Inserts to Enlarge Shirts

Go Stars!!

I can never find a button down shirt/blouse, or a long t-shirt that fits me well. If the shirt fits in the shoulders, it does not fit around my hips. So, I saw on Pinterest some projects where they put lace or material inserts in the back or sides of the shirt, and I thought I would give it a try.

I went to Kohls and found some button down shirts for under $10 each on clearance and I found a Dallas Stars shirt from Costco. I went to JoAnn Fabric and bought a half of a yard of several types, and colors, of lace fabric, and I found a green and white stripped material at Walmart for the inserts. Pretty simple and they turned out really cute.

Two of the four shirts I bought for under $10 each.

For the button down shirts I folded the shirt in half matching the seams and pinning the back at the fold. Then I cut right up the middle of the back of the shirt to the yoke. For the t-shirt I opened the seams on both sides.

The shirt is folded up the middle of the back and pinned.

I cut an opening at the fold.

I opened up the side seams of the hockey shirt.

Next, for both shirts I folded the edges under, about a quarter of an inch, of the newly cut and opened seams, and pinned it in place. I turned the shirts over so that the inside of the shirt is facing up, and pulled it apart to make a large V.

Then I laid the coordinating lace and material over the V opening and cut it a few inched larger than the V.

The lace is laid on the top of the V.

The lace is trimmed.

The material was laid on the open side seam and trimmed.

I turned the shirts over and laid the opening over the insert. I pinned the lace/material to the shirt at the pinned folded edges. I folded a hem in the bottom of the panel and pinned it.

Insert is pinned in place and the hem is pinned.

Then starting at the bottom of one side of the panel, on the sewing machine, I sewed the insert to the the shirt. Sewing up one side to the yoke or armpit, and then down the other side and then across the hem.

The last step was to trim the insert close to the seam.

Trimmed sewn insert.

You can change it up a bit by pleating the insert at the yoke or armpit before pinning and sewing. Or, you can gather the top of the insert at the yoke or armpit before you pin and sew. Both will make the insert fuller.

This insert was pleated and ironed in place.

This insert was gathered at the yoke.

The button down shirts look cute buttoned, or open with a tank top or camisole under it.