Tip & Trick: Sewing French Seams and Sleeve Adaptations
Sewing with transparent fabrics can be hard and sometimes you will want to hide a seam. Using french seams will create a clean and professional finish to transparent fabrics. Take a shirt and give it a new look by changing the sleeve! Choose either a flutter sleeve or a bishop sleeve and follow along as we transform a classic white dress shirt into a fashion statement!
Flutter Sleeve
- Measure down 10″ from the top middle of your sleeve cap and draw a line across the sleeve, cut.
2. Split your sleeve into equal quarters and mark lines lengthwise on the sleeve.
3. Mark the middle of the two inner sections and mark lines parallel with the previous lines.
4. Slash lines up the sleeve on your marks. Be sure to get to the edge of the sleeve cap but not all the way through.
5. Place your sleeve on a sheet of paper and secure it with tape at the head of the sleeve.
6. Spread your sections 1.5″, secure with tape and mark.
7. Trace around your entire sleeve and remove the sleeve from the paper.
8. Connect the lines of your hem to create a nice curve. You can also use a french curve for this.
9. Mark your grainline in the middle of the sleeve.
10. Trace your pattern onto fabric and cut out.
11. Roll hem the bottom hem of the sleeve.
French Seam
12. Place the seam of your sleeve wrong sides together and stitch the width of the foot.
13. Trim the seam close to the stitching.
14. Place the seam right sides together and stitch with a 1/4″ seam allowance.
15. Repeat the french seam when attaching the sleeve to the shirt. Place wrong sides together and stitch the width of the foot and then place the seam right sides together and stitch 1/4″.
Bishop Sleeve
- Mark the middle of your sleeve.
2. Split your sleeve into equal quarters and mark lines lengthwise on the sleeve.
3. Slash lines up the sleeve on the two outer marks (not the centre). Be sure to get to the edge of the sleeve cap but not all the way through.
4. Place your sleeve on a sheet of paper and secure it with tape at the head of the sleeve. Spread your sections 3″, secure with tape and mark.
5. Trace your pattern onto fabric and cut out.
6. Place the seam of your sleeve wrong sides together and stitch the width of the foot.
7. Trim the seam close to the stitching. Place the seam right sides together and stitch with a 1/4″ seam allowance.
8. Sew a 1/4″ hem on the sleeve hem.
9. Place an elastic above the hem on the wrong side of the sleeve at the seam and tack down.
10. Repeat with the other side of the elastic, wrapping around the sleeve hem.
11. Fold the hem up over the elastic and stitch the fabric, not the elastic, down.
12. Repeat the french seam when attaching the sleeve to the shirt. Place wrong sides together and stitch the width of the foot and then place the seam right sides together and stitch 1/4″.
