Fake Cuff - Sleeve Band Hemming Technique

When the kids out grow their long sleeve shirts and pants or Dad gets a hole in the elbow of his shirt or the knee of his pants, don’t throw them away, recycle the long sleeve shirts and pants into short sleeve shirts and shorts  It is quick and easy to do.

Of course, you can cut them, finish the edges and hem the the usual way, but here is a sewing technique that the industry often uses.

This sewing technique creates a fake cuff look or a band with a tuck.

Here are the step-by step sewing instructions:

• Cut off the sleeves or pant legs allowing 1-1/2 inch for a hem plus an extra 1/2 inch for a 1/4 inch tuck.  That’s a total of 2 inches beyond where you want the sleeves or pants to end.
• Press up the 1-1/2 inch hem allowance.
• Fold up 1-1/2 inch a second time and press again.
• By folding twice, you have 3 layers of fabric at this bottom edge.
• Pin the 3 layers together.
• Lay the sleeve/shorts at the sewing machine so that you will be stitching inside the circle with the band turned up inside. 
• Machine topstitch 1/4 inch from the bottom edge fold through all 3 layers. 
• Reach inside of the sleeve or leg to pull down the fake cuff or band.
• Press well.

Isn’t that clever and easy?  You just hemmed and cuffed the garment at the same time.

Dresses and Skirts 

This is a good hemming technique for the bottom of little girls dresses with straight skirts, too.  It creates a tuck above the hem and completely finishes it on the inside at the same time.

The band and tuck can be any size you want.

Just determine the amount you want for the hem and add double the amount you want for the finished tuck. 

Press up the hem twice and stitch the width you want for the tuck. 

Home Dec 

It is a fast, easy and neat way to finish a bottom edge on anything.  Think about using this on other garments and your home dec items including pillowcases, etc., too.

It just makes sense!

To Your Sewing Success,

Marian

Fake Cuff - Sleeve Band Hemming Technique

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This entry was posted on Friday, February 23rd, 2007 at 12:47 pm and is filed under Sewing Techniques. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.