Yesterday we managed to get the neckband attached to our tee, so let's keep rolling on that momentum and tackle attaching our sleeves! Sleeves can feel intimidating, but they don't have to be! And since we are working with knit fabric that has decent stretch, our task of inserting them should be much less stressful than if we were working with a woven material.
With right sides together, pin your sleeve piece into the armhole opening on your bodice.
Use your pins to match:
- The underarm raw edges on your sleeve and bodice.
- The single notch on the sleeve with the dart seam on your bodice.
- The notch at the top of your sleeve with the shoulder seam.
- The double notches on the bodice back and sleeve back.
Depending on your fabric selection, you may notice after pinning that your sleeve cap is a little bit larger than your armhole opening. That is 100% ok! As you sew, your sleeve cap should naturally ease itself into the armhole opening.
When everything is looking good, go ahead and sew your sleeve into place with a zig-zag stitch. Repeat on the other sleeve and armhole!
Trim your seam allowance and press them towards the sleeve cap.
Feel free to give yourself a high five - you just took on a set in sleeve and totally NAILED it! I’d say that calls for a sweet treat before moving on to the next step.
Once you are done taking a quick break, with right sides together, pin from your sleeve hem down through to the double notches located at the side seam. Sew your seam together using a zig-zag stitch.
DON’T trim your seams! Instead, press them open. This will help us when we go to hem our tee.
Let’s finish up your sleeve and hem it! Iron your sleeve hem back by 1/2” (1.3 cm).
Pin your hem into place and sew along the edge using a zig-zag stitch or a fancy double needle!
Look at you! Your tee is practically finished! All you have left to do is polish up tomorrow with Part 4- Finishing Touches!