How to Restore a Shirt When It's Been Stretched

A shirt stretches in all areas.

A shirt gets stretched for several reasons. Perhaps it gets stuck on the agitator in the washing machine, several drier uses stretch out the fibers or your children continuously tug your shirt from behind. Any way it happens, a stretched-out shirt, especially when it is one of your favorite clothing items, is disappointing. However, by using a few techniques in the right areas, a stretched out shirt has a good chance at regaining its shape.

Things You'll Need

• Mirror (optional)
• Hair dryer
• Boiled water
• Tea kettle
• Bowl
• Spoon
• Chalk
• Pins
• Scissors
• Sewing machine

Instructions

1. Lay the shirt on a flat surface. Locate where the shirt is stretched.

2. 

   Watch for the steam to see if it is done.

   Tighten the cuffs. Turn the stove on high heat and place 6 cups of water in a tea kettle. When it whistles, pour the water carefully into a bowl.

3. 

   The hot air shrinks the fabric back into shape.

   Place the shirt cuff into the bowl and press down with a spoon for a few seconds. Keep your hands out of the boiling water. Dampen the cuff so that water covers the entire stretched area. Place the shirt on a flat surface and reshape the wet cuff using your fingers. Turn the hair dryer to the hottest setting and slowly move the dryer back and forth over the cuff until it is completely dry.

4. 

   A soft measuring tape works best.

   Try on the shirt. Place a measuring tape to the shirt and figure out how many inches you want the shirt taken in. Take the shirt off and turn it inside out.

5. 

   Use a generous amount of pins while sewing.

   Put the shirt on a flat surface and smooth the wrinkles using your hands. Measure the area you want taken in and draw a line with chalk for the seam allowance. Repeat on the other side. Start at the bottom of the shirt and place pins equally spaced up the chalk line to hold the shirt steady while sewing.

6. 

   Zigzag stitching adds more width to the stitch.

   Cut the excess fabric away and stitch the shirt back together using a zigzag stitch. Use the wide hole for the presser foot and similar size for the needle plate. Raise the needle on the sewing machine. Thread the sewing machine by pulling the top and bottom threads to the right of the machine and around to the back.

7. 

   A sewing machine gets the job done faster.

   Slide the shirt into the machine on the left side underneath the raised pressure foot. Lock the pressure foot into place so that the needle punctures the fabric. Press your foot gently on the pedal while guiding the stitch through the fabric. Backstitch to lock or hand-knot when done.

8. Raise the needle and the pressure foot to release the fabric. Slide the shirt to the left side and out from the machine. Cut the threads and release the shirt. Take the pins out. Turn the shirt right side out.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the same color thread already on the shirt.

• Wool shirts are the easiest to manipulate back into shape.

• Keep children away from boiling water.

References

• Real Simple: How to: Fix Stretched Sweater Cuffs
• YouTube: Clothes Cleaning & Repair: How to Fix Stretched Out Shirts
• Sewing: Zigzag Stitch