It’s a brand new week! Yay! Friends, I’m sorry I missed Stitching Spotlights last week. I missed a lot of things really, including sleep. I had serious insomnia – something I’ve not had quite like that before. I somehow managed 6 hours of sleep between 3 nights and finally I broke down last Thursday and just tried to sleep for a day. It was awful! Gah! But, now I’m sleeping, so who knew? Crazy.
For my Sweetheart Blouse, I set the sleeves in differently than any pattern directions have ever told me. Awhile back, I took apart a RTW shirt for Mr. S and refit it for him and found that it had been constructed differently. In fact it had been constructed more brilliantly believe it or not, with a lot more maneuverability.
So, the next time you try your hand at setting in a sleeve, have a go at this method. First leave the side seams on the bodice and the underarm seams of the sleeve un-stitched. You’ll need to have your bodice front and back stitched together at the shoulders. Also have your easing or gathering stitches on the sleeve ready.
Now, pin your sleeve to the armscye. Stitch. Press. Finish the seam allowances. Do your thing. Now you can stitch the side seams and underarm sleeve seam in one fell swoop.
Now, hit the “that was soooooo much easier” button in metaphysical space and give yourself a pat on the back. None of this ridiculous sewing a hole into another hole which is so crazy hard to maneuver – at least for me. Plus I get way less puckers doing it this way (if any at all) and it’s way easier to press. Take that sleeve. Take. That.
your sewing partner in crime,
Sunni
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Diabolical! I actually did this by accident on one of my first shirts. Ever since then I’ve been hopping in between doing it this way and the suggested way on the pattern, and always feeling a bit guilty when I do it the ‘easy’ way as if I’m skipping corners. But NOW you’ve said it so I will have no shame. Bring on the sleeve!
This is how I do men’s shirts and knits. According to my Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Sewing, it’s good for sleeves that don’t have too much ease in the cap, but not as good for puff-sleeves and things with a lot of gathering in the sleeve-cap.
The downsides, I think, are a) getting gathers even, and b) fitting as you go is trickier.
I read that this should only be done on garments with a relaxed, non tailored fit. You might want to read this: http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/a-better-way-to-sew-linings-and-facings/
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This is exactly how I did Ry’s Negroni, and it was a breeze!
Lavender recently posted..Coo-coo-ca-choo Nutmeg
I will have to try this again. I find that it’s easier to set the sleeves in in the round if I’m sewing something for my daughter; I can hem the sleeve first, sew the sleeve together, then set it in. (it’s often impossible to get the bottom of the sleeve to fit around my arm’s machine). I do find that with some patterns I have to gather the top of the sleeve or trim off a little piece, especially at the top, to get it to lay flat.
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Oh, cool! This looks so much simpler than wrestling the sleeve into the armhole and sweating and cursing (my usual sleeve setting-in procedure). Thanks for sharing!
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I call the method you used above “SEWING THE SLEEVE IN FLAT”, it’s my most used sleeve insertion method. I love it, but I have often thought about it as cheating – so I was surprised to see that you referred to it in that manner. Although I sleeve cheat, I’m like you in that the results are great, so I get over that cheating feeling real quick.
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I’ve run across this technique before, but always just assumed that since it was easier it was wrong. Lol. I’ll keep this in mind next time. Thanks to all of the commenters who mentioned when this may not be the best method.
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I do this all the time for knit tops, but I find it doesn’t work that well with anything that has ease that has to be worked into the sleeve cap, like some blouses or tailored jackets.
i used to work for a small clothing company that made high dollar fashions. This is the only way we would set in sleeves. Saves time and effort. There are so many short cuts in sewing when working for the industry. Just grab a RTW, turn it inside out and you can usually see how it was done.
I learned this way at my sewing class yesterday, got it first time, yay!!
Oh… my… goodness… I’m smacking my forehead, why on earth didn’t I ever think of that. I _hate_ sewing fitted in sleeves, it’s a pain in the rear to do that “match two rings in a tight space” tango, and it always ends up as “well… ok… will have to do, because I’m not going to rip it up and do it again”… oh, unless I manage (and I do) to get some of the fabric caught up in the seam. I might actually start sewing more shirts/dresses as that definitely is one of the reasons I don’t do it.
I’ve been using the same method on a few last garments I’ve made, and I totally agree with you – it’s waaay much easier and no more puckers! How didn’t we realized that sooner? Love your blog
I’m an apparel design major, and this year my class had to make practice samples of different types of sleeves. While a sleeve set in the flat is a lot easier to create than one set in the round, it doesn’t always yield the same results. One set in the round will stand away from the shoulder more and just have a, well, more “rounded” look to it. Sleeves set in the flat will-predicatbly- lie flatter. They’re typically used on t-shirts, sweatshirts, and looser-fitting garments with less structure. Although adding gathers (like you did here) will combat this to an extent, I don’t believe they’re meant to be used interchangeably.
what a great idea! So much easier to sew flat, especially with French seams! Thank you!
Amanda recently posted..Pastille help & name this fabric!
I always do this with knits but I had never thought of using it in a woven fabric. I will try this next time for sure.
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If you’ve ever taken a class from Peggy Sagers, she also recommends putting the sleeve side down, the body up, and let the feed dogs help even out the gathers/easing on the sleeve portion. The first time you do it, it feels wrong, but it works.
Oh, yes, let the feed dogs help you ease in extra fabric! You have to hold the unsewn portion up away from the bed of the machine, to encourage the dogs to take the bottom layer at a faster rate than the top layer. The higher you curl your hand, the more fabric you can ease. Margaret Islander also used to advise doing this. (I saw her demonstrate it on a Sandra Betzina sewing show in the early 2000s.) There is surely a video demo somewhere online that shows how to manipulate the fabric for those who want to try this technique.
impressive ! I never thought about that, I really have to try next time I have to sew a sleeve.
Thanks for sharing your tips !
This is standard technique for knits, but I don’t think it translates for all woven garments. I find that for a heavier fabric, nothing beats traditional sleeve setting.
The first shirt I ever made was a Burda kids and it instructed me to sew it in like that. I haven’t seen instructions like that in a pattern since.
I really like the idea! i will definitely gonna try this and i will follow all the techniques that you’ve shared with us here. Thanks for the post and for the tips.
Theriz26 recently posted..What You Need To Give Your Arowana A Good Home
hehe.. love it! I do all my sleeves this way too and so reassuring to know that a pro like you use this method also
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Love this ,cheater’. I started doing this when sewing for my first baby back in 1969 (such tiny sleeves!) and continue to this day whenever the fabric is light enough.
I have ALWAYS done sleeves this way! It started in high school when I was just fiddling around with old t-shirts and trying to resize them.
This discussion is really very interesting. I always struggle with inserting sleeves. One sleeve goes in fine but the next one….. Anyway in the 80s I made a series of dresses and jackets in Vogue patterns that used this flat method of construction and it’s a breeze. I’ve always felt that I am cheating a bit when I use this method but if the garment looks good on, does it matter what order is used to assemble it. Thank you for sharing this with us.
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