How to Alter a Blouse to Make It Bigger
There is going to be a time when you find that one of your favorite blouse shirts is now too tight for you to wear or the newly gifted blouse from your friend is a size down for you. There is nothing to worry about anymore, as you can still wear them with a little alteration. Here we will tell you how to alter a blouse to make it bigger for you to wear comfortably.
The thing about clothing is that they wear out over time or they might not fit you anymore. You can recycle the clothes that are worn out, but what are you going to do if the not fitted shirt still looks good or perhaps you just got them new? There comes the idea of alteration. This can help you to use the clothes that are not the right size or they might be worn out. You can alter them in a way that they can fit you or look good again. You can find someone to do it for you or even do it yourself if you know how to.
If you have a small-sized blouse at home, you can learn how to alter it to make it bigger. You can find lots of tailors who will do your alteration, but that will cost money. Moreover, during urgent times you will see that the tailor will be too busy to do your work timely. In those cases, you will wish you knew how to do those simple alterations. Fun fact is that doing simple alteration is possible at home, and you can learn it quickly.
Summary: If you’re looking for a way to make your blouse bigger without having to go to a tailor, there are a few simple alterations you can make on your own. For starters, you can use a belt to cinch the waistline of your blouse, or you can simply stretch it by pulling it from the bottom up. If you’re looking for something a bit more permanent, you can try altering a blouse’s neckline by sewing on a larger collar or adding a flap or hood. Regardless of how you go about it, making your blouse bigger is a simple way to add a bit of extra length and volume to your look.
Materials Needed
You will need to gather some materials before you start sewing. The most important things you need are sewing tools. If you are worried about sewing, don’t be! Doing a simple alteration is not difficult. Just take your time and go slowly. The most important item you need is a sewing machine, but if you don’t have one you can also hand sew.
And if you are advance in sewing methods, you will create some beautiful items.
Once you have the sewing tools, you will need to find a suitable fabric that you will alter the blouse with. The fabric needs to be matching with the blouse. You can also use something different if it goes well with the design. It is totally up to you what fabric you are going to use. Now that you have all the sewing tools, fabric and the blouse ready, it is time to start altering your blouse. It is really easy to alter a blouse as long as you have a good guide. There are many books available on this subject.
These are the main things you would need. To sum everything up, the needs of the required items are-
- The blouse
- Fabric for alteration
- Sewing tools (sewing machine/ needles and thread)
- Scissor
And to say, these are the bare minimum, so you do not have to worry.
Measuring Everything
The next thing you should be doing is measuring everything up. Before jumping into action, you have to make sure that you know how large your blouse has to be for a fitting. You do not want to make the blouse way to large because that will create the chances of altering it for the second time. As you measure the pattern, you will want to make sure that you add 2-3 inches of extra fabric. This is because you do not want to rush through this process and ruin your blouse.
If you need to enlarge the blouse in the chest area, measure how many inches you need beforehand. Or, if it is the shoulder area, measure up both shoulders correctly and make sure the measurement of each shoulder matches. If you want to enlarge the waistline, make sure that it matches the actual width of your body.
Steps to Follow: How to Alter a Blouse to Make it Bigger
Now that you have gathered up your essential materials and measured everything up, it’s time to do the real action of cutting and sewing. We are going to explain everything with details step by step so that you can understand without any problem.
We are going to show you a way that you can enlarge the chest/body area. So, keep following us.
Step 1
Cutting and sewing a blouse is easier if you lay it down on a flat surface first. You can iron or steam it beforehand to get rid of any wrinkles.
Step 2
Now, you are going to use the measurement.
First, you’ll need to take some measurements and cut the fabric accordingly. To do that, you’ll need to measure the fabric according to the length of the shirt. Once you have the measurements, cut the fabric into a triangle shape making sure that both measurements are in the right place.
Now that you have the correct measure fabric to use to enlarge the blouse, you are going to the blouse and lay the fabric on it. The tip of the triangle is going to be at the top. The base of the triangle is going to be at the bottom. The sides of the triangle are going to run down the side seam of the blouse. You will trace around the blouse, leaving a half inch seam allowance on the sides and one-inch seam allowance on the bottom.
If you need, you can outline the fabric on the blouse to cut it without any problem. After that, cut the blouse in the proper triangle shape.
Step 3
It is time to sew!
You can use a sewing machine for stitching, or you can stitch it with needles by hand as well. The choice is yours.
To stitch it using the sewing machine, you have to flip the blouse inside out and lay the wrong side of the fabric on top of the cutter portion. You can pin the whole thing up to have a better grip. After that, slowly start sewing it with the machine, and you will be done!
As for hand stitching, you will have to flip the blouse inside up as well and lay the wrong side of the fabric on top. Pin the fabric up and start sewing with small stitches for a better look.
Now that you are done with the primary stitching, you will flip the blouse to the right side. The next step is to give the whole thing a second on top of the other stitch. You can do it with machine or needles as well.
And with that, you are done knowing how to alter a blouse to make it bigger. After you are done with altering the blouse, wear it to make sure the sizing is proper now or not.
If you want to alter the shoulder to make them bigger, follow the same cutting process, and to add fabric. One thing that is different on this matter is that you have to cut or unstitch the sleeve and re-stitch them again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Tailor Make a Shirt Bigger?
Yes, it is possible for a tailor to make a shirt bigger. However, you will need to know how the measurements are measured and what size the shirt should be.
The size of a shirt is generally in inches or centimeters depending on which country you live in. The number system for measuring clothing has its origins in Europe, so sizes in North America are different from those in Europe.
The measurements that a tailor would use would be around your chest circumference and length. They would also measure the waist circumference and your neckline measurement at the back of your neck. You may also want to include sleeve length as well as body length measurements if they are available.
What Else Can You Make Bigger?
There are many ways to make something bigger. Some examples include:
1. Painting a bigger picture of the same subject matter on a canvas or wall.
2. Moving into a larger house with more space for storage and more room for your family and friends to come over for visits.
3. Building an extension onto your home that includes another bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen that can be used by guests or children who live in the area.
Can a Tailor Alter a Ready Made Dress Shirt?
Yes, a tailor can alter a ready-made dress shirt. A tailor is able to shorten the length of the sleeves, add cuffs, and change collars for customers who have purchased ready-made shirts from stores like H&M or Zara.
Final Thoughts
There you have it- the completed tutorial on how to alter a blouse to make it bigger. You will never have to worry about a smaller blouse again. If you are worried about failure, keep trying, we believe one day you will master things up.
Related Article: How to Alter a Blouse That is Too Small
Nancy Behan
Nancy is an embroidery artist, fashion blogger and a full time editor at DIY quickly. Nancy edits the fashion section on DIY quickly, focusing on the embroidery and cross stitch articles, alongside with fabric and other costume design elements. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History. She loves to work on her own projects, read books and watch romantic movies in her spare time.
