Shortening a garment

A waistband too loose or tight is altered by taking in or letting out the side seams, adding elastic panels, or moving buttons and hooks. Check the fix doesn't distort the closure or shape.

Shoulder seams sitting too wide or narrow, throwing off where the sleeve cap falls, are corrected by unpicking the shoulder and sleeve, moving the seam, and reattaching the sleeve to the adjusted armhole.

Blending two adjacent pattern sizes, such as a smaller bust with a larger waist, is done by tracing each size's line at the relevant area and drawing a smooth curve connecting them across the piece.

A jeans hem shortened while keeping the factory-finished edge and topstitching intact is done by folding the excess up inside the leg, then stitching just above the original hem from the right side.

Extending sleeves that fall short requires a deeper hem let down, an added cuff, or a contrasting fabric extension at the wrist. Check there's enough hem allowance before promising extra length.