With there being so many things you can do and make with old socks it’s a wonder that anyone ever throws one away. A sock can be turned into a tiny purse for a very little girl, a rattle for a baby, mittens for anyone, and more. And, if you have a garment that doesn’t fit right, socks can also help you be more comfortable in that garment. There are few things more irritating than reaching for something and having your sleeve travel halfway up your arm. Or, for that matter, a sleeve that just isn’t quite long enough even when your arm is hanging at your side. To fix that, use an old pair of socks. Those socks can be turned into sleeve extensions that look good and keep your garment fitting more appropriately.
Decide how many extra inches you need for the sleeve of the chosen garment. Then, lay the sock out on a flat surface. With the toe to the left, and the top of the sock to the right, make a vertical cut. Just measure from the top, down, the amount of inches you need. After cutting the sock save the foot part for another project. The stretchy cuff of the sock is perfect for making a sleeve extension.
There are different ways to sew the sock piece onto the garment, depending on the particular sleeve. A sleeve with a hem sewn in it is really simple. Just mark four areas on the cut end of the sock, so that the four marks are equally spaced. As you sew the cuff on, line up one mark with each side of the sleeve, and line up a mark on top of the sleeve and a mark underneath it, all of them spaced evenly apart. These marks can prevent you ending up with more sleeve than you have cuff. Just start at one set of marks, line up the next two and sew to them, line up the next two and sew to them, etc. Follow the hemline stitching or create a second hemline stitch around the wrist.
If there is no visible stitching around the wrist you can use a different method to attach the sock. Slide the sock over the wrist of the garment so that the cut side of the sock aligns with the very edge of the existing sleeve. Sew around the two pieces, aligning marks, until you sew the sock on. Fold the sock down and there you go; the stitching can’t be seen.
You can choose socks with a color that matches the garment or socks with a color that coordinates with the clothing. Either way, you’ll get a lot more use out of that garment with the ill-fitting sleeves.