Flat Sleeve Insertion Technique
Nicki LaFoilleDescription
Learn how to use the flat sleeve insertion technique when inserting a sleeve cap into the armscye of a set-in sleeve. This technique also combines several steps in making a garment, to streamline the process. Nicki LaFoille shows you how.
This technique is especially useful for small garments, where the armscye is a small circle, and can be difficult to get under the presser foot and make it difficult to see if there are unwanted tucks happening in the seam. It is also useful for garments that have a lot of ease built into the sleeve cap.
For the flat sleeve insertion technique, stitch the bodice shoulder seams, but do not stitch the side seams or the sleeve underarm seam.
Follow the pattern instructions for basting the sleeve cap, if applicable. Then match the notches from the sleeve to the armscye with right sides together. Then, stitch the sleeve cap into the armscye. If there is a lot of ease in the sleeve cap, it can be beneficial to stitch with the sleeve facing up, so you can be sure there aren’t any tucks getting stitched into the seam.
Once the sleeve cap is inserted into the armscye, you can stitch the side seam and underarm seam all at once. Beginning at the lower edge, stitch the side seam. At the armscye point, end with the needle down in the seam and pivot to stitch the underarm seam at the required seam allowance.
Many commercial patterns add an excessive amount of ease into a sleeve cap, which is not always necessary, especially in more casual garments, such as knits. Check out this video to learn how to remove ease from a sleeve cap and other tips for sewing sleeves for a better fit.
The flat sleeve insertion technique is my preferred way of setting sleeves into the arm's eye. It's especially useful for if you're making small garments, such as children's garments, where that arm's eye gets to be kind of a small, narrow round, and stitching the side seam and then the sleeve under arm seam and then trying to match that sleeve cap to the arm's eye seam gets very small and narrow, and it's difficult to get under the presser foot. And it's difficult to see if you have any weird folds or tucks in your sleeve cap as you're trying to ease that cap into the seam. The flat sleeve insertion technique leaves the side seam open and the sleeve under arm seam open. All you have to do is stitch the shoulder seam and then align your sleeve and your garment with right sides together. Prep your sleeve if you need to do any gathering between notches. Run your basting stitches on your sleeve cap if that is required by your pattern. And then you wanna match if you have any... If your pattern says to match the center points or any notches on your sleeve, match those. And if you're easing... A lot of extra fabric and ease from your sleeve cap into your arm's eye seam. Pull up on those threads as instructed by your pattern to ease that in, making sure our raw edges stay aligned. And we're just lining up that sleeve cap. And whatever seam allowance your pattern uses, at this side edge, you wanna make sure you're lining up the raw edge of your sleeve and your side seam at that seam allowance width. And this is great for patterns that have a lot of ease in the sleeve cap because this allows you to really see and really manipulate what's going on in your sleeve cap. So once you get that all matched, we're just going to stitch. Using whatever seam allowance your pattern requires. And this allows this seam to lie more flat. So you can manipulate the fabric and allow everything to run under the presser foot. We're easing the fabric in. Sometimes when you have a children's garment, that arm's eye seam that you're setting the sleeve into is so narrow... That you're unable to manipulate that fabric, and you get strange tucks in the arm's eye seam that you don't want. So this, way you can tell exactly how those fabrics are matching up together. Once that sleeve cap is inserted... I have my nice smooth shoulder seam. And then you can simply fold your garment right sides together. Aligning the sleeve under arm seam and the side seam. And then you can stitch that seam all in one go. So it helps everything stay smoother, and it can join those processes for you when you're creating a garment.
Makes sense. I will use that technique. Thanks
I learned from a factory floor supervisor how to ease sleeves by hand manipulation rather than fooling around with basting, gathering, and adjusting. Pinless sewing is the method and holding the fabric properly according to the physical properties of the sewing machine is guaranteed to work! I then taught the method for several years in my fabric store. The technique should be a staple in learning how to work with the feed dogs!
I found it easier to put the sleeve in with the sleeve face down instead of facing up like she did. The feed dog in the throat plate will gather/ease the excess fabric into the arm hole better than doing it from the top.