Long Sleeves to Short Sleeves with Ruffles Shirt Refashion
I was gifted a shirt and found that the sleeves are too short. In addition, the neckline backing at the bottom of the v-neck keeps showing. So I decided that this would be a good shirt for me to alter to see if I could make it a better fit for me.
For this sewing tutorial, I am going to shorten the sleeves. There is some nice gathering detail on the front, so I’m going to try and match the aesthetic and add some ruffles around the sleeves. I’m also going to sew back the neckline backing that keeps popping up.
Read on for the full tutorial!
Materials:
- long sleeve shirt
- matching thread
The skinny:
This is a fun refashion making ruffles without the need to gather. And since we will use the long sleeves as fabric for the ruffles, all you really need is matching thread.
Step by Step:
1. Try on your shirt and and mark how short you want your sleeves to be. Add 1/4″ to 1/2″ to the length. Fold your shirt in half and cut both sleeves at the same time. This will help keep the sleeves even.
2. Now measure the new opening of the sleeve. Mine is 5 ¾”.
3. Cut open the long sleeves you just cut off. Using paper, make a circle pattern to place on the sleeve fabric with the diameter of the circle being 5 ¾”. I used my trusty compass to get this shape. I then made a second circle 1 ¾” wider, as I wanted my sleeve ruffles 1 ¾”” wide. Your pattern will look like a doughnut. Cut this out.
4. Right side to right side, pin and then sew the circles onto the bottom of the sleeves. Be sure they are attached to each other evenly. I added a zigzag stitch around the seam to make it more secure.
5. Hem the bottom of the ruffle sleeves.
6. Finally, I’m going to pin and sew up the neck lining to keep things in place.
Done! Enjoy your new short sleeves with ruffles!