The Sewing Place

Shirts

badgermat

Shirts
« on: September 14, 2020, 10:27:21 AM »

Men's shirts, to be specific.

I can do a functional (but not at all pretty) flat-felled seam down the side. But I'd like to get a quicker and more professional finish.

I've been looking at YouTube videos for shirt making and most seem to gloss over the sleeve/side seams. Somehow they seem to just run over the seams maybe once or twice with a single straight stitch, with no trimming or fancy attachments.

What am I missing? Is there some other way to do do "proper" side and arm seams?

bm

Ploshkin

Re: Shirts
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2020, 11:37:49 AM »
Do you use an overlocker?
I make shirts for my husband and I do the straight seams on the overlocker, press to one side then top stitch.  A faux felled seam I suppose.  They look absolutely fine and are quick and easy.
If I was making a 'special' shirt I would do proper ones (but he doesn't wear special shirts, I'm just grateful that he doesnt wear the ones I make for changing gear boxes).
Life's too short for ironing.

weary

Re: Shirts
« Reply #2 on: September 14, 2020, 13:17:41 PM »
I use a 'French Seam' on my shirts.  But I usually make my shirts in fine(-ish!) fabrics.   Comfortable, looks good (but who looks at shirt seams??!!), but can be tiresome and fiddly to execute.

French seam youtube vid.  But there are plenty of others.  Look especially in 'bridal dresses' etc. for very detailed info'.

Setting in sleeve here.  Not very good vid', but shows it well enough for intro. Here is a longer and better video.

Regards,
Phil
« Last Edit: September 14, 2020, 13:19:40 PM by weary »

BrendaP

Re: Shirts
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2020, 15:23:55 PM »
If the shirt has a shallow sleeve head, which usually isn't gathered, the usual way is to do shoulder seam, armscye seam and then sleeve and side seams in one pass (or pair of passes for french seams)
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Ploshkin

Re: Shirts
« Reply #4 on: September 14, 2020, 15:43:40 PM »
Yes, I do the overlocked / topstitched seam on the sleeve head too if the sleeve goes in flat.
Life's too short for ironing.

Elnnina

Re: Shirts
« Reply #5 on: September 14, 2020, 16:31:32 PM »
Badgermat there is a super book by David Page Coffin -think it is called Shirt Making,  and he prides himself on making a shirt to wear as good as those in Savile Row.  This book may help you on some of the more intricate parts of shirt making.

Mocarroll

Re: Shirts
« Reply #6 on: September 14, 2020, 20:15:09 PM »
I have just made my husband two shirts. I bought David Coffins book.  There are some good techniques but the format and order drove me crazy, it seemed so illogical to me...but that could just be me! He suggest that you cannot get professional flat felled seams without a felling foot, so I bought those too. These are becoming expensive shirts! I found the old fashioned way much easier and very professional if you measure and press accurately.
Armscye, sew in the flat, right sides together, 5/8 inch seam allowances, stitch and trim seam allowance on bodice to 1/8 inch.  Press sleeve seam allowance to stitching line and then on to shirt bodice.  Here’s the trick...use a glue pen to secure the seam, (or tack if you wish) and then top stitch from the right side at 1/4 inch from the armscye seam. You will have one visible line of stitching on the right side.
The sleeve and side seams are sewn as one.  This time  start with wrong sides together and 1/2 inch seams. Press and trim seam allowance on back to 1/8 inch. As before fold un-trimmed seam allowance to stitching line and again towards the back. Starting from the hem stitch at 1/4 inch from the first stitching line. As you get past the underarm you have to manipulate the sleeve so that you can stitch all the way down to the cuff. It’s a real faff but just take it slowly. You will have 2 parallel lines of stitching on the right side.
This guy shows the technique clearly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7bvi2DGojg

toileandtrouble

Re: Shirts
« Reply #7 on: September 14, 2020, 21:44:57 PM »
@Mocarroll  I felt the same about Coffin's book, but if I pick up one or two techniques from a book, I think it was a cheap lesson.  Browsing through one of my books helps me get into the sewing groove anyway.
Yarn down:  1000g
Fabric down:  29m

Ohsewsimple

Re: Shirts
« Reply #8 on: September 14, 2020, 22:38:46 PM »
I have his book but  also bought his DVD which was much easier to understand.  And there were his lessons on Craftsy.

badgermat

Re: Shirts
« Reply #9 on: September 14, 2020, 22:54:18 PM »
Thanks everyone, some really helpful advice there.

I don't have an overlocker, so that's out for now. I am tempted though, if only for the shallow rush I'd get from having a new toy  :|

French seams are an interesting suggestion, though I've never tried one.

The Dave Coffin book looks great, so that's ordered.

@Mocarroll your YouTube link is excellent, easily the clearest demonstration of what's going on. Probably requires more precise machine work than I'm really capable of at this point, but I won't let that stop me  :D I have metres of cheap muslin to practice with.

As a completely incidental question, how is armscye pronounced?

bm 


Ploshkin

Re: Shirts
« Reply #10 on: September 15, 2020, 08:06:27 AM »
Quote
how is armscye pronounced?

Armhole  :)
Life's too short for ironing.

wrenkins

Re: Shirts
« Reply #11 on: September 15, 2020, 08:28:40 AM »
Rhymes with sci-fi but as @Ploshkin says, armhole!  :laughing:
Harbouring resentment is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die!

CCL

Re: Shirts
« Reply #12 on: January 16, 2021, 20:31:37 PM »
@badgermat -   I was just poking around the site this morning and noticed your September post.  Not sure that the information below is of any use now - being as it is so late - but I am procrastinating working on my polartec fleece jacket. 

I make lots of men's shirts and do the flat felled seams by hand.  Although there are flat felling presser feet,  I have tried those and haven't had the patience to master them.  It's definitely not faster, but I prefer the outcome.  There's lots of good instruction out there, but basically, I:

  • Sew the seam with the seam allowances showing on the side where I want the double line of stitching to show (for men's shirts, I usually do this on the inside - so stitch seams right sides together.  But on a poncho made for a young woman, I stitched the seam with wrong sides together so that the double row of stitching was on the outside).
  • Press seam open.
  • Trim one side of the seam allowance to a scant 1/4 inch - be sure to trim the same side on both sides of the garment.
     For example, I trim the back side seam for men's shirts.
  • Press seam again, this time with the longer (untrimmed) seam allowance over the trimmed allowance.  This is to prepare the seam allowance for being folded over the trimmed allowance.  Some people do this all at once, but I tend to take it slow.
  • Fold and pin the longer seam allowance over the shorter allowance, measuring so that the distance from the seam line is even - usually between 5/16 inch and 3/8 inch.  On the sleeve/side seam - be careful to make sure the armsync seams line up.
  • After checking to ensure the folded over allowance is even, baste in place - placing the basting stitches right on the very edge of the fold.  (note: If you are sewing from the right side of the fabric and the fold is on the inside, this basting line will work as a guideline for you.  If you are sewing on the same side as the folded over seam allowance, this basting line just holds everything in place. )
  • I gently press the seam again (carefully not to press too hard on the basting stitches.)  Some folks skip this step.
  • Machine stitch just inside the basting line to ensure catching the folded edge.
  • for sleeve and side seam, bird's nest the sleeve around the presser foot and stitch, starting at the cuff edge. Stitching gets easier as you move from cuff, to armhole and then down the side seam. See photo below for what I mean by bird's nesting.
  • Remove basting stitches (and press - especially if you skipped pressing in step #7). 

Here's a quick photo of what I call "bird nesting."


Flat felled seam top stitching from right side by CCL photos, on Flickr

To illustrate, I put together a Flicker album of photos that I had previously taken (to help my niece as she begins her sewing journey) that might help clarify some of the points I mention in the above list.

Flat Felled Seams by hand

Here's another Flicker album dedicated to men's shirts I have made.  Not as many "in process" photos as this was mostly a diary for me of my shirt makes.

Men's Shirts


Finally for fun - flat felling hell: 


flat-felled underarm gusset on Folkwear Cheesemaker Shirt by CCL photos, on Flickr
« Last Edit: January 17, 2021, 20:13:30 PM by CCL »
A hodge podge Flickr record of my sewing project albums here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/104062052@N04/albums

badgermat

Re: Shirts
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2021, 04:38:55 AM »
@badgermat -   I was just poking around the site this morning and noticed your September post.  Not sure that the information below is of any use now - being as it is so late -

Thanks for the detailed description. And while I've (kinda) got to grips with flat-felled seams, there's always something new.

In this case, I'm interested that you start your side seam at the arm. Hadn't occurred to me to go that way, but I can see it has advantages.

Thanks

bm
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