Too many have to shorten too many sleeves these days. Even for the kids, it seems the knits are just way too long. Just pushing them up is not always the answer.

“These knits can be so hard to do, especially the cuffed ones.”

No, not really. It just takes time and patience. Once you get the knack it’s not really hard at all.

If it’s the long straight sleeve, with two lines of stitching at the hem you may need to remove those stitches. However, many times that sleeve can be way too long. And no need to rip the hem out. As you put the hem back in, leave an extra inch or so at least to turn up — you’ll trim it away later.

Turn the sleeve wrong side out. You will be stitching on the right side as you sew around the sleeve stretching a little as you sew. Make two rows of stitching, as was on the original hem, and then trim away the excess and you can do that very close to the line of stitching.

When shortening the sleeve with the knit stretchy cuff, remove the cuff first.

Because of the fullness of the sleeve, you may also have to taper that sleeve seam, making it as small as the original opening to fit the cuff. Then, as you re-attach the cuff, mark the sleeve and the cuffs in fourths with pins. Then matching the pins, with the cuffs over the sleeve ends pinning them. You will need to do a lot of pulling and stretching as you rejoin those edges before zig-zagging the edges.

The first time you try it will be the hardest so try one on a garment to be discarded.

Try to always look on the bright side. It really is a great old world. Worrying can’t help a thing. Until next week, God Bless you all.

— Aunt Norie, P.O. Box 265, Tonganoxie, 66086.