Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Shrink a shirt
• Method 2 of 3: Entertaining a T-shirt
• Method 3 of 3: Adjust the fit of a shirt
• Tips

It can be a problem if you have a T-shirt that has the correct pattern but doesn't fit you. It is easier to make a shirt smaller to give the beautiful model another chance to fit properly. Whether you choose to sew or not, you can make the shirt smaller so that it fits snugly around your body in all places.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Shrink a shirt

1. Soak the shirt in hot water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove. Boiling water will constrict the fibers of the fabric, causing the shirt to shrink. If you want to shrink a shirt as much as possible, it is best to use heat.
   • Remove the pan from the stove.
   • Immerse the shirt in the hot water. Using a spoon, push the shirt completely underwater so that it is completely covered with water.
   • Let the shirt soak in the water for half an hour.
2. Wash the shirt with hot water. Set your washing machine to the highest possible temperature. Wash the shirt with a normal washing program. If you bought a new shirt and want to shrink it, wash it with hot water to contract the fibers and make the shirt slightly smaller.
   • Hot water can bleed or fade the colors on some fabrics, so wash the shirt separately to make sure other garments are not damaged.
   • With a top loader, the fabric wrinkles more due to the movement than with a front loader. The fabric will also shrink more strongly in a top loader.
3. Dry the shirt at a high temperature in the dryer. Put the shirt in the dryer and dry it on the highest possible setting. The heat will shrink the shirt slightly. With the exception of woolen fabrics, the dryer will not shrink your clothes as much as hot water. If you only want to shrink your shirt slightly, wash it with cold water and tumble dry on the highest possible setting.
   • Synthetic blended fabrics shrink more with heat than pre-shrunk garments made from natural fibers.
   • Woolen fabrics felt in the tumble dryer, causing the fabrics to bulge and shrink when the fibers rub together and stick together.

Method 2 of 3: Entertaining a T-shirt

1. Grab an old shirt that fits you well. Choose a shirt that fits you well, but that you are no longer wearing. You will be cutting this shirt into pieces to use as a pattern.
   • Choose a shirt that fits exactly as the new shirt should fit.
   • Use an old shirt that you don't want to wear anymore, because you won't be able to wear it after you make it into a pattern.
2. Remove the sleeves from the old shirt. Cut along the seams that attach the sleeves to the rest of the shirt. Unfold the sleeves to get flat pieces of fabric by cutting along the seams at the bottom of the sleeves.
3. Cut along the seams on the sides of the old shirt. Cut carefully along the seams on both sides of the shirt. You leave the seams on the shoulders and along the neck intact to make a pattern.
4. Cut the seams on the shirt you want to make smaller. Loosen the sleeves by cutting along the seams. Cut the seams on the side of the shirt.
   • Unfold the sleeves to get flat pieces of fabric by cutting along the seams at the bottom of the sleeves.
5. Lay the shirt flat. Place the shirt on a table and smooth it out.
   • Put the old shirt on top of the shirt you want to change.
   • Line up the necklines of both shirts.
   • Pin the old shirt to the larger shirt to keep it in place.
6. Cut the shirt smaller. Cut about an inch away from the edge of the old shirt. You need this extra fabric to make new seams.
   • Cut the sleeves smaller so that they are the same size as the sleeves of the pattern. Also leave 1.5 centimeters of fabric when cutting.
   • If desired, cut along the bottom edge of the shirt to make it shorter so that it is the same length as the old shirt you are using as a pattern.
7. Pin the sleeves to the shirt. Take the flat sleeves and pin them to the shirt with straight pins.
   • Pin the edge of the sleeve to the front of the shirt, with the outside of the fabric facing the front of the shirt.
   • Keep the sleeve flat to be able to attach it to the shirt.
8. Sew the sleeves to the shirt. Fasten the sleeves to the shirt with an overlock or zigzag stitch. A regular straight stitch will not work with knit fabrics.
   • Use thread that matches the color of the shirt.
   • Place the shirt and sleeve under the presser foot of your sewing machine and sew the fabrics together.
9. Sew the sides of the shirt. Fold the shirt to turn it inside out and sew the sides of the shirt closed. Start at the sleeves and sew all the way down to the shirt on both sides.
   • Use a sewing machine with thread that matches the color of the shirt to sew the side seams back together.
   • Keep the shirt turned inside out when sewing the seams so that the seams are on the inside when wearing the shirt.
10. Sew the hem to the bottom of the shirt. With the shirt turned inside out, fold the bottom edge of the shirt about 2 to 3 inches. Fold the fabric so that the outside is folded in so that the seam only shows on the inside when you are wearing the shirt.
    • Use a sewing machine to hem the shirt at the bottom while the shirt is turned inside out.
11. Press the seams with an iron. Use an iron to flatten the fabric along the new seams.
12. Try on your new shirt. The shirt should have the same fit as the old shirt you used as a pattern. Save the old shirt to keep entertaining even more shirts.

Method 3 of 3: Adjust the fit of a shirt

1. Tie a knot in the back of the shirt. Tighten a shirt by tying a knot in the back.
   • Gather the fabric behind your back.
   • Turn the bottom of the shirt over.
   • Tie a knot in the bottom part of the shirt.
2. Secure the shirt with safety pins. Gather the fabric at the back of the shirt. Use safety pins to hold the fabric together on the back of the shirt.
   • Attach the safety pins to the inside of the shirt to hide them underneath.
   • Wear a jacket or sweater over the pinned shirt so that your emergency solution doesn't show.
3. Cut the bottom of the shirt. Make a sporty half shirt by cutting the bottom half of the shirt. You can leave the bottom edge as is or make a new hem after cutting the bottom of the shirt.
   • Wear a tank top or T-shirt under your cut shirt for a neater look or for layering.

Tips

• Use a double stitch for the seams around the armpits as they are often more stressed when the shirt is put on or taken off.
• Buy large shirts from secondhand clothing stores and make them smaller to fit you.
• Wet garments with cold water and hang weights on them to stretch the fabric as it dries to reduce fabric shrinkage.