Happy Saturday!
I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend. The weather has been beautiful this past week. For me, when summer hits, my sewing priorities also change—there are vacations, holidays, and pool days to enjoy!
This week, I want to talk about fixing ready-to-wear clothing.
My goal has always been to have a completely handmade wardrobe, but I have to admit that isn’t always practical—especially when you find adorable blouses at such inexpensive prices. Sometimes it would cost more to buy the fabric and make the top yourself.
That’s exactly what happened to me. I found two blouses that I loved, but one was way too long, and the second one also needed to be shortened—and the neckline was a little too low for my comfort.
Here are the steps I took to shorten the hem:
- I tried on the blouse and marked where I wanted the new hem. I chose right above the hips.
- Then I took off the blouse and measured from the bottom hem to my marking—it came to 2½ inches.
- I cut off 2 inches, leaving ½ inch for hemming.
- Next, I applied double-sided hemming tape to the wrong side of the fabric at the hem.
- I pressed it with an iron and removed the tape backing.
- I folded the hem twice so there were no raw edges and stitched it in place.
Fixing the neckline:
The top was a little too low, so I used the fabric I had cut off from the hem:
- I cut a piece to fit the V-neck opening.
- Then I hand-stitched it into place.
Now I have a blouse that is the perfect length and has a more comfortable neckline! It’s fantastic for summer, and I no longer need to wear extra layers underneath for modesty.
Have you ever altered a ready-to-wear piece to make it just right—and what’s your favorite quick fix?
Happy Sewing,
Valerie
The Saturday Seamstress 