How to Make Sleeves Wider

3 Materials
1 Hour
Easy

I’ve created loads of upsizing tutorials and I love finding creative ways to increase the size of just-too-small garments!

I recently shared how to upsize a blouse without sewing a stitch and was asked if it was possible to give sleeves a bit more room too. Yup!

Find out how to make sleeves wider using scraps from your stash and make those too tight shirts comfy in minutes!

Grab the tight top as well as a length of scrap lace, trim or fabric.

(Make sure the insert fabric is the width needed to increase the size of your top enough to fit comfortably)

Chop straight through the seam that runs from the sleeve cuff up to the underarm area, down the side of the blouse & through the bottom hem.

Snag the lace & chop it to the length of the sleeve hem to the blouse hem.

Stitch each side of the lace to the chopped edges of the blouse with right sides facing.

And repeat the whole process on the other side of the blouse.

Loosened up sleeves and a fab fitting blouse, yay!

Fantastically comfy from the front and back!

Suggested materials:
  • Tight blouse
  • Lace or fabric insert
  • Sewing gear

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  • Teri Vinson Teri Vinson on May 25, 2022

    A different tactic would be to sew lace to edge of seam allowance, then tip seam. Would really help if you need more than just width of lace to increase.

  • Lynda Casey Lynda Casey on Apr 01, 2023

    Wow...what a great fix. So many blouses I've never worn cuz sleeves were too tight. Thank you for sharing ☺️

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