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How to Alter a Flannel Shirt

Dec 28, 2011 / By Mandi Rogier

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Alter your cozy flannel for a flattering fit.

Photo: Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Flannel shirts are a cozy winter staple, but this style can be distinctly unflattering if it doesn’t fit right. Save your pennies by taking on a little alteration project of your own rather than going to a tailor. Bring in a baggy flannel to hug your curves smoothly and transform casual loungewear into something suitable for a day out. Even a boyfriend’s discarded flannel can be altered to fit the feminine form.

Turn the flannel shirt inside out. Remove the seams along the sides of the shirt and at the shoulder with a seam ripper. This will completely remove the sleeves from the shirt.

Lay out a well-fitting button-up dress shirt on top of the flannel shirt that is to be altered. Mark the new position for the seams along the side of the shirt and at the shoulder with pins. If you’re taking the shirt in significantly, the shoulder will probably need to be positioned closer to the neck than in the original design, and the armhole may need to be sewn shut at the bottom to create a smaller opening.

Compare the sleeves of the flannel shirt with the shirt that fits well and pin accordingly to indicate adjustments. If you want to shorten the sleeve, remove fabric from the top rather than the bottom so you won’t have to remove the cuffs. Leave extra fabric at the top to make it easier to reattach the sleeves.

Sew the sides of the shirt shut following your pin placement, and trim off excess fabric. Repeat this process with the seams along the underside of the sleeves if you need to make these slimmer as well.

Reattach the sleeves to the body of the shirt. Trim off excess fabric.

1.Seam ripper

3.Pins

2.Fitted shirt

4.Sewing machine

If you don’t have a shirt to compare your flannel shirt to, put it on inside out and pin it where you want to make alterations.

To convert your cozy flannel into cooler spring wear, trim the sleeves dramatically so you have a short-sleeved shirt, or shorten them a few inches to make a three-quarter length sleeve.