Remove the pot from the stove. Submerge the shirt in the hot water. Use a spoon to push the shirt all the way underwater making sure it is completely covered by the water. Soak the shirt for 30 minutes.
Hot water may cause some fabrics to bleed or fade, wash the shirt alone to avoid damaging other clothes. The agitation of the washing machine in top load machines will crinkle fabrics and lead to more shrinkage than a front loading machine. Remember that the type of fabric will define how much it will shrink. Cotton usually shrinks by 20% on the first hot water wash, while wool fabrics are more unpredictable.
Heat will shrink synthetic blend fabrics more than pre-shrunk natural fiber clothing. Wool fabrics will felt in the dryer which causes the fabric to bunch and shrink as individual fabrics rub against each other and stick together.
Pick a shirt that fits just the way you want the new shirt to fit. Make sure it isn’t a shirt you like to wear because you won’t be able to wear it after turning it into a pattern.
Open the sleeves into a flat piece of fabric by cutting along the sleeve’s seam.
Place the pattern shirt on top of the shirt you want to resize. Line up the neck holes of the two shirts. Pin the pattern shirt to the larger shirt to hold it in place.
Cut the sleeve to match the size of the pattern sleeve. Leave a ½ inch extra when cutting the sleeve to size. Cut along the bottom of the shirt to shorten the length of the shirt if desired to match your pattern shirt.
Pin the edge of the sleeve to the front of the shirt with the outer side of the fabric facing the front of the shirt. Keep the sleeve flat to attach it to the shirt.
Use a thread that matches the color of the shirt. Place the shirt and sleeve under the foot of your sewing machine and sew the fabric together.
Use a sewing machine with thread that matches the color of the shirt to sew the side seams back together. Keep the shirt inside out when sewing the seams to keep the seams on the inside when you wear the shirt.
Use a sewing machine to create the hem at the bottom of the shirt while the shirt is turned inside out.
Pull the fabric together behind your back. Twist the bottom of the shirt. Tie a knot at the bottom of the shirt.
Attach the safety pins to the inside of the shirt to hide them under the garment. Wear a blazer or sweater over the pinned shirt to hide your quick fix.
Wear a tank top or t-shirt under your cut-off for a layered look or for modesty.
