How to Make a Large-Sized T-Shirt Fit
If you lose weight or receive T-shirts as a gift or hand-me-down, you may find that your T-shirts don't fit you properly. If you want to shrink your shirt so that it is the proper size, you can shrink it in the dryer or modify it using scissors and a sewing machine. T-shirts are more likely to shrink if they have not been washed and dried often. Heat helps shrink the natural fibers of cotton but older shirts may have already shrunk.
Instructions
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Shrinking
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1
Turn the temperature setting on your washer to high. On some washers, this may say "cotton." Turn the load setting to small.
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2
Open the washer and insert the T-shirt. Add a few drops of detergent, if the T-shirt requires cleaning. Close the washer and press the start button. Allow it to wash then remove the T-shirt.
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3
Insert the T-shirt into the dryer and turn the dryer to the hottest setting. Turn the time to the longest possible time or the dryness setting to the driest possible setting. Press the start button and allow the shirt to dry.
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4
Remove the T-shirt and try it on. In many cases, T-shirts are shrunk only a minimal amount by the dryer. However, if the T-shirt is not preshrunk, it may shrink by a more extensive amount.
Modifying the T-shirt
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5
Run a measuring tape around your waist and hips. Divide each number by two and write them down. Set your T-shirt on a flat surface and measure it from seam to seam.
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6
Determine the difference between the measurements by subtracting the body measurements from the shirt measurements. For example, if you waist number is 16 and the shirt is 20, the difference is four inches. Subtract between 1/2 and two inches from this measurement, depending on how tight you want your shirt to fit. The more you subtract, the looser the shirt. Divide this number by four to determine how much you must remove from each of the four sides of the seam.
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7
Turn the T-shirt inside out and cut it along its seams. These seams run from the arms to the bottom of the shirt.
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8
Draw a line parallel to the seams to show you where to remove fabric. For example, draw the line 3/4-inch from each of the two seams to remove three inches total.
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9
Cut along these lines using scissors.
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10
Sew the T-shirt together using a sewing machine.
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References
Resources
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