Resizing an Old and Large Shirt

I was currently sitting on our sofa when I just felt something about resizing a shirt that I got from a thrift store. The shirt is extra large and looks big on me, so I decided to use the sewing machine this time because I find it productive and fun to do.

So the first thing I did was I get the shirt that I am going to resize and another shirt I like wearing, and this served as the pattern so that that shirt that I planned to resize would get the ideal fit that I like. You may look below for your reference of the shirt.

What I did next was I got the tape measure, a ruler, a neon highlighter which serves as a tool to mark the parts that I will cut, and of course, a pair of scissors.

After marking it using the shirt I used as a pattern, that is the time where I started cutting it. I did not use safety pins because I couldn't find even a single one in my mom's box filled with sewing tools, threads, and the like. But it would have been easier to cut it if there were safety pins. Anyway, I just cut slowly and carefully and made sure that it would be as precise as possible.

As you may have noticed, only the sleeves were cut and removed from the given photo above. The reason for that is for me to sew the sides easier later. If I cut it at that time, it would be harder because, again, I did not use safety pins.

When I started preparing the sewing machine, I picked a color of a thread that is close to the color of the shirt. When I finally set all things up, I began pressing the pedal. I am almost at the edge of one of the sleeves when I notice that something is wrong.

The bottom of the cloth has loose threads, and it is annoying. If you are using a sewing machine, I know you could relate to that feeling where you will just become upset since the thread is not working fine.

So I grabbed a screwdriver from my father's toolbox and unscrew the part where the tension disc is located. You might be wondering why I did this. My reason is that, after adjusting the tension disc that serves as a thread guide, it still makes loose stitches at the bottom of the cloth. Upon opening it, I saw a lot of dust, so I cleaned it.

After putting it back, I once again tried to sew the shirt, but still, the stitches at the bottom of it are not really working fine. That was the time I got sad, and I almost did not continue it until I gave it another try. I adjusted the tension disc to get the right pressure.

After several minutes of troubleshooting, it finally works. I gained back my activeness and proceeded from sewing it. After quite some time, I finished sewing the sides of the shirt. Since it is just a single thread, I have sewn each side two times.

I paused when I saw that it was almost 11:30 already on my phone. Besides, I feel hungry after some minutes of troubleshooting and pressing the pedal using my two feet.

As I finished eating lunch, I went first to my aunt's house and took a walk. When the food I ate finally subsided, I returned back and continued what I had been working on. After an hour, it's done. Here is the outcome.

I tried wearing it, and I am glad because it fits well on me. Now, I have another shirt to use at home aside from my old shirts. I do not know when will be the next time I will resize another shirt because our class will start tomorrow, and I will definitely become busy again. But, rest assured that I will make another article on that next time.

So that's it for today. We are also having our dinner now, and I am glad I finished it on time. Thank you for your time.