Slim Fit T-Shirt Mod

by bekathwia

216K29832

Intro: Slim Fit T-Shirt Mod

I have a bunch of great logo tee-shirts but they're cut for men and I don't like the way they fit, so today I'm going to show you how to mod your t-shirts into a flattering shape that you'll actually wear, using a serger.

For this project, you will need:

Girly-tee that fits you, to use as a guide
Baggy tee that fits you around the collar
Serger (ask around to see if a friend will let you borrow) with thread
Sewing pins
Tailors chalk
Scissors

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STEP 1:

First, iron your shirts and turn them inside-out. Line up the template at the shoulders and trace around it with tailor's chalk.

STEP 2:

Pin along the new side seams, and cut off the sleeves at the new armhole. Run the new side seams through the serger.

STEP 3:

Lay out the old sleeve under the template t-shirt and mark the new underarm and armhole.

STEP 4:

Serge the underarm, then cut the shoulder curve.

STEP 5:

Flip the sleeve right side out and set it inside the armhole of the shirt. Pin both sleeves into their armholes.

STEP 6:

Serge the sleeve seams and you're all done!

30 Comments

JenaR3 5 years ago

I love this, but unfortunately I'm large-busted so if alter a men's shirt, the bust line has to fall below the armholes because that's the only place the shirt is wide enough. That adds the extra step of sewing new shoulder seams, and messing with the neck, etc. But still, this is very clever and a great intro to the serger.

bekathwia 5 years ago

Thanks, glad it was somewhat useful to you!

erlns 9 years ago

Great tutorial, I made it and my t-shirt now fit me perfectly :)

Thank you, keep the awesome work !

Greetings from Colombia.

yolanda.sutherland 9 years ago

Excellent! Just what I needed. How about crew neck to V neck? ;-)

CelinaF1 9 years ago

I've used this tutorial 3 times now and it's a great idea. One thing I didn't keep in mind, though, is the seam allowance. So I lost 1/4" all the way around and my modded t's are all really tight now. Just wanted to point this out so peeps wouldn't make the same mistake I made. :)

mvd011244 10 years ago

This is just what I was looking for. Thank you, so much.

Aswa 10 years ago

I've had this 'ible in my favourites for a while, and even longer in my bookmarks, the one thing I was missing was a serger.
I just got an affordable one and couldn't wait to try this, as I have a pile of band shirts I've been wanting to adjust. I always get mens' shirts rather than girlies, because the material is usually sturdier, and the designs are bigger and cooler, and also, most girlies are way short.
So I finally got to try this, and I must say this is probably the most straight-forward and easiest tutorial I've seen for this kind of mod.
At first I was sceptical, but it's like magic!
Boxy to foxy, indeed!
Adjusted 3 shirts so far and will work my way through the pile. It's as if I had been on a massive shoping trip, suddenly I have so much more to wear! ;)
Thank you so much for sharing this. :)

theowoo 10 years ago

Great instructable! Could you make one for trousers/jeans as well?

Fretka 12 years ago

I have been searching for a how-to to do this !!

I found your 'ible and was able to mod my prized tees that I couldn't wear any longer due to a major weight loss ( 120 lbs !!)
my thanks and...here are my prized tees I was able to alter !!!

lilsurelybeans 12 years ago

Your instructable was very helpful with the sleeves. Cutting them out separate makes it look more polished and easier than what I was going to try.

I also agree with HVANSICK. You don't need a serger to do this. My old 1970s zig zag machine sews jersey just fine.
I use a size 11 needle and stretch stitch foot. I straight stitch the seams (according the to straight stretch stitch settings in my manual). Then I use a pineleaf stretch stitch on the edge to overcast a neat edge on the raw edge. My machine also has an overcast stretch stitch that will fix the raw edges and stitch the seam at the same time, but I usually do them separately.
Just read your manual. It will tell you what stitches to use with what fabrics. If you have an old machine without a manual, a lot of manuals/tutorials are online too.

Toboe 12 years ago

i dont think i could do this with my school uniform

Fishpail 12 years ago

The hardest part is probably learning how to use a serger...

...no wait they have manuals for that, the hardest part is FINDING a serger.
As a university student living on her own. I'm run out of luck on this. Cause DAMN they're pricey! Even used!

Still, great ible!

sarimsaq 13 years ago

If I don't have a serger, will a zigzag stich work??

bekathwia 13 years ago

As others have mentioned, you'll have mixed results with various stitches on a regular sewing machine. Sergers have a differential feed, which makes them superb at sewing together stretchy things like cotton jersey. Borrow one from a friend!

Wolf Seril 13 years ago

Very nice, might have to try this when I finally get a sewing machine.

I'm a guy, but I'm tall and skinny, so normally I have to choose between a shirt that fits well but barely reaches my belt, or a shirt that is the right length but could fit two of me.

locofocos 13 years ago

Same here. 6'2", 135 pounds, with broad shoulders... I would definitely love to see a version of this for guys (with no sewing skills of course).

Treknology 13 years ago

@ Wolf Seril
@ locofocos

In both cases find a shirt that fits the shoulders and arms, and it is worth the expense of going to a professional and sacrificing those t-shirts to have a proper set of cardboard "blocks" made that will then incorporate the length you require.

Once you have your custom "blocks", you can cut as many t-shirts as you want, widening them if you want a sloppy fit or narrowing them to get that "I'm Tom Cruise, check out my lack of muscles" look--if you really want the body-conscious tight look, use double-ribbed fabric instead of plain Jersey.

And yes, Fabric shops will often help out guys, just as electronic shops will help out females, because there's a recognized imbalance in these fields, and therefore people seek to increase the under-represented group.

As far as self-teaching, pick up a rough machine at a garage sale, using any colored thread, and just start sewing lines and patterns into old bits of fabric--towels, handkerchiefs, torn t-shirts.

Obviously, based on my NIC, I would rather just request the right item from the Relicator, but they haven't eventuated yet, so making them is your best choice.

bekathwia 13 years ago

Should work as written, you just have to find a shirt that fits you first! Maybe you can use one of the ones that's too short as a template, and slim down a longer shirt. Sorry locofocos, it's always going to involve sewing, but this is a good project for beginners, so give it a try!

makalove 13 years ago

Perhaps you explain in the video where the two t-shirts come from, or that the instructable is for making one t-shirt fit well by cutting it to fit like another, or maybe how to manage the project without a serger (or perhaps you don't! i can't really tell!) but you might consider giving a SLIGHTLY more thorough explanation in text for those who can't/won't/don't watch videos.

Personally, i'm fine with instructables that contain video that adds to the instructable, but i dislike instructables that aren't usable without their video component, particularly when the video doesn't have any closed captioning available.