Side gusset

On By CarynIn Craft, Life Hack

My youngest has a favorite shirt that was getting snug. To prolong the life of the shirt and make her happy, I added a gusset to the sides and up through the arm. First I picked out the side seams about to the elbow.

Photo description: Gray knit material with blue thread and a seam ripper, showing a partially picked seam.

I had her try on the shirt at this stage to see how wide the gusset needed to be cut. Then I cut long rectangles of a similar weight black knit fabric and tapered the end by the elbow.

Photo description: Gray t-shirt on a white table with a black rectangle of fabric laid on top. The top of the rectangle has been cut to a point.

I put the right sides together, and starting at the arm, sewed in the gusset with a stretch stitch on the machine. To finish the bottom edge, I folded up a hem to match the sides and stitched across with black thread.

Photo description: Gray Oklahoma Thunder shirt with sewn in black gusset, side view.
Photo description: same shirt but laid in the table flat showing the front view of the gusset up to the elbow.

I was quite pleased with how the modification came out. The shirt fits better and looks like it was originally designed that way. My youngest is happy because the shirt is now much more comfy.