This guide covers a plain woven school shirt sleeve finished with a simple folded edge. It is useful when the sleeve is too long but there is no separate cuff to move. Look for a sewn-on band, cuff button, placket, contrast piping or badge near the edge before you start. Those details change the alteration.
Mark with the shirt on
Button the shirt and let it sit naturally at the shoulders. Mark the intended length with the arm down, then bend the elbow and reach forward to check coverage and ease. Compare both arms. Record which marks are left and right. Check the school’s expectations if the sleeve has a prescribed look or there is a logo near the proposed new edge.
Compare the old and new openings
Open the old edge enough to see whether it is single-folded with a finished raw edge or double-folded with the raw edge enclosed. At the new line, compare the circumference with the width of the cloth that would turn inside. A tapered sleeve can bunch where a deep turn-up is too narrow for the inside. Try a shallower finish or ask an alterations service if the fold will not lie flat. Avoid stretching the inside edge to force the fit.
Pin the fold and test it before trimming
Work with one sleeve at a time. Mark the finished line and then the allowance below it. For example, two planned 8 mm turns use 16 mm below the finished edge; check that this suits the original cloth before cutting. Baste first and fit the shirt again. Trim only the excess, with the sleeve spread so the lower layer cannot catch in the scissors. If the care label permits, press along the folds before securing them.
Sew round the opening
Guide just one layer of the sleeve under the needle, using a machine free arm if you have one. For a narrow double fold, stitch near the inner folded edge and check that it catches throughout. Turn the shirt right side out and compare the openings. Check that the hem stays comfortable when the arm bends and that the sleeve can still be pulled on easily.
References
- New Mexico State University Extension — Making Perfect Garment Hems
- ACCC Product Safety — care labelling on clothing and textiles