Fixer Uppers - Adding Side Gores

Let's get started!

If using a new garment, pre-wash with Dyer’s Detergent and hot dry your top. Lay out the shirt that you want to alter to and smooth it out to measure the side, which may or may not have any actual sewn seam.

Measure from the bottom hem of the shirt up to where you want the gore to end, we went up to about an inch under the arm but you might want to only go to the natural waist point, it is up to you and the final amount of flare you want. Mark this point with chalk or washable marker on each side of the shirt. Also make a mark ¼-½ “ above this for the seam allowance.

Next, lay out the shirt or fabric you are going to use for the gores, right side out/up. We are cannibalizing a tie-dye shirt that we had; this is a great way to recycle garments you have at home that, for whatever reason, have been hiding in the back of the drawer or closet.

Pro-Tip- You can do this next part on newsprint paper first if you are not confident working right on the fabric.

Find an area of the shirt that will be large enough to fit the triangles/gores you will need to cut out. Using a ruler or measuring tape, mark out a line the length you measured on the first shirt.

At the top of the line, measure and mark a 1 inch line to make the top of the gore.

With the ruler or tape measure, we are going to make a rough triangle from the top of the gore down and out, keeping the same side measurement length. How wide you swing out will determine the bottom width of the gore. We went out about 2 inches so the final gore will be about 4 inches at the hem. Mark the line with chalk or marker.

Next, roughly connect the line to mark the bottom of the gore. Fold the fabric (or paper) along the centerline.

Finally, take the chalk/marker and mark ¼-½ “ on all three sides you have marked for seam allowance. You now have the basic half shape of your gore.

With scissors, cut along the three sides, being careful to not cut off the seam allowance. Open up the cut material and you will have your full gore/pattern. Use this as a template to cut out a matching piece from another part of the fabric.

Back to our main shirt, use your fabric scissors to cut up the side to the mark you made earlier. With shirts that don’t have a seam, we like to do this while it is flat on the table, but you can also mark it out with a ruler and then cut, whichever you are comfortable with.

Now we are ready to add in the gore!

If you are comfortable with sewing you can do ahead and sew in the gore, but we have an option for those that are not sewists. For this you will need the “Steam-a-Seam” and a steam iron.

Grab a sheet of “Steam-a-Seam” and cut out ¼ “ strips from the side. If you are not going to do any sewing, cut enough for the full length of the gore on both sides.

Put your shirt over the ironing board and smooth out the cut opening, the shirt should be right side out.

Peel off the paper on one side of the Steam-a-seam and place it along the seam allowance on one side of the gore opening of the shirt. Iron on the cotton steam setting for a few seconds. Peel off the other side of paper.

Take your gore piece and lay the seam allowance edge over the “Steam-a-seam,” it will be a little tacky still and help grab the fabric while you go down the side. Once it is lined in place, go over the seam with the iron again, spending a bit more time to fully bond the seam together.

Repeat on the other side of the gore and use a small piece at the top of the gore.

One gore done! Repeat this on the other side of the shirt and you now have a shirt with added room/shape.

Optionally - By hand or sewing machine, stitch down all sides of the gore with a zig zag stitch to reinforce things. We opted for hand sewing with a whipstitch to add a decorative effect and close up the sections we didn’t apply the “steam a seam” to.

Wear your fixed up duds, feel pretty and chuffed with yourself for a job well done!