Sewing Sunsets

Now, understitching wasn’t really that hard, was it? I actually like understitching.

After I had understitched the facing and had pressed the bodice well, the next step was to sew in the sleeves.  This particular pattern has set in sleeves, which basically means that the side seams of the bodice have already been sewn.  The sleeves are complete before sewing them into the bodice.

The sleeve cap must be eased first so that the sleeve will fit into the armscye of the bodice.  I like to set my stitch length on 5 and sew at 3/8 inch and a little less than that, but beginners might find it easier to sew the ease stitching at 5/8 inch and 1/2 inch.  This type of easing is sewn from notch to notch on the sleeve cap.

Make sure that you leave long thread tails at each end of the stitching.

I like to sew the easing stitches first and then sew the sleeve seam.  Usually, I serge finish the raw edges of the sleeve seam prior to sewing the seam.  This seam is sewn at 5/8 inch seam allowance.  After sewing the sleeve seam, press the seam open over a seam roll.  I actually to press from both the right and wrong sides.

When the sleeve seam has been pressed open, it’s time to insert the sleeve into the armscye of the bodice.  That isn’t really hard, but it is a little tricky.  More about that sewing technique in a future post.

Understitching (instructions and pictures): www.sewseamless.com/Page7.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page16.html

Sewing sleeves (instructions and pictures): www.sewseamless.com/Page8.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page17.html

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com