News You Can Use

LivingSoft Subscriber Newsletter | Volume 1

Sewing Tip

You can shrink out all appearance of gathering in a sleeve cap using steam, when you’re working with cotton, wool or linen, or a blend.  (Though this appears related to natural fibers, the technique doesn’t work for pure silk, because silk has a harder “finish.”)

A good way to remove the ease/gathering from a sleeve is to put in your double row of gathering stitches between the front and back notches, and pull the basting threads to gather just enough to exactly match the armhole (using your fingers to arrange the gathers evenly).  Then place the sleeve cap over end of a sleeve board and use your iron to apply shots of steam to the sleeve.  You can shape the cap with the palm of your hand, and use the point of the iron to eliminate the gathers.  Then you’re ready to sew in the sleeve. 

Many people prefer to actually sew the sleeve cap in before shrinking out the gathers.  You still place the sleeve over the end of the sleeve board (the end of a regular ironing board is wider and not as easy to use for this purpose, but if you don’t have a sleeve board it will work) and apply shots of steam and shape and mold the sleeve cap with your hand and the tip of your iron.  The benefit of sewing the sleeve in the garment first is that you won’t inadvertently shrink out more ease than you should from the sleeve cap, and then have to work a little harder to sew it into the armscye. 

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