The need to sew a jacket appears quite often. The reasons may be different. When preparing for the autumn-winter season, you may find that last year’s item was too small or, on the contrary, a size too large.
Sometimes the volume of a jacket no longer corresponds to fashion trends, although the condition of the item allows it to be worn for many more years.
A similar problem often arises when purchasing something new that you like but does not match the required size. The solution may be to contact an outerwear repair shop , but this requires time and material costs. A cheaper way is to remake the item yourself.
At the same time, if you do not have the appropriate skills, then it is better to give the item to the Mobile Tailor studio, whose specialists will do everything to the highest possible quality.
Basic Rules
IMPORTANT ! You can only reduce your jacket by one or two sizes.
Before you start work, you need to take care of the necessary sewing supplies. The house should have everything you might need:
- Sewing machine;
- Scissors;
- Chalk;
- Threads to match the jacket;
- Contrasting color threads;
- Tailor's centimeter or ruler;
- Non-woven fabric.
It is recommended to sew a jacket one size only in the place where it is too big.
Denim shrinkage: washing methods
Old-style denim was more durable and did not stretch when worn every day. With the use of new technologies for the production of denim, the rough fabric has acquired comfortable elasticity. But the innovation caused sprains in the knees and waist. Many methods have emerged on how to wash jeans so that they shrink and acquire their original “tight” look and even fit exactly to your figure.
Boiling denim
When exposed to hot water temperatures, jeans with elastane will shrink at least one size.
- You will need a large enamel pan and wooden tongs for stirring the material.
- Boiling denim in a soap solution should last no more than half an hour.
- Jeans are soaked in a boiling solution of laundry soap shavings (50 g per 10 liters of water) and cooked over low heat.
Boiling denim leads to partial loss of color. Unstable dyes completely peel off from the material, and the trousers take on an unkempt appearance. You can boil white jeans without loss.
Wash at maximum temperature
Do jeans shrink after washing in automatic mode? Yes, if you set the temperature control to maximum.
- Hot water from 60 to 90 degrees will shrink denim a size or more.
- To enhance the shrinkage effect, it is necessary to include several spin cycles of 800 rpm in the washing program.
Jeans will fit not only in volume, but also along the entire length. What should I do to make jeans fit only in width? Dry the item vertically, hanging weights from the bottom of the trousers, or fasten the trouser legs and dry the items taut.
Shrinkage exactly to your figure
What should I do to get my jeans to fit? Take a hot bath in your jeans! This extraordinary method works wonders: after washing, the clothes will fit like a glove.
- Put on jeans, fill the bath with hot water, sit in the water up to your waist and wait 20 minutes. During this time, the denim will fit your figure, accurately following the contours of the body.
- Dry jeans without removing them in direct sunlight or near heaters.
The prescription method of reducing clothing size has a temporary effect. After the first normal wash, the trousers may stretch again.
Warning!
The method for making jeans fit is only suitable for the warm season, since in pursuit of shrinking trousers you can easily catch a cold.
Local shrinkage
Jeans that are stretched at the knees can be brought into shape by using fabric softener.
- Prepare a concentrated solution (in a ratio of 3:1) and fill a container with a spray bottle with it.
- Spray onto the problem area and place the item in the dryer. At the maximum drying temperature, the stretched fibers will tighten significantly.
Do not use detergents instead of conditioner, as white streaks will appear on the treated areas after drying.
Note to the owner:
If your jeans have faded slightly during the washing process, you can improve the color quality at home. Soak the damaged items in a hot solution of water and blue (30 g per 5 liters of water) for 3 hours. Then rinse the material in a vinegar solution (40 ml per 5 liters of water). Full coloring is unlikely to be achieved, but you can enhance the color saturation and correct the consequences of an unsuccessful attempt to shrink the jeans.
How to sew a jacket at the waist?
This is the simplest option for tailoring a jacket to your figure. You just need to add new stitches along the side seams at the waist.
To do this, you need to rip the lining at the bottom of the jacket to open free access to the side seams. The location of new stitches must be determined in advance by trying on the jacket over the corresponding clothing, and mark them with chalk or contrasting threads.
The marked seams must be sewn on a machine with a stitch width the same size as on factory seams.
Similar work must be done with the seams on the lining.
After this, you need to try on the jacket and, after making sure of the result, smooth out the seams and sew on the lining.
Boiling
The method is quite simple and straightforward to implement, but as in the previous case, it is only suitable for 100% cotton denim. For the procedure you will need a large container for boiling clothes and wooden tongs.
Procedure for performing manipulations:
- Jeans are turned inside out to preserve their color.
- Pour the required amount of water into a container large enough to accommodate the item being shrinked.
- Place on the highest heat and bring to a boil.
- Using wooden tongs, very carefully immerse and submerge the jeans in rapidly boiling water.
- Cook the product for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally and immersing the jeans in boiling water. There is no need to cover the container with a lid.
- Take the jeans out of the boiling water with tongs and immediately put them in the washing machine, setting the drying setting to maximum.
Boiling in boiling water itself causes the denim to shrink. And drying in the most powerful mode enhances and consolidates this effect. You need to remove the item from the dryer only after it has completely dried and cooled.
How to sew a jacket on the back?
This option for altering a jacket is a little more difficult than the previous one, but it is also quite possible. You should first determine which seams the new stitches will go through and the scale of suturing.
The jacket and one of the sleeves must be turned inside out. At the seam of the lining sleeve, you should rip a section 15-20 cm long. Through the resulting hole, you need to pull out the main material of the jacket. Now you can lay a seam of the optimal width in the center of the back, then smooth it out and tuck the elongated section of the jacket into the hole in the lining.
Next you need to put the lining in order. The sections of the torn area must be aligned and carefully stitched or sewn by hand with small even stitches.
And finally, you can turn the jacket right side out, straighten it out and try it on.
Before performing all this work, keep in mind that they require a certain level of professionalism. Therefore, if you are not confident in your skills, we recommend entrusting this to the professionals from Mobile Tailor.
We adjust the patterns (taking into account the features of the figure)
HELP SPECIALISTS. Where do you need to cut off the sleeves at the head so that they don’t get too narrow and at the same time they are shortened. I've already racked my brains with this problem and can't find the information I need anywhere. To me …
Girls, please help.. I have a very beautiful leather jacket in stock, the color is beautiful, the leather is gorgeous, the cut of a classic jacket. But! The model is outdated, but that’s where they are. large shoulders, that is, the shoulders themselves are enlarged, plus there are also hangers made of syndepon (well, remember, 5 years ago this was fashionable, all jackets had such shoulders). And I really want to wear it again.. Please tell me how to reduce or alter such a shoulder, if so, is there a link to some kind of master class? I'm still new to sewing, but very diligent) needlewomen, please tell me.
girls, tell me at least in a few words, what to pay attention to?
girls, tell me at least in a few words, what to pay attention to?
How to hem the sleeves of a jacket?
If the sleeves of the jacket are a little long, they can be shortened. The bottom of the sleeve must be opened, the cuffs removed and excess material cut off. The size of the part to be cut must be determined in advance, and allowance should be made for allowance. As a rule, reducing the length by one size is minus 1.5-3 centimeters.
The sleeve lining is shortened in the same way.
Next, the cuff is combined with the front side of the sleeve and attached. To complete the work, the lining is sewn on with an exact match along the seam.
Quick drying is one of the methods for shrinking jeans
How your pants dry after washing is important when trying to downsize. The correct drying method will allow you to maintain the shape and attractive appearance of your clothes for a long time.
There are several ways to make jeans fit:
- The simplest and most effective method is hot machine drying.
- Horizontal drying will help restore the size of a stretched item. After washing, the product is thoroughly wrung out and laid out on a cotton towel in a horizontal position. This method is suitable for rooms with dry air. In rooms with high humidity, pants may be prohibited.
- During the cold season, you can use radiators in the heating system. You need to hang the item on hot radiators and let it dry. Only smooth (without protruding parts) clean radiators are suitable for this method.
- In order for the product to retain its shape and return to its original state, it is necessary to hang the clothes in the fresh air, fixing them on a rope only by the belt. This will prevent creases and kinks in the fabric.
How to sew a jacket in several sizes?
If the jacket is several sizes too large, it is better to entrust its alteration to the jacket repair from Mobile Tailor. But if you have enough free time, you can try and cope with the problem yourself.
You need to attach tracing paper with a pattern to the jacket and mark the location of future seams, as well as the suturing lines. Turn the jacket inside out and rip out the lining. Use a sewing machine to make new seams, then use scissors to carefully rip apart the factory stitches, cutting off the excess material so that there is an allowance of about one centimeter wide.
Likewise, the lining must be reduced to fit the new dimensions of the product.
The jacket and lining must be aligned at the seams and the ripped seams on the lining must be sewn.
Wash
The method of hand washing with the effect of shrinking jeans involves contrasting temperatures. To do this, while rinsing the product, you need to transfer it several times from a container with very hot water to a container with ice water. Or, if time is of the essence, soak the jeans in very cold water for 8-12 hours, and then hand wash them at the highest possible temperature.
What needs to be done to make jeans shrink when machine washed? Wash at the highest possible temperature followed by intensive spinning. In practice it looks like this:
- Select the “Intensive” or “For wrinkle-resistant items” washing mode.
- Set the maximum water heating temperature.
- Pour washing powder into the cuvette. If desired, you can add a rinse conditioner, thanks to which the denim will not be “wooden” after washing and drying.
- Set the maximum spin and dry mode.
- Place the jeans in the drum and turn on the washing machine.
When the product is washed and dried, it is recommended to leave it in the machine drum for 10 minutes. If the shrinkage is insufficient, the procedure will have to be repeated according to the same pattern. It is not recommended to iron slightly damp jeans, as this reduces the shrinkage effect of the fabric.
The intensive machine wash method is only suitable for denim containing at least 80% cotton. Synthetic, stretch, Shrink to fit fabrics cannot be washed in this mode. This shrinkage method is also not suitable for jeans decorated with decorations made of glass, plastic, metal, or prints made of guipure or lace fabric.
How to sew a leather jacket?
If you still decide to alter a leather jacket yourself , then you should first prepare a pattern. The product must be opened and laid out on the work table. Place the pattern on the skin and trace the contours of each part with chalk.
Attention ! It is necessary to leave allowances 1-2 cm wide at the top and sides, 2-3 cm along the bottom line.
Natural leather must be cut with sharp scissors exactly along the intended contours. Each part must be reinforced with non-woven fabric. When working with leather, keep in mind that needle marks remain on it, so basting cannot be done.
To ensure that the leather does not move during stitching, you need to install a special Teflon foot and a thick needle on the sewing machine. It is better to sew the skin with stitches of three millimeters.
After completing the operations, the jacket must be turned inside out and ironed. The allowances are glued and left to dry.
comments (5) to “Corrections in the area of shoulder cuts”
!Good afternoon! I have a large bust and narrow shoulders. If you are short, in order not to look square, when sewing products you have to adjust the shoulder by 2.8 cm. In this case, the sleeve does not fit well. I ask for your advice on how to adjust the sleeve cap,
Sincerely, Irina
Tell me how to sew a jacket in the shoulders and on the sides so that it is a little narrower, it is very necessary :-)))
Good afternoon. you can read here or
if your reliefs go up to the shoulder seam, then: 1- pin the excess fabric along the waist and chest line, mark how much larger the product is than you want (prick needles along the pinning lines or sew with a needle and thread, chalk if the product is dark in color) 2- spread the reliefs along the front and back 3 - draw new reliefs along the marked lines p 1 4 - hand-sew the reliefs, if the allowances are very large, cut off, leaving an allowance of 2 cm 5 - put on the product and check if you like how it fits on you again. if not, then loosen it or take away the excess even more 6- after checking, you can grind down the reliefs; if the product has a lining, then it needs to be opened in the sleeve and turned out, and reduced in the same way as the top of the product along the reliefs.
if the relief goes into the armhole, then: 1- rip out the sleeve and rip out the side seam, having previously marked the excess along the side 2 - outline how much to reduce the shoulder seam and reduce along the side seam, baste and measure (fit on the chest, hips and waist) 3 - if you like the fit, sew down the side seams 4 - pin the sleeve (as it should be in finished form, seam allowances inside) along the new armhole line. see if you like the position of the sleeve or not... 5 - mark the new armhole line you like. cut off the excess and sew in the sleeve. - sew the shoulders to a new place... that's all =)
Good afternoon! Tell me how to make the shoulder line wider? I bought a sleeveless dress online, and the armhole is like a sundress, the upper part of the arm is very visible, they are full. What can you think of?
Sometimes it happens that people reluctantly buy clothes that do not match their size. Of course, you can exchange the product for another one in the store. But most often this is not possible. In addition, it is common for a person to change body weight, therefore, problems arise with clothes: they become small or one size larger. In any case, you need to get out somehow. And going to a studio is not cheap. Then there remains one more option for the outcome of events, which will be discussed in this article.
Useful tips and tricks
In order for the item to be altered neatly and fit well on the figure, you need to use the recommendations of tailors from the Mobile Tailor studio:
- Follow the correct sequence of actions: first, turn the jacket inside out, and then rip it open.
- Do not attempt to correct the fit of the shoulder or sleeve armhole. This can only be done by re-cutting the sleeve.
- Leave the lining slightly larger than the body size for a loose fit.
- Make sure that the length of the armhole and sleeve cap match perfectly.
- Secure the connection of parts with pins.
- Place the darts on the back closer to the midline.
- For a wide waist, sew on another button.
Alternative methods for shrinking denim
If there is very little time for shrinkage, you can resort to alternative methods. What can I do to make jeans fit true to size without washing them? There are two ways to shrink denim: ironing and drying.
Options for ironing and drying denim for maximum shrinkage:
- Iron the jeans from the wrong side by intensive steaming (at least 20 minutes);
- Using a spray bottle, spray the fabric with hot water and conditioner (3:1) and iron the material until completely dry;
- Immediately after washing, the product is dried in special drying equipment at maximum heat or in a centrifuge for at least half an hour. Then the wet items are ironed until completely dry.
How to make jeans fit two sizes? Using three shrinkage methods at once: automatic washing in hot water, drying on a heating device and ironing with steam until completely dry, I managed to tone up jeans stretched two sizes, consisting of 50% elastane. To my surprise, the shrinkage effect lasted until the second wash.
Buying jeans with a high percentage of stretch additive does not eliminate the problem of fabric deformation. Elastane increases the ability of denim to shrink after washing, but also has the opposite effect: it causes rapid loss of shape and maximizes the likelihood of stretched areas on the garment. Optimal composition ratio: 80% cotton, 20% elastane.
So that after the first wear of trousers you do not have to rack your brains about how to reduce stretched denim during washing, buy jeans that fasten tightly. Taking things apart is much easier than returning them to their original size.
Comfortable and practical jeans are in everyone's wardrobe. But, if when trying on and buying, they fit perfectly, then after a certain time after wearing, the jeans stretch. There is only one way out of this situation: artificially reduce them in size, make them shrink.
Surely, when jeans stretch, their owners come up with the idea of throwing them away or giving them to someone who will fit them. But don't panic, there are simple ways to help you fit your jeans and return them to their original size.
You can artificially shrink jeans only if they are more or less new. Old jeans cannot be restored to their original appearance.
Hot water
Washing at a high temperature will help your jeans shrink. But before resorting to this method, you need to familiarize yourself with the composition of denim trousers. If your jeans have lycra, hot water will only ruin their appearance.
There is a method that is also effective, but not every person will decide on it. You need to put on jeans and sit in a bath with hot water in them. The water temperature should be as close as possible to what a person can tolerate. You need to stay in the bathroom until the water cools down. After that, go outside in the sun. You can remove jeans only after they are completely dry, so it is not advisable to walk or sit all this time. It’s better to lie down on a flat surface and turn over periodically, exposing all areas of your jeans to the sun’s rays. An interesting book will help brighten up the time.
Boiling
A great way to downsize jeans and remove stains. The main thing is that the boiling process proceeds correctly:
- collect water in a bucket or pan with a volume of 10-12 liters;
- put jeans there, after emptying their pockets;
- add a tablespoon of washing powder;
- After the water boils, boil for half an hour.
It should be taken into account that boiling can affect the color of clothing. Jeans may fade in color or fade in places. Therefore, before boiling, it is recommended to turn the jeans inside out.
Iron
Jeans need to be washed or soaked in hot water. Spread them on an ironing board, cover with a thin cloth or gauze on top so that the fabric does not become shiny from the iron. Turn on the iron's maximum allowed temperature for these jeans (this information can be found on the label). Iron the jeans on all sides until dry.
Quick drying
If you speed up the drying process, this will also reduce the size of your jeans. There are several options for shrinking jeans by drying:
- Drying in the sun. This method can only be carried out in summer in hot weather. Place the wrung out jeans, without straightening them, on a flat surface in direct sunlight. It will be even better if you leave your clothes in the sun a little. The main thing is not to overdo it! There is no need to hang the jeans, as they will stretch out under their own weight.
- Drying on the battery. The battery, of course, must be hot. Jeans wrung out in a centrifuge should be hung on a heating radiator. But you need to remember that uneven ribbed batteries deform clothes.
- Fast machine drying. Jeans need to be dried in a washing machine, turning on the appropriate mode.
