How to sew the sleeve cuff - Carme Sew-Along

Pauline Alice

16 Mar 201404:51

Summary

TLDRA step-by-step sewing tutorial demonstrates how to finish a sleeve with a gathered cuff using clean, professional techniques. The process begins by assembling the sleeve with a French seam: pinning wrong sides together, stitching, trimming, pressing, turning, and re-stitching to enclose raw edges. Next, two basting lines are sewn at the sleeve hem and gently pulled to create even gathers. The cuff piece is folded right sides together, stitched, corners trimmed, turned, and pressed with seam allowances folded inside. Finally, the gathered sleeve edge is sandwiched between the cuff layers and topstitched, ensuring the gathers are evenly distributed for a polished finish.

Takeaways

😀 Start by stitching the sleeve together using a French seam with the wrong sides facing each other.
😀 Stitch at 6mm from the edge and trim the seam allowances to 2 or 3mm.
😀 Turn the base to the wrong side and press the seam flat.
😀 Stitch again at 6mm to close the raw edges of the seam.
😀 Add gathering lines at the bottom of the sleeve using a basting stitch.
😀 Knot the threads and gently pull to gather the fabric evenly.
😀 Take pattern piece number 8 (the cuff) and fold it with right sides together, then pin the extremities.
😀 Stitch the cuff at 1.5cm from the edge, trimming the seams in the corners.
😀 Turn the cuff inside out and press it flat.
😀 Press the seam allowance of the cuff to the inside (1 to 1.5 cm).
😀 Sandwich the gathered sleeve between the two layers of the cuff and topstitch to secure.

Q & A

What is the first step in attaching the cuff to the sleeve?
-The first step is to stitch the sleeve together using a French seam before attaching the cuff.
How is the French seam constructed for the sleeve?
-The sleeve is pinned with wrong sides together and stitched 6 mm from the edge, then the seam allowance is trimmed to 2–3 mm, turned to the wrong side, pressed, and stitched again at 6 mm to enclose the raw edges.
Why is a French seam used for the sleeve?
-A French seam provides a clean, durable finish by enclosing raw edges, making it ideal for garments where the inside finish is visible or important.
What is done after closing the sleeve seam?
-Two gathering (basting) lines are sewn at the bottom of the sleeve to prepare it for attaching the cuff.
How are the gathers formed at the bottom of the sleeve?
-The threads of the two gathering lines are knotted together and gently pulled to gather the fabric evenly.
Which pattern piece is used for the cuff?
-Pattern piece number eight is used for the cuff.
How is the cuff prepared before attaching it to the sleeve?
-The cuff is folded right sides together, pinned at the ends, stitched 1.5 cm from the edge, trimmed at the corners, turned right side out, and pressed.
Why are the seam allowances trimmed at the corners of the cuff?
-Trimming the corners reduces bulk and helps achieve sharp, clean corners when the cuff is turned right side out.
How much seam allowance is pressed to the inside of the cuff?
-A seam allowance of 1.5 cm is pressed to the inside of the cuff.
How is the cuff attached to the sleeve?
-The gathered sleeve edge is sandwiched between the two layers of the cuff, ensuring the gathers are even, and then the cuff is topstitched in place.
What should be checked before topstitching the cuff?
-It is important to ensure that the gathers are evenly distributed and neatly positioned between the two cuff layers.