Yesterday, we had a really great prep day for tackling our arm hole bindings! We will be going through very similar steps to insert our bindings that we went through with our neckband. So by the end of today, you will be a total master over working with stretchy bindings to finish off garments!
Whenever you are ready to settle in and sew, meet me on page 35 of your instruction booklet.
Working with one armhole (AH) at a time, with RST, sew the short ends of your AH binding together with a zig-zag stitch to create one continuous cylinder. Press seams open.
With WST, press your AH binding in half lengthwise (like a hot dog!).
Baste both layers of your binding together using a long zig-zag stitch right along the edge.
By basting this piece together, it will be easier to attach it to the armhole
next! Repeat this process with your second AH binding piece.
Once both AH binding pieces have been basted, set them aside for a second.
Grab your bodice and, with right sides together, pin from your underarm 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 when we go to work on our hem.
Now, grab your AH Bindings and, with RST, attach your binding to your AH
opening, lining up all the raw edges and notches at the shoulder seam and under
arm seam. This should feel familiar since it’s exactly what was done when sewing
the neck binding to the neck opening!
Your binding will be slightly smaller than your AH opening, so use those notches as your guide when pinning it in place. I generally pin my binding to my underarm seam and my shoulder seam. Then I slightly pull the armhole binding until it fits the armhole and put a pin somewhere in the center to hold everything in place!
Then, you are going to lightly stretch the binding piece in between your pins as you sew to get it to lie flat against the AH opening. Try not to stretch your AH opening, only the binding.
Just as I suggested yesterday with your neckband, now would be a great time to check the fit of your arm bindings before tacking them into place more permanently. Make sure they don't fee too tight or too loose!
Once your arm bindings are satisfactory, trim your AH seam and press your seam
allowance down towards the inside of your garment.
We are now going to embark on edgestitching our binding down to add extra security as well as keep the seam allowance from popping up while we wear our garment.
Simply sew a straight stitch about an 1/8” (0.3 cm) away from the AH seamline, catching your seam allowance on the back side of your garment in this stitch.
And you are done for the day! Can you believe it? All we have left is Part 4- Finishing Touches!