Hints & Tips

Archive for the ‘Clothes too tight – Let out’ Category

Have you ever had trousers that are too tight in the crotch?  The way to fix this is to lower the rise which is done in the opposite direction for taking the crotch up.

Turn the trousers inside out.  To have complete access to the rise, push one leg into the other, inside out.  This means you have the centre front and centre back folded.

It is always better to pin first, so begin pinning at the front with the seam on the right hand side.  Line up the inside-leg seams to make sure they are together.  If the trousers have a zip in the front or back, you will have to begin just below the zip area.  If the zip is in the front begin to sew just below the zip and taper out slowly.  Sew around to the centre back, then over lock off the excess, or zig zag if you do not have an over locker (serger).

The trick to getting a good shape is to begin on one side at the seam BEFORE it curves under so that you create a new curve lower down.  When coming up the opposite side, taper into the seam slowly.  If the stitching is not smooth into the seam, when turned inside out it will have a lump in the fabric.

Try the trousers on to see if they feel comfortable.  I would suggest you sew a little at a time until you have let out enough.

Happy sewing

Judith aka genie

A godet (unlike a gusset) is an extra piece of fabric in the shape of a large triangle which is added between seams to give flare.  Examples would be inserts into skirts or dresses to give width and volume.  A godet could be added to the back of a very tight fitting gown to allow the wearer more movement when walking.

Happy sewing

Judith aka genie

A gusset is a triangular piece of fabric that is inserted into a seam to add width to a garment.  Clothes that are too tight can have a gusset inserted at the centre back, sides seams or at the inside leg in the crotch area.  Some tailors will have an insert at the inside leg that is not quite triangular, but has been added because the person has a large thigh.

Happy sewing

Judith aka genie

Blocking is something that can be used to increase the size of clothes.  If you have a teeshirt, dress or trousers that are too small, a separate panel can be added in a contrast colour.  I am in the process of using blocking to increase the size of an animal print jacket a friend bought me.  It was the only size, but was too small, so I purchased some black fur and will create sections to the side back panels beginning at the armhole, and I will unpick the top section of the sleeve and place a block down the top of the sleeve.  I will attach a video when completed.

Happy sewing

Judith aka genie

Remember in the Victorian times when large seams were left in everything.  Recently I had a garment brought in that had become too small.  I had a look inside and there were massive seams all the way through the garment.  HOWEVER………..   Someone had decided that it didn’t sit correctly on the curved sections or at joins, so they had CUT through the seam allowance up to the existing seam!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For the life of me I do not understand why someone would do that.  If you want to leave a reasonable seam allowance, then do that.  You can even fold it over if you like and stitch it down with a loose stitch.  If you have to clip, then consider folding the seam allowance over and stitching down rather than clipping.  If I am reshaping a neckline or putting on a collar, you have to clip to get the curve, so clipping is important, but if you have want to leave large side seams, you really do not need to clip (usually).

In the case of the dress in question, it was not a fitting dress, so it could have been left without being clipped.

Happy sewing

Judith aka genie

Remember in the Victorian times when large seams were left in everything.  Recently I had a garment brought in that had become too small.  I had a look inside and there were massive seams all the way through the garment.  HOWEVER………..   Someone had decided that it didn’t sit correctly on the curved sections or at joins, so they had CUT through the seam allowance up to the existing seam!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For the life of me I do not understand why someone would do that.  If you want to leave a reasonable seam allowance, then do that.  You can even fold it over if you like and stitch it down with a loose stitch.  If you have to clip, then consider folding the seam allowance over and stitching down rather than clipping.  If I am reshaping a neckline or putting on a collar, you have to clip to get the curve, so clipping is important, but if you have want to leave large side seams, you really do not need to clip (usually).

In the case of the dress in question, it was not a fitting dress, so it could have been left without being clipped.

Happy sewing

Judith aka genie

1.  If trousers are too tight at the waist, you can release the pleats or darts.  It may or may not have a band.  If there is no band it is easier to unpick the darts and put a panel in the facing or unpick the lining darts. For trousers (or skirts) with a band, unpick the band from the button end around to the button hole end, but not all the way.  Leave the buttonhole end attached with enough room for you to get in and sew the band back on.  Release the darts or pleats the amount you need, and sew the band back on, putting an extension in the end.  Usually the original band will hide the extension.  Try to use fabric of a similar colour and weight.  I actually pin the band back on with the pins facing forward, and I sew with the band on the top so that I sew back into the original stitching.  You will never know that the band has been unpicked if you do this.

2.  If the trousers are too tight in the crotch area, or you have what is called a camel foot appearing around the crotch area, this is usually due to the crotch being too tight.  This means you need to lower the “rise” of the trousers.  The rise is the seam that runs from the centre front to the centre back.  If you turn the trousers inside out, then pop one leg into the other with right sides together, you will have easy access to the rise.  Lower the rise without taking in too much around the tummy or bottom area.  In other words you are going to begin sewing about 6cm (2 ½”) from the crotch join front and back.  This will lower the rise and give you more room. To be honest I would not lower a rise more than 4 cm (1 ½”).

3.  Put a panel down each side of the trousers, but use a fabric that is a good colour match or a contrast colour that works with the trouser.  Something that looks great is a heavy lace panel with a fabric behind the lace. The backing could be any colour.  I have inserted lace down the sides of trousers in this way and backed it with a skin coloured “two way stretch” called peek-a-boo.  It looks like you are looking at the person’s skin but in reality it is the stretch fabric.   There are some fantastic fabrics out there so use your imagination.

4.  What about opening out the side seams of the trousers and sewing loops on the sides like the back of the dress.  Then making a long cord, or buying some and threading it through the loops.  If you are concerned about exposing your skin, sew some stretch fabric underneath.  Make sure that the stretch fabric is smaller than what you want, so that the fabric doesn’t bunch if the trousers become too big.

Happy sewing

Judith aka genie

Because tee shirts are stretch they are easy to add panels to.  Unpick the side seam and the sleeve about half way to the shoulder seam on either side.  Cut out a panel from fabric similar to the fabric or in a contrast.  Allow around 7.5 cm (3″) at the top (slightly curved for the armhole, and make a little wider as you come down the panel.  Because you have unpicked the sleeve, you can ease the new panel into the sleeve.  I have done this with a few tee shirts that I bought but found they were too small.  (I have a big bust) Most of the clothes I wear are black, so I had no trouble matching the black stretch fabric. If you want to have a contrast, you can sew some of the different coloured fabric onto the front of the tee to give it balance.

Happy sewing

Judith aka genie

Above the waist

1. Do you have a top or dress that is too tight around the bust? If there is a zip in the back, unpick the zip or undo the centre back seam, or if there is no centre back seam – mark down the centre back and cut.  Make small loops and attach on each side about 2.5 cm (1″) apart.  Make a cord and thread the cord into each side of the loops making a crisscross down the back.  This is the perfect situation for a wedding dress that is too tight.  In the past I have had to do this for a number of ladies – days before the wedding.  If you don’t want to see any skin, then make a square panel and insert it under the crisscross.  This can be attached to one side.  Usually I would only have the panel around the waist, bottom area, and have the skin showing in the back.

2.  A lot of dresses have dress zips in the back.  A dress zip uses more fabric than an invisible zip, so take the dress zip out and replace it with an invisible zip.  You will be surprised at how much extra room you get, and if there are darts or seams at the back, release them as well.  Note that some darts have the machine burn hole at the end, so you may have to just reduce the size of the dart so that you still cover the burn hole.

3.  Halter neck tops or dresses can be made bigger at the bust by inserting a panel on either side of the front bust panels (armhole side).  I recently had a client who had a halter neck dress, and she wanted the length shortened, which I did, and then used the cut off for the side insert.  I folded the cutoff over and joined one side to the armhole side (which I had unpicked).  Then joined the bottom of the strip to the band that went under the bust, and hand stitched the back to the back panel.  Almost all bust panels in halter necks are double fabric.  You could use a contract colour if you wanted, because it doesn’t have to be with the same fabric.

Happy sewing

Judith aka genie

The question most people ask is “should I insert a gusset in the back or the sides?”  I think the sides are better because past experience has shown that a gusset in the back does not hold the pants up when you bend over.  Unpick the side seams, get some good quality “two way stretch” fabric and insert the gusset in each side.  And the big plus is the comfort, and the stretch which is great.  If the gusset is too big sew some elastic on the back of the stretch at the top.  Or cut the gusset out so that it folds at the top and insert some elastic inside on the fold line.  With a slight stretch to the elastic it will keep the firmness on the waist or hip.

Happy sewing

Judith aka  genie