I've never attempted, but it seems...theoretically possible. You'd have better luck with a mill/CNC than trying to do it by hand, if you have access to one. But if you make good marks on the chainring (maybe using a compass with a pointed tip instead of a pencil?) you might be able to do it. But Sheldon Brown says the smallest ring that will fit on a 135 BCD crank is 39T. So maybe a 38T would interfere with the spider?
As an aside, I don't understand the aversion to a 2x setup with a reasonable sized cassette, aside from it being cheaper for OEMs. My road/gravel/etc bike is 2x with a 46/28. The 46T chainline lands in the middle of the cassette and I almost ride as if it were a 1x. But the 28T is there for really steep hills when needed.