DIY Alterations

[Great Zamfir]

There is probably already a thread on this, but I can't find it:
I was wondering, what alterations are possible/worth the trouble to do yourself?

I like making stuff, ( also, I am a cheap, Dutch student), so I thought that doing some alterations will learn me more about clothes, and give me the warm feeling of wearing self made stuff. Anyone has experience or advice?

First on the list of things I would like to do is shirt fitting. As I understand it, the main trick is to fold the sides inwards and pin them in a good shape, then sew the folds to the shirt and cut off slack. Am I right? Also, should I take the fold around the existing seam or more to the back?

Second, hemming pants. I can't figure out how they do this without showing a sewn on the outside ( I don't like folded up pants). It's as if the threads go to the outside, but never get there. Can I learn this?
Also can i make my shirt sleeves longer?Probably not, but is there a trick?

Can I remove a breast pocket? I made the mistake of buying a very white (business) shirt to wear under a dinner jacket, thinking I could use it as an normal shirt and as more or less formal shirt. But it is too white for anything else, and the breast pocket ruins the formal look. I thought that if I remove the pocket and replace the buttons by nice black ones it might become a good formal shirt But will it leaves visible holes?

Finally, I have a cheap and baggy jacket I would like to experiment with, see how well fitting I can make it. But I've never worked with anything with a lining. Is this a recipe for disaster, or worth a try? Can I copy the shirt trick, or should I first fit the outside and then redo the lining?

If there is anyone who can give me some advice on these subjects ( if only "Don't do it"), I would be much obliged.

 

[fatty]

Clothing alterations are usually simple on paper, but they need to be done properly. Knowing the right stitch to use and/or having a machine helps.

With fittings, wear them inside out, pin them on your body and take them off. Pin along the existing seams and when you sew make sure you follow the length of the seam so as not to make it uneven or bunchy.

On pants, measure and cut with an extra 2cm, fold it inwards, hemming stitch in the same thread looks like ---^---^---^---^ and is invisible. Someone around who can demonstrate or at least show you what it looks like will help.

Removing a brest pocket is a matter of unpicking, but i'd be careful with changing buttons. I'm not sure a business suit would be the best for changing into formal with or without black buttons.

A jacket with lining is something i would stay away from, but you'll most likely have to take the lining off before you tailor it and put it back in after. Rather than adhoc pinning, it would be better if you took the pattern of an existing jacket to use as a template to know where you have to cut, alter or dart. Depending on the material, you're likely to need a sewing machine and some materials are easier than others to deal with.

My latest diy adventure: hankerchief skirt made from indian sari silk

 

[Great Zamfir]

Yes, I know it's harder than it looks, I have a bit of experience with making clothes from patterns. The things I would like to try first are things that are just hanging in my closet because they somehow just don't fit right, so spoiling them can do little harm.
I am not quite sure why changing buttons would be tricky? I have done that quite often although not on a dress shirt (their buttons do seem to be sewn very thight).
As for the business to formal shirt: at the moment it's neither, and I like a 'clean' look on formal shirts, with a normal collar etc. I might have preferred to make an invisible row of buttons, but I don't see n easy way to accomplish that. I'll see how it turns out.

 

[Jared]

Serger publishes a line of books that includes good diagrams for doing all the things you describe by hand (I'm not sure what the business model is here: to convince you how much easier it is by machine?

). The stitches in the book look the same as the ones my tailor does for alterations. I haven't gotten around to trying anything from the books yet.

I don't see them on Amazon, but my local library was full of them, so I'd start there. (And make sure to report back!

)

 

[Vintage Gent]

The only alterations I've done myself are (1) taking in/letting out the waist on trousers and (2) converting a long-sleeve vintage shirt that had worn out at the elbows into a short-sleeved shirt. Both were serviceable but far from perfect, and I have no training with a needle and thread save my mother's ten-minute lesson some 25 years ago on how to repair a seam. If you want to go this route, I'd counsel you to experiment on something not-too-dear; thrift store pickings would be a great place to start.

 

[fatty]

Originally Posted by Great Zamfir

Yes, I know it's harder than it looks, I have a bit of experience with making clothes from patterns. The things I would like to try first are things that are just hanging in my closet because they somehow just don't fit right, so spoiling them can do little harm.
I am not quite sure why changing buttons would be tricky? I have done that quite often although not on a dress shirt (their buttons do seem to be sewn very thight).
As for the business to formal shirt: at the moment it's neither, and I like a 'clean' look on formal shirts, with a normal collar etc. I might have preferred to make an invisible row of buttons, but I don't see n easy way to accomplish that. I'll see how it turns out.

button changing is not difficult, making obvious/striking buttons look good may be. You can buy clear buttons to sew on or hidden studs if you want a trick way out. Most formal shirts have a cover over the button panel, which you could sew on assuming you had the right material.