Seamstresses/tailors?

[NightSG]

This doesn't seem to fit anywhere else on the board, but I guess sewing is a preparedness skill, since we aren't likely to become nudists over simple disruptions in supply chains...

I got spoiled on a machine with a freearm, and now I've got a very-well-maintained Emdeko without one. I know grandma used to make men's dress shirts (as well as almost everything else including Disney-character trauma plate carriers for a cop friend's body armor) on a Singer 401 that was state-of-the-art when granddad gave it to her, (Mom's still using it, BTW. Why couldn't Singer have gone into the car business?) so I know a freearm isn't really necessary for these things, but I never learned to sew sleeves on without it. Can someone explain the process in caveman terms?

Next issue; I recently picked up another dress shirt on eBay that looks great, except it desperately needs to be taken in a couple inches on the sides and a bit on the sleeves. The front pieces are a perfect match for a fitted shirt I've been comparing to, but the back is too wide. I would do it as usual, tapering the side seams down from the armpit, but it's also a vertical pinstripe pattern that would really show that much of an angle mismatch. I'm thinking of taking the side and sleeve seams out and redoing from that point, but I don't have a felling foot for the Emdeko to match the original seams, and my attempts at flat felled seams without the foot never look right.

Would French seams look OK, since I'll be doing both sides anyway?

Is it that much extra effort to remove the cuffs so I can redo the entire sleeve tube to get a clean, even taper there?

How do I make sure to not change the shoulders when putting the sleeves back on? They fit exactly right as it is.

[Smudge]

My mother taught me a cheats why to set sleeves that doesn't affect the look of the garment.

Sew the should seems of the body but not the sides. Don't sew the sleeve either.

Set the sleeve into the shoulder and then once that is sewn in place - sew your side seem and go straing on to to sewing the sleeve seem. Does that made sense?

[Guest]

My mother taught me a cheats why to set sleeves that doesn't affect the look of the garment.

Sew the should seems of the body but not the sides. Don't sew the sleeve either.

Set the sleeve into the shoulder and then once that is sewn in place - sew your side seem and go straing on to to sewing the sleeve seem. Does that made sense?

Whoa, that actually makes sense!

When you sew the sleeve into the shoulder (before sewing the side seam), I would think you'll need to gather the sleeve to fit the shoulder hole, right? Do you gather at the top (at the shoulder seam) or do you just gather it all throughout the sleeve?

[applepansy]

Yes Anatess. Whenever you set sleeves you sew a loose gathering stitch across the top of the sleeve (the part that attaches to the shoulder. Then you loosely gather that area and pin in place. Mark the top of the shoulder on the sleeve and match to the shoulder seam. You don't gather under the arm at all. On patterns there are marks at the front and back and you gather between those marks.

I use both techniques to set sleeves. It depends on what I'm making and how I might be able to alter the garment later.

NightSG, Its possible to set a sleeve with the side seam closed. It just takes going slower and moving things around to fit.

I have a open arm in a cabinet. I rarely move it up to use the open arm.

(I made a visual in paint but can't figure out how to attach it to this message. )

Edited September 26, 2013 by applepansy

[Guest]

Yes Anatess. Whenever you set sleeves you sew a loose gathering stitch across the top of the sleeve (the part that attaches to the shoulder. Then you loosely gather that area and pin in place. Mark the top of the shoulder on the sleeve and match to the shoulder seam. You don't gather under the arm at all. On patterns there are marks at the front and back and you gather between those marks.

I use both techniques to set sleeves. It depends on what I'm making and how I might be able to alter the garment later.

NightSG, Its possible to set a sleeve with the side seam closed. It just takes going slower and moving things around to fit.

I have a open arm in a cabinet. I rarely move it up to use the open arm.

(I made a visual in paint but can't figure out how to attach it to this message. )

You can save it as an image file, upload to photobucket, then link to here.

[applepansy]

You can save it as an image file, upload to photobucket, then link to here.

now I need a photobucket account?

[estradling75]

now I need a photobucket account?

You can also upload it into your gallery here and then link from there