How to Shorten a Sweater

Learn how to shorten a sweater or a jumper that is too long with a sewing machine. This sewing tutorial keeps the ribbing intact for a professional finished hem.

It can be very frustrating when a sweater is too long, and it just doesn’t look right. It’s hard to wear or the proportions are off.

I love having cropped sweaters, and with this simple sewing tutorial you can make a sweater the right length! Let’s learn how to shorten a sweater with a sewing machine and keep the ribbing at the bottom.

You can also shorten the sweater from the bottom with hem tape which is a completely different technique.

This sewing technique also works for sleeves, but I don’t show it in this tutorial. It would be a little bit trickier to make it work, but it is possible. This is one of the sewing and alterations you can do yourself!

The thing to consider when deciding to shorten a sweater or shorten the sleeves is that the shape can be changed more than you like. Also, there will be a seam created inside that wasn’t there previously. Depending on the fabric is could be itchy or irritating.

Do you want to learn how to alter? Try one of these:

• How to shorten a sweater from the bottom
• How to shorten sweater sleeves
• How to crop a sweatshirt
• How to shorten sleeves of a button up shirt

What is a sweater?

A sweater is an item of clothing with long sleeves that is made from wool, cotton, or synthetic fibers. It’s knitted or crocheted yarns or threads.

I’ve done this sewing technique on a sweater with yarns that were tightly knitted, and it worked well. I’ve done this on a cardigan, and it worked well. I’ve also done this on a sweater with yarns that were loosely knitted, and it worked well.

I have the best success when the sweater fabric has good return. That is when the fabric is stretched out and then returns to it’s natural shape.

I test the returnability of the sweater by measuring a 4 inch section at the hem. Stretch it out as far as it goes. Let it go and see if that f inch section returns to 4 inches.

Make sure that the sweater has ribbing at the hem that you can reuse as the new hem. If it doesn’t have ribbing then you cannot use this tutorial and will have to shorten the sweater another way.

This technique for shortening a sweater will also work to shorten sweater sleeves, but I did not show it in the example.

At the end of the post I also give tips for shortening a cardigan since you have to worry about the button placement and buttonholes.

It’s also good to know how to fix a hole in a sweater, because it might get ripped! You can always save that sweater!

Why do I have to reattach the ribbing when shortening a sweater?

The knitted yarns of the sweater will come undone and start to run if it’s not finished in some way. Sometimes a sweater is hemmed just like a t-shirt to finish the edge. Sometimes a ribbing is knitted on to finish the edge.

By cutting the ribbing off and sewing it on higher (to shorten the sweater) you are creating a nice looking edge and finishing the yarns of the sweater so that it’s doesn’t run.

How to Shorten a Cardigan

Use the same technique as above but make sure the fold line is in between two buttons and buttonholes.

I still do the same topstitching right above the ribbing, but you also want to make sure there is no button or buttonhole in this line of stitching.

If you make shorten a sweater using this tutorial, I’d love to see! Please share it on social media with the hashtag #heatherhandmade and tag me!