shortening sleeves on a coat

[CiderandPosies]

Anyone help? I've watched a few videos but can't see how to unpick the lining from the sleeve. It's a wool coat.

I am assuming the coat lining is attached at the hem.

You need a seam ripper. It’s a small tool which is perfect for this job. It’s called a seam ripper but it’s also an unpicker. The ‘ripping’ in this context should be very delicate and hardly any force.

Pull gently at the sleeve where the lining meets the coat and you should be able to just see a few of the stitches joining them the fabrics. Use the seam ripper to delicately cut a couple of stitches. You will find the adjoining stitches loosen and you can cut (rip) them and so on.

Nice to see someone having a go at an alteration.

Is the main lining of the body of the coat sewn up at the bottom? Sometimes its loose, and you can turn the whole thing inside out.. otherwise,you want to shorten the sleeves, I would turn them back like cuffs on jeans, carefully cut through the lining right next to the sleeve edge. After carefully measuring how long the sleeve needs to be, the outer sleeve, remember to allow a good inch for hem, and for movement. Unpick a little of the lining hem seam (you can buy a stitch unpicker for pennies) fold in a hem on the coat,tack....big stitches different colour thread, doesn't have to be near,it's coming out later. Fold over the lining onwards,tack again. Sew the lining back inside the coat, making sure it's a good inch shorter than the coat sleeve. You have to do this with hand stitches..it's a fiddle, but easier than did assembling the coat, and will save you a fortune.

You' re right. I've seen the seam ripper on videos and wondered what it was!

It's the sleeves not the coat hem.

The lining of the sleeves is attached to the sleeve.

Thank you!