How To Tailor A Top

HOW TO TAILOR A TOP

AUTHOR: KAYLEE SLATER
ART & MEDIA: KAYLEE SLATER

MONDAY, JULY 14TH, 2014

 Being extra petite has its pros and cons, and clothing shopping is definitely one of those cons. A couple nights ago I decided to take in a pretty shirt of mine, and thought it'd be helpful if I shared how I did it. If you know a few basic stitches and how follow to instructions, then you can tailor almost anything you desire.

To start, put on your shirt and pinch the fabric at one side until you have a good fit. Measure and determine how many inches of fabric need to be removed. Next, take off your shirt (oo la la) and flip it inside out. Measuring from each side seam inwards, divide your reduction number evenly from both sides (for example, you're taking 5 inches off your shirt. This means you're going to be marking 2.5 inches from the sideseam on each side of your shirt).

Mark your reduction numbers up and down the shirt, stopping a few inches from the underarm. I like to make a triangle from the underarm seam to my reduction line, so I don't need to reshape the armholes and my bust isn't taken in as much.

Next, connect the dots into a line and stitch your shirt. Sew right beside the reduction line, on the outermost side. I make two tracks of stitches to make it strong. Once finished, you should have a re-sized shirt with two 'flaps' of extra fabric. Try on your shirt and make sure it fits. If it does, flip it inside out again and snip off the extra fabric. Be sure not to cut too close to your tracks, leaving about one or two centimeters.

This is how I re-sized a few of my shirts, and its worked great. If you are hand stitching (like I did), it might be best to wash your new piece in either a delicates bag or by hand.

I hope you have a lovely day.