altering always takes longer than I think.

 Today I have battled the stupidity of modern clothing--I have been altering a pair of flannel pajamas purchased while visiting in the UK (where houses are neither as well insulated nor as well heated as in Sweden). The pajama top started out with:

* sleeves the correct length
* about the correct diameter of fabric around the hips
* way too much fabric around the waist
* shoulder seams that fell partway down my arms
* sleeves too big around the upper arm
* sleeves that wouldn't permit me to lift my arms without the entire top needing to lift as well. 

Solution:

* cut off the sleeves
* cut the body fabric into a rectangle only as wide as my shoulders
* cut the extra fabric from the sides into triangles from hip to waist, and rectangle from waist to underarm
* sew those side gores to the body rectangles
* make underarm gores from the fabric that was left over after making side gores
* cut the sleeves into rectangles
* use the fabric left over from the sleeves to extend the top of the sleeves (so that they will still be the correct length, despite moving the should seam
* sew the sleeves and under arm gores back on to the body.

Result:

A top that fits well, and permits me to raise my hands over my head without moving any of the body fabric.

I have spent five hours on this project so far, and I still have the second sleeve and sleeve gores to attach. However, I am content to put that bit off till tomorrow. I will never understand why clothing manufacturers do those stupid curved sleeve arms that make it impossible to raise one's arm without getting a cold tummy, when underarm gores are so easy to do...