🔴 Blog tutorial - www.stylishdtailors.com/diy-tailoring-tutorials/shorten-a-tshirt 🔴Slim Your Summer Shorts In 2 Minutes! - ruclips.net/video/ENwCy_tPBRs/видео.html
I discovered this video a couple of weeks ago. I've been sewing for close to 75 years and never figured out how to hem my t shirts. After I watched this, I went on a mission! I shortened all my t shirts that were too long! Thank you, thank you! I feel so much better wearing them! I am just under 5' and not much fits me right without alterations.
I'm a competent sewer/quilter, but have not had experience with hemming t-shirts. This video was excellent. I practiced a little, then started measuring and pinning, then pressed lightly to keep the material a little better in place. Also did some vertical pins for stability. The shirt came out great! Thank you!
Oh man, this video made total sense! I usually find sewing tutorials hard to follow because I have no experience whatsoever and don't know the reasoning behind it. You invested the time to add that explanation, and still made a clear and supershort video. Thank you so much!
Today I finally gave this a try after years of having discovered this video. Summary: I regret not trying it earlier! It was really easy and a breakthrough for a guy who just used scissors to shorten several t-shirts not so long ago. Some learnings to make this easier: 1) I don't trust pins would hold the hem fold on my t-shirt's fabric securely enough (I don't want to be afraid of messing the fold while handling/sewing the cloth), so I used masking tape pieces to hold the hem fold on place. It felt really secured to iron* (you can't iron over a pin but you can iron over masking tape) and handle (pins may hurt you, masking tape would hardly be able to) and ultimately sew (pins can get in the way when sewing, masking tape does not). Plus it was easy to adjust & correct the fold width all around the t-shirt when laying down the each masking tape piece on the fabric. *2) Once you used masking tape to hold the hem fold, make yourself a favor and iron all that fold area. That made the sew way easier to approach for a beginner like me. 3) I sew twice (made 2 laps around the t-shirt). That made me confident the stitching will last and -perhaps my original motivation- allowed to correct/improve my work: You may not get your zig zag stitch close enough to the factory hem stitch in your first lap all around the t-shirt, so on the second lap you have the chance to fix that wherever you missed.
I need to move in with you. I've bought two packs of good quality T-shirts (12 in total) and ALL need at least four inches taking off! My Saturday ruined because I stared out the window in needlework class at school... Update - Used your video above with a Singer sewing machine. First t-shirt following your tutorial took 50 minutes from start to finish. Too long, too much swearing, but the finished product was almost perfect! Now on to my 5th t-shirt and I think I've got it perfect! And only 20 minutes now per t-shirt! Thank you Stylish D!! Thats a pint I owe you!
Knit fabrics don't fray; if you don't have a pinking shears for this project, you can use plain scissors. But DON'T use plain scissors on a raw edge of woven fabrics... threads! Threads everywhere! Oh, the humanity!
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG! I watched your video about 10 times, then made sure to get the right needle and set the machine properly. Took my time pinning and sewing slowly and close to the original hem. Trimmed excess with pinking shears and I am blown away how awesome it came out! WOW! LOL it took me 2 weeks to work up the courage to attempt this. I will never wear a too long t-shirt again!
I did this today, worked perfectly! Thanks so much. I didn't wear these nice t-shirts because they were such an awkward and unflattering length but now they're perfect :)
Where have you been all my life??!! I’m a short girl and the t shirt struggle is real! This is brilliant! My daughter also is very petite so we will be checking out your videos 😊
Hey man I remember how you talked about how difficult and yet transformative this journey has been for you. when I first came across ur page I was surprised by the positivity and joy you bring to your channel. I think you're a real gem bro, I really appreciate you for all the help you give us young tailors in the making. Anyways I remember you talking about how this journey has been for you and your daughter. And I just wanna leave this bible verse over here for u...I hope it blesses you man. Stay incredible and God bless man...“Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with lapis lazuli. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace." Isaiah 54:11-13
Hey Steven thanks for this awesome comment! It's definitely been a journey that's for sure. It's hard taking something that most people don't have an interest in, and trying to convince them that it's actually incredibly life changing! And thank you for sharing that bible verse as well!
@@StylishDTailors It does make a huge difference. Now I finally have custom tailored shirts that fit properly. I'm no longer dependent on clothes-makers to hopefully make a shirt that fits. And the hobby easily pays for itself many times over. I first discovered your channel a couple years ago when I was just getting started. Most other tailoring tutorials were pretty dry and I liked how you made yours fun.
THANK YOU!!! I had a new t-shirt I absolutely love...that I needed to take 6"off of. I am not a sewing person at all, but was able to do it flawlessly after watching this. It looks like a new t-shirt, perfect hem.
Found you last year and you're amazing bud. How you don't have more views? There must be a lot of guys out there looking for your vids and just not finding them. Thank you for existing SD
I almost cut the bottom off a brand new tee, but I hated the thought of having a raw edge on the bottom but nowhere else, so this video was a Godsend! Worked like a charm!
Thank you so very much! My skill level is beginner, and I was able to do it due to your terrific instructions. It really came out nice. I appreciate your help.
WOW!! I got on RUclips looking for a tutorial to hem a t-shirt, and found this one! I just tried it, and I couldn't believe how easy it was! Now I'm going to try hemming some t-shirt sleeves with this technique! Thanks!!!!!!!
I’ve been googling how to shorten a tee shirt dress because I don’t have an over locker and yours is the quickest method I’ve seen I’m going to give it a try 😊
I'm 14 and 5'7 a small mens fits me well, but I run into the issue of it being too long, This method is nice if you have a sewing machine, but in the meantime I just get size 14-16 youth. I'm bulking up so Ima have to start buying mens soon. saving this video, keep up the good work!
Wow, I'm super excited to have found this great hack! Thank you so much for sharing, I already shortened one tshirt I just a few minutes! Im over the moon. Thank you, thank you!!!!
Very nice video ! I looked a quite a few and yours is one of the best . The others do a straight stitch . NO ! like you said , you need stretch. and you cut away the excess .. the others left it there .. Jeans were done the same way. thanks for this .. very clear, well organized .. great speaking voice ! all the stars !🙂
Thanks for the tutorial! This was a a new technique for me and it took me a minute to figure out the correct distance to pin the edge. I wanted a 2" hem so I subtracted 0.5 inches (the factory hem) from 2" and divided the difference by 2 to get the correct distance to measure where to put the pins (0.75 inches from factory hem). Worked perfectly!
I’ve been tailoring my tops for a while, but always used to cut the bottom off and re-hem which was a pain in the a$$! This is much easier and better finish too. 👌🏼
You may not know it, but your tutorial reach worldwide audience, some words were a bit hard to understand such as "right side out" but with a bit of translation everything is fine and i now know a wonderful new skill thanks to you !
Impressive. A man with a sewing machine. My husband got one.. its never came down from the closet he first put it in. Lol. So thanks because im gonna casually share this his way. Luckily, I had a mandatory sewing class in school. A sewing machine is kind of tricky, otherwise. Its takes trial and error. Plus a lot of steps to learn.... Just to thread it!
Hey SD, I love the simplicity and reproducibility of this method. However, I've noticed that on some shirts that I've altered, the raw edge of the fabric that used to be the "flap" before I cut it keeps flipping up when I wear it to the point of annoyance. I'm trying to find a way to keep the bottom of the shirt staying in place without the pinked edge causing bottom end of the shirt to flip up. One solution I've found is to use a fabric glue to adhere the raw edge to the shirt, which works but is a lot of work and I'm not sure how it will hold up in the wash. Would you have any solution to this problem? Thank you!
I also use this method to shorten jeans & was having the same problem with the raw edge flipping up on both my jeans & shirts. I read somewhere to "sew in the ditch" on the right side of the garment & this definitely helped me! Good luck!
Hi there, I sew for a living and would do things differently (I know you posted this a year ago, but hey, maybe you still need it). On a cheap tee, I may not even bother keeping a hem. T shirt fabric just... doesn't fray so you don't even need the pinking shears (zigzag scissors). T shirt fabric when unhemmed just rolls over once or twice towards the outside. If I wanted a hem, I would cut 1.25 inches down from where you want the hem, fold the edge over once (you don't need to do it twice since it doesn't fray) and zigzag on top. Since it's the bottom of your shirt, literally no one is going to notice the hem unless the thread is a different color from your shirt (but even that can look cool and different). It's amazing how little other people think of you, they're far to busy thinking about themselves, lol! The best thing you can get is a ball point needle and replace every 8 hrs of sewing. I've made a LOT of shirts and tank tops and didn't bother to fold the hems over twice and my favorites I wore until the fabric disintegrated haha, so that lazy method definitely holds up and is more than adequate.
Great video straight to the point! Can the same steps apply but hemming web be used instead of sewing? (Sorry if that’s blasphemy, I had an old sewing machine but it’s broken). T-shirts the last 4 years or so are like an inch longer for some reason!
Awesome! Bought a sewing machine after watching this am so excited to try it. Would you recommend using this technique on polos and button up shirts too?
Cool hack! If you are going to use a sewing machine for shortening the hem, you can also just use a double needle for jersey fabrics. The stitching will look exactly like the factory one. I personally use the double needle for all jersey hems - pant legs, sleeves, etc.
@@StylishDTailors people will need to buy special jersey needles for shortening the t-shirts anyway, since regular needles are not suitable for this type of material. The risk of dealing with dozens of little holes after washing the t-shirt is too high.
Wow this is amazing ! I am hopeless with the twin needle, I was trying to hem my sons shirt and it looked terrible so I'm going to try this way! Thank you thank you!!!
i LOVE tall shirts. You know how often I lift my arms over my head? You know what its like being 6'2" and having a normal sized shirt? I can't get away from it!!! I can't believe you have an amazingly extended shirt like that. I would typically wear the shirt to my waist, but let it bunch up just above that. This gives me a natural cushion for lifting my arms and dropping them back down while maintaining the same look and style. But I also want to tailor my stuff and look as good as possible on the regular sooooo....
I just finished this on a new shirt, and it turned out *almost* as beautifully as your example in the video. Thank you! Very clear instructions! (Glad I washed the shirt first, too. Nice to use my pinking shears!)
Thank you!! I have a certain brand of Tees I love but they started making them too long. So now, I am in the process of shortening them. This will definitely work!!
So I managed to sew my first shirt and it came out alright, just that the front part was a little longer than the back, I have alot of trouble doing the fold of the shirt and for the fold to be the same length all around, but I will keep trying!
Are you able to show how to curve the hem of a straight t shirt like that one you displayed in the video? I'm starting to really dig the curved hem t shirts more then the straight ones nowadays.
Hey! You solved my problem. I could shorten T-shirts but always wondered about losing the elasticity. Now I have to purchase a zigzag scissors. Thank you!
The setting for stitch width on my Brother XR1355 is much more jagged than your stitches. To accomplish the shallow zigzag stitch that you created, I would need to set my stitch width at 1, or 1.5 at most.
Very helpful video thank you! Is it better to shorten the shirt first and then take in the sides as shown in your other videos? Or does it not matter which order you do it in? I’m new to this and want to make sure I don’t mess up the new seam I’ve made!
Wow! A lost art. Going forward people are going to need these skills. Shorter t shirts hang so much better, but are hard for me to find. Thanks for the new ideas
A lot of sources say that it should hit at your belt buckle (or in that area if you aren't wearing one) but I would say its personal preference too. I would never look at someone and say "man your shirt is breaking the rules!!"
I was lost before the pinking shears, not because of the video, but from my difficulty in grasping this. It's frustrating to not be able to process a great video!
@@StylishDTailors Great video - That's genius to use a narrow zig-zag so it looks & acts mostly straight but adds lots of stretch - I never would have thought of that. But I must say I was very confused because at 1:20 the video says Stitch Width 5 which would have a very different effect. I had to dig through the comments to figure out the error which probably most people aren't going to do. Is it possible to edit video to say Stitch Width 1 instead of 5?
Hello! Amazing tutorial and just did mines with my moms sewing machine. Question: will you have to iron that bottom part everytime you wash the shirt or want to wear it?
Hey man, awesome to hear you took the plunge! You MIGHT have to iron it every time But it depends on the shirt. Some of my shirts never wrinkle with alterations and others well…let’s just say they do.
Does the top thread or the bobbin thread have to match the shirt color? I saw the top stitch was white but doesn't show on the right side of the tee, lol I'm confused
I had just bought 6 new t shirts. I have a 50 " cheat and 38" waist. So, they are always too long and too wide at the waist. I can't wait to do this. My wife has and awesome machine, but I think she will let me use just so she doesn't have to sew these. LOL Thanks.
I used the zigzag stitch for elasticity but it was still feeling tight, and if I stretched too much while putting it on, the stitch breaks! Any idea where I went wrong? And what tension do you use for shirts?
Hmm was it a narrow zigzag stitch? Instead of setting your stitch width to 1 you can set it a bit wider to 2 maybe 3 so that the zigzags are farther apart giving it more stretch. And for the tension I shoot for 3-5, somewhere in that range.
@@StylishDTailors turns out I was using a normal zigzag stitch on accident, but my narrow zigzag can only go up to a stitch width of 4, not 5. Would that still work as good?
@@StylishDTailors Hmm strange yeah mine looks like yours in the video when I do .5 when I do 5 it's super wide and makes a triangle, I think I must be using the normal zig zag instead of the narrow zig zag
Not sure if anyone has asked you this but would this technique also work in tapering in the shoulders of a sweat shirt if you used the same method on the collar? It would be a time saver versus basically cutting the sleeves, tailoring in the body of the sweatshirt and then restitching everything back together.
🔴 Blog tutorial - www.stylishdtailors.com/diy-tailoring-tutorials/shorten-a-tshirt
🔴Slim Your Summer Shorts In 2 Minutes! - ruclips.net/video/ENwCy_tPBRs/видео.html
Will this method also work for shortening long sleeves on tee shirts?
@@suzannerhodes4795 Depends, do you want to shorten them from the bottom near your wrist? If so then not this method wouldn't be best.
@stylish D - you said you used a narrow zigzag stitch but the onscreen stitch settings says width is 5. Did you mean 0.5?
@@noct3rn4l11 I dunno how I messed my previous comment up, It should say 1, good eye!
I discovered this video a couple of weeks ago. I've been sewing for close to 75 years and never figured out how to hem my t shirts. After I watched this, I went on a mission! I shortened all my t shirts that were too long! Thank you, thank you! I feel so much better wearing them! I am just under 5' and not much fits me right without alterations.
I'm a competent sewer/quilter, but have not had experience with hemming t-shirts. This video was excellent. I practiced a little, then started measuring and pinning, then pressed lightly to keep the material a little better in place. Also did some vertical pins for stability. The shirt came out great! Thank you!
So glad it worked out for you!
Oh man, this video made total sense! I usually find sewing tutorials hard to follow because I have no experience whatsoever and don't know the reasoning behind it. You invested the time to add that explanation, and still made a clear and supershort video. Thank you so much!
Glad it was helpful!
Agree!
@@StylishDTailors G8 content, can you make a video on how to make a western shirt?
as a 5'7 dude, I had to shorten pretty much all of my tshirts. this helps a ton, thanks.
Me too, im 5'6 i im look like hobbit without shortening, thats suck..
Today I finally gave this a try after years of having discovered this video. Summary: I regret not trying it earlier! It was really easy and a breakthrough for a guy who just used scissors to shorten several t-shirts not so long ago.
Some learnings to make this easier:
1) I don't trust pins would hold the hem fold on my t-shirt's fabric securely enough (I don't want to be afraid of messing the fold while handling/sewing the cloth), so I used masking tape pieces to hold the hem fold on place. It felt really secured to iron* (you can't iron over a pin but you can iron over masking tape) and handle (pins may hurt you, masking tape would hardly be able to) and ultimately sew (pins can get in the way when sewing, masking tape does not). Plus it was easy to adjust & correct the fold width all around the t-shirt when laying down the each masking tape piece on the fabric.
*2) Once you used masking tape to hold the hem fold, make yourself a favor and iron all that fold area. That made the sew way easier to approach for a beginner like me.
3) I sew twice (made 2 laps around the t-shirt). That made me confident the stitching will last and -perhaps my original motivation- allowed to correct/improve my work: You may not get your zig zag stitch close enough to the factory hem stitch in your first lap all around the t-shirt, so on the second lap you have the chance to fix that wherever you missed.
I need to move in with you. I've bought two packs of good quality T-shirts (12 in total) and ALL need at least four inches taking off! My Saturday ruined because I stared out the window in needlework class at school...
Update - Used your video above with a Singer sewing machine. First t-shirt following your tutorial took 50 minutes from start to finish. Too long, too much swearing, but the finished product was almost perfect! Now on to my 5th t-shirt and I think I've got it perfect! And only 20 minutes now per t-shirt! Thank you Stylish D!! Thats a pint I owe you!
Thank you for great directions. Being short all my t-shirts are too long. I'll be doing this.
I just tuck em in. LOL
Knit fabrics don't fray; if you don't have a pinking shears for this project, you can use plain scissors. But DON'T use plain scissors on a raw edge of woven fabrics... threads! Threads everywhere! Oh, the humanity!
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG! I watched your video about 10 times, then made sure to get the right needle and set the machine properly. Took my time pinning and sewing slowly and close to the original hem. Trimmed excess with pinking shears and I am blown away how awesome it came out! WOW! LOL it took me 2 weeks to work up the courage to attempt this. I will never wear a too long t-shirt again!
Great job! I'm so glad you decided to try it out!! Isn't crazy how you put it off forever then when you try it you wish you would have done so sooner?
I did this today, worked perfectly! Thanks so much. I didn't wear these nice t-shirts because they were such an awkward and unflattering length but now they're perfect :)
You're so welcome! Love seeing when people try out these projects!
I like it. Short, simple, easy to remember.
No pun intended
@@lastwhtknight3002, lol
i agree
I just want my belts to show
Jack Sparrow
Where have you been all my life??!! I’m a short girl and the t shirt struggle is real! This is brilliant! My daughter also is very petite so we will be checking out your videos 😊
This is exactly the kind of method I was looking for. You made it so simple and straightforward, thank you
Glad it helped!
Thank you, I don’t why these damn companies keep making the shirts so damn long
They’re using models with the weirdest measurements 😂😂
they think that as you get older your torso gets proportionately longer than your whole body lol
@@jas2994 The older you get the shorter your spine and torso gets
because it holds the average americans stomache
You know? The word know is missing in your sentence.
Hey man I remember how you talked about how difficult and yet transformative this journey has been for you. when I first came across ur page I was surprised by the positivity and joy you bring to your channel. I think you're a real gem bro, I really appreciate you for all the help you give us young tailors in the making. Anyways I remember you talking about how this journey has been for you and your daughter. And I just wanna leave this bible verse over here for u...I hope it blesses you man. Stay incredible and God bless man...“Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with lapis lazuli. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace." Isaiah 54:11-13
Hey Steven thanks for this awesome comment! It's definitely been a journey that's for sure. It's hard taking something that most people don't have an interest in, and trying to convince them that it's actually incredibly life changing!
And thank you for sharing that bible verse as well!
@@StylishDTailors It does make a huge difference. Now I finally have custom tailored shirts that fit properly. I'm no longer dependent on clothes-makers to hopefully make a shirt that fits. And the hobby easily pays for itself many times over. I first discovered your channel a couple years ago when I was just getting started. Most other tailoring tutorials were pretty dry and I liked how you made yours fun.
THANK YOU!!! I had a new t-shirt I absolutely love...that I needed to take 6"off of. I am not a sewing person at all, but was able to do it flawlessly after watching this. It looks like a new t-shirt, perfect hem.
Awesome to hear!! Glad it worked out for ya!
Thanks so much for this! Way easier and tidier than the usual way of cutting off the excess and then creating a new hem.
Glad it was helpful!
@@StylishDTailors Very helpful -- I am 5-ft-nuthin and I do not need any more t-shirt-dresses! :)
Found you last year and you're amazing bud. How you don't have more views? There must be a lot of guys out there looking for your vids and just not finding them. Thank you for existing SD
Thanks for the awesome comment! I appreciate you sticking around as long as you have! They'll fin me eventually I guess haha
I keep coming back to this video because it's the most helpful, straight to the point tutorial THANK YOU!!
one of the best videos on hemming! short, sweet, and super helpful. thank you!
Man THANK YOU for the short, to the point description! This is going to make things SO MUCH EASIER!
I almost cut the bottom off a brand new tee, but I hated the thought of having a raw edge on the bottom but nowhere else, so this video was a Godsend! Worked like a charm!
Perfect timing! Hope it works out well for ya
Thank you so very much! My skill level is beginner, and I was able to do it due to your terrific instructions. It really came out nice. I appreciate your help.
Awesome to hear you tried it out!
WOW!! I got on RUclips looking for a tutorial to hem a t-shirt, and found this one! I just tried it, and I couldn't believe how easy it was!
Now I'm going to try hemming some t-shirt sleeves with this technique! Thanks!!!!!!!
Hope everything is going well!
I’ve been googling how to shorten a tee shirt dress because I don’t have an over locker and yours is the quickest method I’ve seen I’m going to give it a try 😊
I'm so glad! Good luck!
As a tall guy, I have never even considered that this was a problem for some people xD but now I'm sewing something for my sister, so thank you!
Funny how that works huh? Thanks for watching!
Yeah, it’s a really big problem if u short
@@TheARDENWOOD I'm with ya, brother. I have to wear a lot of XL clothes just because they're usually long enough 😓
@@drewby4701 i am also a tall guy
How tall are u?
I'm 14 and 5'7 a small mens fits me well, but I run into the issue of it being too long, This method is nice if you have a sewing machine, but in the meantime I just get size 14-16 youth. I'm bulking up so Ima have to start buying mens soon. saving this video, keep up the good work!
Wow, I'm super excited to have found this great hack! Thank you so much for sharing, I already shortened one tshirt I just a few minutes! Im over the moon. Thank you, thank you!!!!
Thanks so much for this tip. It worked so well on the hem that I decided to do it on the sleeves that were also too long. Perfect!
Very nice video ! I looked a quite a few and yours is one of the best . The others do a straight stitch . NO ! like you said , you need stretch. and you cut away the excess .. the others left it there .. Jeans were done the same way. thanks for this .. very clear, well organized .. great speaking voice ! all the stars !🙂
Hey thanks a ton for the positive feedback I really appreciate it!
Thanks for the tutorial! This was a a new technique for me and it took me a minute to figure out the correct distance to pin the edge. I wanted a 2" hem so I subtracted 0.5 inches (the factory hem) from 2" and divided the difference by 2 to get the correct distance to measure where to put the pins (0.75 inches from factory hem). Worked perfectly!
Glad it helped!
Loving these quick 2 minute tutorials!
Where have you been my whole life?. Thanks for keeping it short and simple.
Nice little pun there.
😂😂😂👍
I’ve been tailoring my tops for a while, but always used to cut the bottom off and re-hem which was a pain in the a$$! This is much easier and better finish too. 👌🏼
OMG from the bottom of this 5 foot tall woman's heart, THANK YOU! What a perfect tutorial.
You are so welcome!
Great tip! I've been hemming my t-shirts and miss the stretch, this is perfect
Glad it was helpful!
I don't think I will ever find the energy to do any of the things in the video but this guy is so funny and I am thoroughly enjoying his video!
My mom has a sewing machine. I’m gonna try this on some old T-shirt’s to practice, then I can shorten others and save some money. Thanks!
I just subscribed. Thanks to your easy instructions, I flawlessly hemmed the length and sleeves to a couple of t-shirts that were too big on me!
Boom!
Amazing. Love it- straightforward and thorough. Enjoyed the contrasting thread! Great for visual learners
Glad it was helpful!
You may not know it, but your tutorial reach worldwide audience, some words were a bit hard to understand such as "right side out" but with a bit of translation everything is fine and i now know a wonderful new skill thanks to you !
That's awesome to hear! I put it in a few different languages so I hope it helps!
Impressive. A man with a sewing machine. My husband got one.. its never came down from the closet he first put it in. Lol. So thanks because im gonna casually share this his way. Luckily, I had a mandatory sewing class in school. A sewing machine is kind of tricky, otherwise. Its takes trial and error. Plus a lot of steps to learn.... Just to thread it!
Hey SD, I love the simplicity and reproducibility of this method. However, I've noticed that on some shirts that I've altered, the raw edge of the fabric that used to be the "flap" before I cut it keeps flipping up when I wear it to the point of annoyance. I'm trying to find a way to keep the bottom of the shirt staying in place without the pinked edge causing bottom end of the shirt to flip up. One solution I've found is to use a fabric glue to adhere the raw edge to the shirt, which works but is a lot of work and I'm not sure how it will hold up in the wash. Would you have any solution to this problem? Thank you!
I also use this method to shorten jeans & was having the same problem with the raw edge flipping up on both my jeans & shirts. I read somewhere to "sew in the ditch" on the right side of the garment & this definitely helped me! Good luck!
@@kimc7376 do you mind explaining what sewing in the ditch is? I'm not quite sure I get that
Hi there, I sew for a living and would do things differently (I know you posted this a year ago, but hey, maybe you still need it). On a cheap tee, I may not even bother keeping a hem. T shirt fabric just... doesn't fray so you don't even need the pinking shears (zigzag scissors). T shirt fabric when unhemmed just rolls over once or twice towards the outside.
If I wanted a hem, I would cut 1.25 inches down from where you want the hem, fold the edge over once (you don't need to do it twice since it doesn't fray) and zigzag on top. Since it's the bottom of your shirt, literally no one is going to notice the hem unless the thread is a different color from your shirt (but even that can look cool and different). It's amazing how little other people think of you, they're far to busy thinking about themselves, lol!
The best thing you can get is a ball point needle and replace every 8 hrs of sewing.
I've made a LOT of shirts and tank tops and didn't bother to fold the hems over twice and my favorites I wore until the fabric disintegrated haha, so that lazy method definitely holds up and is more than adequate.
Just bought my first sewing machine. Going to try this. Thanks!
You're gonna love it!
... think I just fell in love with Stylish D Tailors. Thank you!
LOL! Glad to have ya here!
When you have ZERO respect for BS fluff, I have INFINITE respect for you! Thank you. 🙏
Great video straight to the point! Can the same steps apply but hemming web be used instead of sewing? (Sorry if that’s blasphemy, I had an old sewing machine but it’s broken).
T-shirts the last 4 years or so are like an inch longer for some reason!
Thank you so much for this!!!!!!!! I was wondering what the trick was!!!!! ❤❤❤
Awesome! Bought a sewing machine after watching this am so excited to try it. Would you recommend using this technique on polos and button up shirts too?
Nah I need to make a separate tutorial for those, coming soon!
Stylish D listed as one of youtube's up and coming creators! Love it!
Say what?? Where!?
Cool hack!
If you are going to use a sewing machine for shortening the hem, you can also just use a double needle for jersey fabrics. The stitching will look exactly like the factory one. I personally use the double needle for all jersey hems - pant legs, sleeves, etc.
True story, however not everyone has a jersey needle unfortunately.
@@StylishDTailors people will need to buy special jersey needles for shortening the t-shirts anyway, since regular needles are not suitable for this type of material. The risk of dealing with dozens of little holes after washing the t-shirt is too high.
Great video, straight to the point. Thank you!
This is amazing. Now, how can I do the same thing without being a professional or amateur tailor?
This video is EXACTLY what I need! I have TOO many T-shirts that are 2" too long. Going to learn to sew now!
1:28, love that info for future reference. Can't wait to try this out, thank you.
Wow this is amazing ! I am hopeless with the twin needle, I was trying to hem my sons shirt and it looked terrible so I'm going to try this way! Thank you thank you!!!
I wear a 2XL and I’m about 5’7-5’8. the width of the 2XL or even XXL t shirts a lot of times are good but just too long! Thanks Man! Keep it up!
You're welcome!
Thanks so much! This is by far the easiest hem video I found. ONE QUESTION - what type of thread do you use? Polyester?
Yup polyester will do you just fine!
works like a charm. Wonderful video and presentation. Thanks so much for your help.
You're welcome!
This is the first premium tip I've ever received! Thanks, you da man!
i LOVE tall shirts. You know how often I lift my arms over my head? You know what its like being 6'2" and having a normal sized shirt? I can't get away from it!!! I can't believe you have an amazingly extended shirt like that. I would typically wear the shirt to my waist, but let it bunch up just above that. This gives me a natural cushion for lifting my arms and dropping them back down while maintaining the same look and style.
But I also want to tailor my stuff and look as good as possible on the regular sooooo....
I realise this 2 years old but i have just found this and it is brilliant!!! Amazing! Never knew and you give such clear instructions thank you
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks a lot mate. Imma short dude and have a tough time with t-shirts coz most tailors don't bother with them. I might be able to do this one myself.
I just finished this on a new shirt, and it turned out *almost* as beautifully as your example in the video. Thank you! Very clear instructions!
(Glad I washed the shirt first, too. Nice to use my pinking shears!)
Almost is close enough! Good job!
BRAVO...... as the saying goes "you learn something new every day". Thanks
You bet!
Very helpful. Normally the hoodie or even the t-shirt fit perfectly in the store. Just after using it, unfortunately it blows up
Thank you so much, this made hemming feel way less intimidating
You’re welcome!
I need to alter stretch trousers can I use the same technique
Thank you!! I have a certain brand of Tees I love but they started making them too long. So now, I am in the process of shortening them. This will definitely work!!
Good luck! Let us know how it goes!
so simple, so easy! your vids are a must watch for beginners.
Glad you like them!
So I managed to sew my first shirt and it came out alright, just that the front part was a little longer than the back, I have alot of trouble doing the fold of the shirt and for the fold to be the same length all around, but I will keep trying!
That’s awesome to see that you at least tried! It gets SO MUCH EASIER with practice!
really great idea to keep the original hem with only a simple zig zag! thanks!
Serious question: Could one just cut the end of the shirt without using pins and a sewing machine? Are there any drawbacks to doing so?
You could but then you would have a raw edge that would eventually fray after a wash or two.
Awesome tutorial as usual! But in the video you wrote "stitch width - 5", that doesn't sound narrow to me
Yes it's supposed to be one, was going to correct that in the pinned comment, thanks for reminding me!
Okay thanks! I did it yesterday and used 1 because I had just watched the tutorial on t-shirt sleeves 😉
Are you able to show how to curve the hem of a straight t shirt like that one you displayed in the video? I'm starting to really dig the curved hem t shirts more then the straight ones nowadays.
That's a good idea!!
Hey! You solved my problem. I could shorten T-shirts but always wondered about losing the elasticity. Now I have to purchase a zigzag scissors. Thank you!
You are so welcome! Pinking shears are super cheap too, just look at Walmart or Amazon. Don't pay more than like $15 or so USD.
The setting for stitch width on my Brother XR1355 is much more jagged than your stitches. To accomplish the shallow zigzag stitch that you created, I would need to set my stitch width at 1, or 1.5 at most.
That's roughly how mine works too, it's barely a zigzag at all but its there.
Yeah, I thought the stitch length and width were backwards. But stitch length 5 is pretty long.
No offense to all my fellow ladies out there but I love guy tutorials on sewing. No nonsense and no rambling. Thanks for your tutorial D!
Thank you! 😊
Would it help to use a twin needle?
Very helpful video thank you! Is it better to shorten the shirt first and then take in the sides as shown in your other videos? Or does it not matter which order you do it in? I’m new to this and want to make sure I don’t mess up the new seam I’ve made!
I would shorten then take in the sides BUT it isn't mandatory at all, starting with either one is fine.
Blast and double blast!! I have just cut 6" (including the factory hem) off a strechy jersey dress I needed shortening. Now I have to re-hem. Phooey!
Wow! A lost art. Going forward people are going to need these skills. Shorter t shirts hang so much better, but are hard for me to find. Thanks for the new ideas
You're welcome!
Спасибо за МК, теперь укорочу свои футболки 😊
What is a good, yet low priced sewing machine? I’ll only be using it on my own clothes (like tapering my jeans, and shortening shirts)? Thank you
Anything from a local big box store to be honest!
Is there any rule of thumb to use for what length to aim for or is it strictly personal preference?
A lot of sources say that it should hit at your belt buckle (or in that area if you aren't wearing one) but I would say its personal preference too. I would never look at someone and say "man your shirt is breaking the rules!!"
@@StylishDTailors lol.. facts! Thanks man.. great channel!
I was lost before the pinking shears, not because of the video, but from my difficulty in grasping this. It's frustrating to not be able to process a great video!
I totally get that. I watched a video on how to make an L desk and I felt the same way...
I wish I had this problem. I’m 6’5 and can never find shirts long enough.
You could buy longline shirts
Try Champion. I'm 6'3 and a damn L is too long on me.. their shirts run really big.
Tall Slim Tees, been using them for years.
I'm 5'4 and even xs is long for me what should i say
I have ruin many of my T shirt trying to shorten it.. Thanks for the tips 🔥
Great video, thanks. But a 5 width zig zag stitch is a very wide zig zag.
Yeah it should have said 1, my bad!
@@StylishDTailors Great video - That's genius to use a narrow zig-zag so it looks & acts mostly straight but adds lots of stretch - I never would have thought of that. But I must say I was very confused because at 1:20 the video says Stitch Width 5 which would have a very different effect. I had to dig through the comments to figure out the error which probably most people aren't going to do. Is it possible to edit video to say Stitch Width 1 instead of 5?
Hello! Amazing tutorial and just did mines with my moms sewing machine.
Question: will you have to iron that bottom part everytime you wash the shirt or want to wear it?
Hey man, awesome to hear you took the plunge!
You MIGHT have to iron it every time
But it depends on the shirt. Some of my shirts never wrinkle with alterations and others well…let’s just say they do.
Does the top thread or the bobbin thread have to match the shirt color? I saw the top stitch was white but doesn't show on the right side of the tee, lol I'm confused
Yup you want them to match
On your other shirt-shortening video you used straight stitches for the hem. Is that just for when you aren't keeping the factory hem?
No that video was incorrect, this is the correct way to do this.
@@StylishDTailors thank you! You came out with this one just in time. I'm getting ready to do this on four shirts!
You think you're gonna stop at 4?!
@@StylishDTailors I only have four that need to be shortened, but after that I'll probably do some tapering on a buuunch more!
I had just bought 6 new t shirts. I have a 50 " cheat and 38" waist. So, they are always too long and too wide at the waist. I can't wait to do this. My wife has and awesome machine, but I think she will let me use just so she doesn't have to sew these. LOL Thanks.
Best tutorial I’ve seen !
I used the zigzag stitch for elasticity but it was still feeling tight, and if I stretched too much while putting it on, the stitch breaks! Any idea where I went wrong? And what tension do you use for shirts?
Hmm was it a narrow zigzag stitch? Instead of setting your stitch width to 1 you can set it a bit wider to 2 maybe 3 so that the zigzags are farther apart giving it more stretch. And for the tension I shoot for 3-5, somewhere in that range.
@@StylishDTailors turns out I was using a normal zigzag stitch on accident, but my narrow zigzag can only go up to a stitch width of 4, not 5. Would that still work as good?
Thank you for explaining why when you do steps. Thank you! ♡
Very happy to watch your videos.. Thanks from Egypt 🇪🇬👍🏻👍🏻
Heyo, thanks for the video! Question: is the stitch width supposed to be .5 and not 5? I used 5 and it was too wide!
Nope 5, but your sewing machine settings might vary a little bit.
@@StylishDTailors Hmm strange yeah mine looks like yours in the video when I do .5 when I do 5 it's super wide and makes a triangle, I think I must be using the normal zig zag instead of the narrow zig zag
@@sangsih I was wondering same thing.
Not sure if anyone has asked you this but would this technique also work in tapering in the shoulders of a sweat shirt if you used the same method on the collar? It would be a time saver versus basically cutting the sleeves, tailoring in the body of the sweatshirt and then restitching everything back together.
It wouldn’t unfortunately, I should make a tutorial on that actually…