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Member since 3/4/03
Posts: 2634
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Posted on: 7/1/11 9:26 AM ET
I purchased 3 new rtw t shirts in an online auction that were a sort of expensive shopping channel brand that I normally wear and the deeply scooped necks ( unlike the crews) were way too open not only in the front but the back neck and my bra straps were often visible when I moved about. They fit in the bust and every where else so what to do. I had nothing to lose since I could not return them being an auction purchase. I think that is why they got auctioned off is the too large neck areas becoming customer returns. I picked out the sleeves in the shoulder seam area and then the shoulder seams cutting through the ribbing carefully with sharp scissors. The following sounds strange but the alteration saved the shirt and doesn't appear wonky at all on my body. I took in almost 3/4 inch at the area on both sides where the shirt ribbing met my neck tapering out to 1/4 inch deeper at the armhole side of the shoulder seam. I serged the new shoulder seams and stabilized with some narrow ribbon then reattached the sleeves in the cap area. It was easy to ease the sleeve back on for the small amount removed since the sleeve was out a couple of inches either side of the shoulder seam. A couple of hand stitches in the ribbing area to keep the serged seams flat and I was done. I had used this method on one shoulder seam when binding some knit muslins but had not thought of taking in a too large neck until desperation set in. The shoulder seams on the taken in tees don't appear wonky from the weird alteration and I am thrilled that I can wear my new shirts. On the final one which was really hard to pick out the shoulder seam since it was triple coverstitched to clear elastic I just cut through the seam channel and ribbing from the right side of the shirt once I had the sleeve cap picked out which made removing the old stitching a lot easier and faster. Since I was making a new shoulder seam I would be serging off that area any way. The neat trick was to remove the sleeve in the sleeve cap area so I had access to both shoulder seams. I thought I would share this aha moment if any of you have one of those too large in the neck t shirts that sometimes happen-lots easier than picking off binding which is not even possible at times depending on the fabric. If you have nothing to lose but a wadder may this will help. I thought it was too good to not share since I saved not only my 3 shirts but another that is hanging in my closet unworn as the too low/wide neck bothers me.
  
Member since 7/19/03
Posts: 3916
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Posted on: 7/7/11 3:48 PM ET
Good idea! Especially easy for someone with relatively square shoulders...I might not even have to take out the sleeve cap stitches....

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blog: goodworks1.wordpress.com
  
Member since 3/4/03
Posts: 2634
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Posted on: 7/7/11 5:38 PM ET
In reply to goodworks1
I was concerned about the angled shoulder seams as I don't have square shoulders but I don't think the shirts looked weird in that area after the shoulder surgery. I failed to mention that I am petite so removing some fabric in the shoulder area was not a problem. It really wasn't too hard to rip the sleeves out in the cap area and I think I had more freedom with the alteration since I had so much access. I made the seam where the sleeve cap meets a 1/4 inch deeper than the original so I had to ease the cap slightly also not a problem. I have a lot of thread and ribbon colors and couldn't tell the shirts had been tampered with. These shirts had clear elastic but I replaced that in the shoulder seams with matching ribbon since I had lots of that on hand from sewing for 3 daughters. I was a little sick that last year when I was practicing binding and sewing some cheap knit tees and tanks as muslins that I could have saved a couple too large in the neck area if I had just thought of this. Too large neck areas are a common problem for me with rtw since I need the next size up in the bust area. I would prefer to sew my shirts but this summer I spent a few hours and altered these as my around the house wardrobe needed an instant infusion and thankfully this worked-glad the idea was useful to you also.
  
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