on my blouse is sewn in so good I can't rip it out.
Thanks for a good video!
So sorry I didn't see your comment. Thank you and thanks for watching
thank you forthis information. gratulations
Thanks for watching :)
Hello, I did the same procedure as shown on the video but used a Book for help. Now, after cutting excess fabric at the shoulder I have the Sleeve to worried about. I made a tracing on the sleeve proportional to arms length; however, the armscye does not fit entirely to the shoulder of the dressing shirt. I pinned the armscye to the shoulder point and a bulge shows from the armpit. Where did I go wrong? Hope i can get help or tips on fitting a sleeve onto dressing shirt.
I'm sorry you're having trouble fitting the sleeve cap back into the armhole. Try running two rows of gathering stitches along the edge of the sleeve cap. One 1/4" and the second 3/4". Start and stop 3" from the underarm seam. Try gathering the cap to fit the armscye. If there is still too much ease, you can trim a little of the cap off to reduce the total measurement of the cap. Let me know if this helps Thanks Jen
Hope you are still monitoring this site. ..
I have pinned the shirt shoulder seam in 3/4....
Do i need to trim the sleeve 3/4 also???
:) ... you do not need to take 3/4” off sleeve. You can double check to be sure the sleeve cap fits into the armhole after you true it up by walking the edges... it’s likely the sleeve will still fit!
Thank you so much for your quick response...I can continue with this job!!
Awesome
Thank you so much!
I have to alter armholes that are way too big with long sleeves. Help
If you are working with a ready-to-wear top... try pinning the fabric up at the tip of the shoulder to shorten the top of the armhole ... You can also take the side seams in at the base of the armhole to make it smaller (If you have excess ease to work with)... Hope this helps!
Hi. I have just made a dress, and it is Way to Big In the shoulder seam😫 Can i use this method to trim og 2 inch of the shoulderseam? And Will the sleeve still fit?
Sorry to hear about that... You can probably remove up to an 1" from each shoulder seam... but if you need to remove 2" on each side, I think it may be too much. You have have to go back to the drawing board, start with a smaller size... Let me know if this helps.
It helps for sure😉 Thanks a lot. I was affraid that it was to much, and since the fabric is sold out, i Will have to come Up With some kind af gathering on the top sleeve. 🙈 gonna Call it a “design feature “ instead of a mistake🤣🤣 Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a very frustrated Dane🇩🇰
How do you attach the sleeves?
The overall length of the armhole is not significantly affected, so you can re-insert it back in. If there's ease in the cap, sew two rows of gathering stitches at 1/4" &3/4" so you can sew the the sleeve cap into the armhole between the rows of gathers. Hope this helps, thanks for watching
Desperately trying to find help on putting sleeve back in after shortening from the shoulder. Do you have a video anywhere on inserting altered sleeve?
Hello Di Toma, If you've just shortened the shoulder and trued the armhole back up... it should not affect the sleeve. Can you tell me how you altered the sleeve?
J Stern Designs I believe the reason so many of us wished you had attached the sleeves is that some of us have never done this before. Saying nothing has changed on the sleeve does not relieve the anxiety. We really need to see it done. Just saying.
@@makinggreatbread Like your name! "Great Bread". Love the stuff. FWIW ... There are many resources available on how to attach a sleeve. That wasn't the purpose of this video. Premise was that the person had ALREADY attached the sleeve and needed to make a change afterwards. Thus, after making the change, it was a simple matter to RE-attach the sleeve.
Great Bread Just baste the sleeves in prior to sewing regular stitch. It should be fine. All you have done is shortened the shoulder seam, so you have to remove the excess fabric that "used to fit" the original longer seam. Therefore, everything should now match perfectly provided you marked center of the sleeve cap prior to the alteration. Relax and test technique on a similar garment you intend to donate to the Goodwill.😊Don't worry...Sew happy!😌
Would this work on a t shirt?
Yes, it would... but you need to be really careful when you take off the sleeve. Knit fabrics are harder to take apart and easier to make holes in! Good luck and thanks for watching
I’m altering a ready made blouse, taking up the shoulder. Understand the video on this, but not sure about putting the sleeve back in the altered armhole. Any suggestions.
Trimming off the shoulder length and some of the armhole should not affect the overall length of the armhole... so there is no need to adjust the sleeve cap. Thank you for sewing along with me! Sorry for the delayed response
I just found your videos. They are great. I have a question. My husband has lost wait due to an illness. He has a lot of expensive dress and suits. I want to adjust his dress shirts. The original shirt size was I8, with a 34 35 inch sleeve length, he is now a 16 1/2 with sleeve length 33. Can I adjust these shirts. I’ve been sewing for over 45 years, but never did alterations like this. Do you think I can decrease it this much??.
I'm so happy you found me! I hope you're husband is feeling better. Adjusting your husbands shirts will be a little bit of work. I think I would take the collar/stand off the neckline and pin the shoulder seams deeper to take up the excess around the neck...If you pin 3/8" below the original seam that will make the neckline 1 1/2" smaller... Then take the collar/stand apart at CB and make a like adjustment so you can put it back on. For the sleeves, take those off and measure down an inch along the cap edge... and cut it off - removing an inch of length in the sleeve. This will make the cap length a little shorter, so you might have to take in the side seams at the top to make the armhole a like amount shorter. Then sew the sleeve back on. If your husband's shirts are really expensive, I would practice this on an old shirt that you won't worry about screwing up. Hope this helps, thanks for watching
@@JSternDesigns thank you for the advice. The collar, is not too big. If I don’t take collar off. Do I still follow the other directions ?
How would you identify the back armhole vs the front armhole on that sliver or the template piece?
Make a mark on the sliver, itself, before you remove it from the shirt. Any kind of mark that lets you know that portion is from the front. Make an x or maybe a ✔ mark, for example.
Mala Anand Just write B for back and F for front directly to the shirt section PRIOR to cutting✂️.😊
I'm so sorry I missed your comment... Happy to help. Thank you for watching! ...and thank you to Oldtimer Lee and Jude Jane for chiming in with great answers!
I need to take 3" off my shoulder seam. How do I do that
Hi Jenny, Thanks for watching :) 3" seems like a lot so shorten a shoulder. Is the pattern designed to have a set in sleeve, or is it an oversized shirt pattern that has the armhole hanging off the shoulder intentionally?
I mean wider the the sleave?
Trimming off the shoulder length and some of the armhole should not affect the overall length of the armhole... so there is no need to adjust the sleeve cap. Thank you for sewing along with me! Sorry for the delayed response & thank you for fitting along with me.
How to extend tight man shirt
Can you tell me how to do?
Very nice video thanks
Thanks for watching... Can you tell me where the shirt is tight?
Was it worth all that work to take such a miniscule amount off and using the scrap as a template ! I think your lesson would have been better to shorten shoulder an inch or two and then putting the sleeve back in. My trouble witb shortening the shoulder is that the armhole then becomes too big for the sleeve. Would love to know what im doing wrong.
Don’t cut the armhole completely, that will make it bigger. Just cut from the top and taper in.
@@gbuggy006 where would you get the extra cloth on the sleeve side. Wouldn't it make your sleeves shorter then?
@@chitrachopra1947 Yes it would bring the sleeve up from the wrist, but usually the problem is that the sleeve is too long from the shoulder being too wide to begin with. We've all seen heavier guys wearing shirts like that. They need to fit their large tummy, so they buy a shirt too fit their girth, then the shoulder and arms just hang wide and long. 🤣
@@gbuggy006 thanks
So sorry I missed your comment. It is difficult when you have to purchase a shirt to fit and then it's too big above the bust and shoulders. There is a limit to how much you can shorten a ready to wear shirt before it gets out of whack... This was just an example of how to short the shoulder seam at the shoulder edge... Thanks for watching
No sleeves please
I'm not sure what you mean by "no sleeves please" :)
@@JSternDesigns I had dress it had short sleeves but I didn't like the shap of the sleeves and your selves are different.
Mam please explain in English or Tamil slowly n clearly I can't understand u cut shoulder deeply how it can tighten please explain in English or Tamil complete video
So sorry I missed your comment.... Trimming fabric from the armhole through the shoulder seam shortened the length of the shoulder seam. This does not affect the length of the armhole, so the sleeve does not need to be adjusted. Thanks for watching.
That sliver of fabric you cut off wasn't even worth the hassle of even doing it.
This is part 2 on how to make this adjustment. Watch part 1. In the prior video, she showed how that overhang limited her arm movement. It is more than a simple cosmetic change. Well worth the effort, as I don't like garments that restrict normal body movements.
I'm so sorry I missed your comment... Fitting is a personal thing... some people fit precisely, where a small adjustment makes all the differences, others are happy if it's in the ball park! Thank you for watching! and Thank you Oyikes and Oldtimer Lee for chiming in with great answers...
totally disappointed in this video. what's the sense of showing how to shorten the shoulder without showing how to put the sleeves back in? Obviously there will be some adjustments to be made in that next step
Hi, I apologize for not mentioning the next step. Shortening the shoulder seam by trimming off the edge of the armhole does not significantly change the length of the armhole, so there no need to adjust the sleeve. There may be a slight reduction in the amount of ease the cap has, but I did not notice any difference when I put the sleeve back on. Please let me know if you need more help with this and thanks for watching.
J Stern Designs some people may have lost a little bit of weight therefore the sleeves would be too big and it just would have been a more complete process to see it through. I will probably tackle it tomorrow thanks for responding
Thank you!
:) My pleasure, thanks you for watching!