Yes you can take in from the sides, but make sure to do a fitting before cutting the excess material. If you take in from the side seams, you need to take in from the sleeve seams as well, to match the armholes and the tops of the sleeves again.
I also suggest to make the armholes rounder at the top of the side seams. The same for the top of the sleeve seams.
We need to do this, as when we take in a lot from the side seams and sleeve seams, the top of the side seams at the armholes and the top of the sleeve seams become too pointed.
To fix the issue with the skirt, you can let out a bit from the front panel along the side seams. Do this up to the lower hip line.
Now the front will be a bit larger, if the waistline becomes large for the waistband, you can fix this along the waist by increasing the intake of the front darts only at the top. Make sure to create 4 darts on the front panel so that the dart points will lay flat on the body.
I have noticed that in recent suits, the fake buttonholes are only sewn to the top layer of the sleeve plackets. If this is the case, you can easily remove the stitching without having any problems with shortening the sleeves.
The only thing is to remove the necessary buttonhole stitching carefully and press the fabric in these areas using a press cloth. If your fabric is suede or velvet, you can steam the fabric from a distance with your iron to prevent damaging it.
If the buttonhole stitching catches the lower layer as well, you can still shorten the sleeves by only removing those buttonholes that are in your way.
Once the sleeve hem is sewn you can redo the decorative buttonholes by hand or machine, before sewing the buttons.
You could do the sleeve shortening from the top as well, however in most cases the top of the sleeves will become smaller than the armholes. This could be done if the suit or jacket is also large around the chest area, which lets you take in from the side seams as well. This way of shortening the sleeves requires a lot more effort and multiple fittings.
In case we want to join the circle skirt to a waistband we need to match its top edge to the waist circumference using the same procedure. In this lesson the top edge of the skirt is below the waistline because of the style of the dress. If you want to sew the circle skirt with a waistband, you need to use the waist circumference for your calculations, when drafting the pattern.
I have found that reducing the excess length using my method does not pull on the skirt and lets it fall nicely on the body.
When we lay patterns on fabric, to make sure that we know that an edge of our pattern needs to be placed along the folded edge of the fabric, the edge is indicated as a fold line. If the edge is not labeled as a fold line it means there will be a seam line there.
To keep the shape of the hemline the same as the original. Measure the amount you want to shorten the dress by, plus the hem allowance and pin mark all around the bottom. The pin marks should be close to each other since the hemline is curved.
Connect the marks with a tailor's chalk or pencil, then trim away the excess along the hem allowance line. Then sew the new hem.
Make sure to have the same amount for the hem allowance and also sew it the same way as the original to keep the same look.
Thanks for the kind words. I am happy to know that our videos are helping you to achieve your goals. I look forward to seeing your work if you choose to share it here with us.
Thanks so much. Right now we have the semi fitted sleeve block pattern and the shirt sleeve pattern lesson. In the future we will be making different style sleeve patterns.
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The jacket that I alter in the video lesson needed adjusting only in the shoulder area down to the front and back armpits, therefore I did not need to remove the sleeves completely.
If the jacket is large around the shoulders, armpits and chest area, you will need to remove the sleeves. First make sure to pinch and mark the shoulders down to the armpit area, then armholes and sleeves, using the same technique as I show in the video lesson. This way when you want to re-join the sleeves, it will be easier.
Once the sleeves are removed, you take in the amount needed from the side seams. Do another fitting and pin the sleeves back to the armholes. Use the same technique as I show in the video lesson. Pin the sleeves back to the armholes from the shoulder line down to the armpit area on both sides, then from the front and back armpit area down to the side seams, you need to pin so that the sleeves fall nicely.
Then you baste the sleeves in place and do another fitting to make sure the jacket fits well, finish by sewing the seams and remove the excess material.
First make sure that you have measured the lower hip circumference as indicated in the full figure skirt pattern making lesson chapter 2.
If the waist circumference is equal to or greater the lower hip or upper hip circumferences, we can eliminate the darts. Or we can have very small dart intakes even 2 mm. Having even very narrow darts will create the illusion of a narrower waistline on the garment.
Doing this will make the waistline on the pattern wider than the lower or upper hipline. Therefore when we draw the side seam, we draw a line connecting the waistline to the hemline of the skirt. This way the lower hipline will become longer than our body measurement, which is fine.
The way you can watch the video lessons offline is to purchase our DVDs. All our lessons are available to be purchased both on our own site along the top bar by clicking on DVD Videos and on eBay. On our site we have discounted the DVDs and have free shipping on orders over $50 to north America, on eBay we have the same discounted prices and free international shipping on all orders over $150.
I tried what you suggested. It did not fix the problem I was having all it did was made the back crotch length longer. I need something to make the back piece wider. Any suggestion would be helpful.
Thank you so much! I will let you know how it turns out.
Dear Monica,
Yes you can take in from the sides, but make sure to do a fitting before cutting the excess material. If you take in from the side seams, you need to take in from the sleeve seams as well, to match the armholes and the tops of the sleeves again.
I also suggest to make the armholes rounder at the top of the side seams. The same for the top of the sleeve seams.
We need to do this, as when we take in a lot from the side seams and sleeve seams, the top of the side seams at the armholes and the top of the sleeve seams become too pointed.
Happy sewing,
Nehzat
Dear carol,
Below is a video that shows how to remove snaps:
How to Remove a Worn-Out Snap
happy sewing,
Nehzat
Dear bisou,
Dear vmallett,
I have noticed that in recent suits, the fake buttonholes are only sewn to the top layer of the sleeve plackets. If this is the case, you can easily remove the stitching without having any problems with shortening the sleeves.
The only thing is to remove the necessary buttonhole stitching carefully and press the fabric in these areas using a press cloth. If your fabric is suede or velvet, you can steam the fabric from a distance with your iron to prevent damaging it.
If the buttonhole stitching catches the lower layer as well, you can still shorten the sleeves by only removing those buttonholes that are in your way.
Once the sleeve hem is sewn you can redo the decorative buttonholes by hand or machine, before sewing the buttons.
You could do the sleeve shortening from the top as well, however in most cases the top of the sleeves will become smaller than the armholes. This could be done if the suit or jacket is also large around the chest area, which lets you take in from the side seams as well. This way of shortening the sleeves requires a lot more effort and multiple fittings.
Happy sewing,
Nehzat
Dear ashleyrenacheek,
In the video lesson Dress with Circle Skirt in chapter 7 - Baste Marking the top seam line on circle skirt, I baste along the top edge of the skirt and then in chapter 9 - Joining the cicle skirt to the top, I show how to reduce the excess length along the top edge of the skirt and join it to the top. We need to do this since 4 sections of the skirt will be cut on a bias around the top edge w
In case we want to join the circle skirt to a waistband we need to match its top edge to the waist circumference using the same procedure. In this lesson the top edge of the skirt is below the waistline because of the style of the dress. If you want to sew the circle skirt with a waistband, you need to use the waist circumference for your calculations, when drafting the pattern.
I have found that reducing the excess length using my method does not pull on the skirt and lets it fall nicely on the body.
Hope this helps.
Happy sewing,
Nehzat
thanks!
Dear jusagnes2,
Welcome to the forum. Yes you can ask any sewing related questions you may have here in the forum.
Happy sewing,
Nehzat
Dear mimi42,
When we lay patterns on fabric, to make sure that we know that an edge of our pattern needs to be placed along the folded edge of the fabric, the edge is indicated as a fold line. If the edge is not labeled as a fold line it means there will be a seam line there.
Happy sewing,
Nehzat
Dear nazs,
To keep the shape of the hemline the same as the original. Measure the amount you want to shorten the dress by, plus the hem allowance and pin mark all around the bottom. The pin marks should be close to each other since the hemline is curved.
Connect the marks with a tailor's chalk or pencil, then trim away the excess along the hem allowance line. Then sew the new hem.
Make sure to have the same amount for the hem allowance and also sew it the same way as the original to keep the same look.
Happy sewing,
Nehzat
Dear Elex,
Thanks for the kind words. I am happy to know that our videos are helping you to achieve your goals. I look forward to seeing your work if you choose to share it here with us.
Happy sewing,
Nehzat
Dear tinilou,
Thanks so much. Right now we have the semi fitted sleeve block pattern and the shirt sleeve pattern lesson. In the future we will be making different style sleeve patterns.
Happy sewing,
Nehzat
A romantic wedding for a girl is important in her life time.There are beautiful dresses,dreaming occasion and necessary fascinating bride hair styles.Some girls may choose to wear the high quality human great wigs such as glamorous long curly hair and fashionable black wig. They can save much time and make changeable hair styles.
I love your work. That jean jacket and b&w dress is Fabulous.
Dear Robert,
The jacket that I alter in the video lesson needed adjusting only in the shoulder area down to the front and back armpits, therefore I did not need to remove the sleeves completely.
If the jacket is large around the shoulders, armpits and chest area, you will need to remove the sleeves. First make sure to pinch and mark the shoulders down to the armpit area, then armholes and sleeves, using the same technique as I show in the video lesson. This way when you want to re-join the sleeves, it will be easier.
Once the sleeves are removed, you take in the amount needed from the side seams. Do another fitting and pin the sleeves back to the armholes. Use the same technique as I show in the video lesson. Pin the sleeves back to the armholes from the shoulder line down to the armpit area on both sides, then from the front and back armpit area down to the side seams, you need to pin so that the sleeves fall nicely.
Then you baste the sleeves in place and do another fitting to make sure the jacket fits well, finish by sewing the seams and remove the excess material.
Hope this helps.
Happy sewing,
Nehzat
Thanks much, that is very helpful I will try that.
Dear spilincube,
First make sure that you have measured the lower hip circumference as indicated in the full figure skirt pattern making lesson chapter 2.
If the waist circumference is equal to or greater the lower hip or upper hip circumferences, we can eliminate the darts. Or we can have very small dart intakes even 2 mm. Having even very narrow darts will create the illusion of a narrower waistline on the garment.
Doing this will make the waistline on the pattern wider than the lower or upper hipline. Therefore when we draw the side seam, we draw a line connecting the waistline to the hemline of the skirt. This way the lower hipline will become longer than our body measurement, which is fine.
Hope this helps.
Happy sewing,
Nehzat
Dear Sina,
Welcome to our site, I hope you enjoy the videos and learn to sew along the way.
Happy sewing,
Nehzat
Dear Ruqayyah09,
The way you can watch the video lessons offline is to purchase our DVDs. All our lessons are available to be purchased both on our own site along the top bar by clicking on DVD Videos and on eBay. On our site we have discounted the DVDs and have free shipping on orders over $50 to north America, on eBay we have the same discounted prices and free international shipping on all orders over $150.
Happy sewing,
Nehzat
Dear Razargham,
I am happy to know that you are enjoying learning to hand embroider. I will add your suggestion to my list for future video lessons.
Happy embroidering,
Nehzat
Dear Ry2z3b,
You can let out from the center back seam allowance to make the pants larger at the centre back area.
Hope this helps.
Happy sewing,
Nehzat
Dear Ry2z3b,
You can let out from the center back seam allowance to make the pants larger at the centre back area.
Hope this helps.
Happy sewing,
Nehzat
Dear Ruqayyah,
Welcome to our site, I hope you will find the video lessons helpful.
Happy sewing,
Nehzat
I tried what you suggested. It did not fix the problem I was having all it did was made the back crotch length longer. I need something to make the back piece wider. Any suggestion would be helpful.
Thankyou so much