Shortening shirt sleeves

Austin_Allegro

I get most of my shirts from charity shops for around £4, but the sleeves are always about 2-3 inches too long. I've tried those sleeve garter things but find them a bit uncomfortable.

Alterations tailors charge at least £8 to shorten sleeves which hardly seems worth it.

I wondered if anybody knew of a simple method of shortening sleeves that didn't involve too much sewing (I don't have a sewing machine but can do running stitch reasonably well). If it could be done with wundaweb so much the better! :rolleyes:

fudgem

I can't tell you how to shorten sleeves with cuffs without a sewing machine, and even then it would be difficult for a non expert sewer, but if you would be happy to make them into short sleeve shirts, that is easily done with wonderweb. Simply measure the size you want them to be, perhaps against one you already own, plus 1.5 inches. Press the raw edge under, then press up 1 inch and apply the wonderweb as per instructions on the packet.

Have you a Matalan or such like shop close? You may find them just as cheap as the charity shops for shirts, I have bought for my husband for £3.99 not superb quality but certainly good enough for work

Austin_Allegro

Thanks Fudgem - I have tried Matalan, Primark shirts etc, but I don't really like the cut or the material plus they don't seem to last very long - the ones I get are seconds from Charles Thyritt, a Jermyn St shirtmaker so quite good quality and normally about £30-£50 new.

fudgem

oh, that sounds a really good bargain, try again with the garter thingies, they don't sound like the sort of shirts you would want to cut up

Addiscomber

Do you always wear a jacket over these shirts? If so, why not simply make a fold somewhere where it will not be seen and keep in place with running stitch. Not exactly the "right" way to do it, but maybe the right way is the one that you can afford. If the sleeves need to be visible then you really need to get it done properly. Whilst I appreciate that you are only paying £4 for a shirt if you have to pay £8 for the alteration that is still cheap for a good quality shirt. For the amount of work involved £8 is not very much in terms of pay per hour. I admit that I have not had cause to do it and so do not have the benefit of practice makes perfect, but it would probably take me well over an hour and I am an experienced dressmaker.

MATH

Could you not buy short sleeve shirts? Or is that me being a bit simple Only the most stuffy offices would tut at short sleeves and button down collars nowadays. I'm sooo glad I don't have to the the 'suited and booted' thing anymore, flip-flops and cut offs are dress up for me nowadays. LOL

hardpressed

Would it work if you turned the cuff back and then sewed the button on the other side so they look like the turn-back cuff that are worn with cuff links? I've done that with blouses and it looks ok.