How are you supposed to top stitch all down a closed arm length sleeve?!

[Andymat]

I am test making a mens tunic shirt with long sleeves and a button placket (a toile in quite open and fine calico). The pattern is by “wardrobe by me” men’s tunic shirt, view A.

So you do the placket on the open sleeve and then you sew the edges together to make the tubular sleeve. They then say, “press the seam allowance towards the back and topstitch the seam”.

Well at the top end it is quite wide and difficult but possible. But as you get closer to the cuff it gets more and more difficult. Going round the circumference of the sleeve is fine - as in doing a cuff but going down the length and the material I have sewn has to go round through 90 degrees to slide it out of the way of the foot onto the machine. It is also getting tighter as you go down!

I did manage with a lot of fiddling on the first one but it was quite wavey - not professional looking at all. On the second one I caught some of the material from the other side which was all bunched up and had to unpick some of it and the start again from the cuff end. Ok on a toile but not good on a real garment.

Looking at the video tutorial they provide, they miss out the top stitching all together!

Is there a clever way to do this or is it just a matter of practice? I did wonder if there was a special type of seam like a French seam that would make it easier but I still think you have to get the tube over the machine to sew!

[Ouryve]

By swearing a lot the wondering who on earth is going to look at it, so not bothering!


I can just about do it with short sleeves by concertina-ing them up a bit. And swearing. And unpicking where I caught something I shouldn't have.

[Lachica]

With difficulty. Some of the older machines have a small freearm (eg Bernina 730) on which it's easier - still not easy. If you have an overlocker, that will prevent fraying. Otherwise, overcast stitch on your machine? French seams definitely easiest though.

[Surest1tch]

Unless I'm misunderstanding what I see on the link in all honesty I'd top stitch before you close the underseam, sometimes some pattern instructions sometimes like to make life as difficult as they can for home sewists and more frequently there are errors in the instructions.
Without a long arm that's the way I'd do it anyhow.

[Ouryve]

The difficulty is that topstitching lengthwise on an already closed (because tour topstitching along the seam, catching in the seam allowance) narrow tube goes at right angles to even the skinniest free arm of a sewing machine and reaches a point where simply can't cram it on any further.

[allea]

I do know how to do it, just not sure if I can explain it right. 

Turn your sleeve wrong side out.  You will be topstitching the seam with the seam laying on your machine bed, positioned just as if you are sewing the original seam.  You will be sewing inside the sleeve from the wider armhole to the narrower cuff, keeping the top of the sleeve free.  You will have to "scrunch" the fabric as you get closer to the cuff, bit as long as you are stitch on the single layer you will be fine.

Does this make sense?

[Kwaaked]

Does this make sense?

Yes, but I've done them this way.

In tailoring, they handle this by using a small french seam or flat fell (which is done as allea said).


Every 3-4 inches you're going to have to leave the needle in the fabric and readjust the sleeve, bunching it and sort of leaving a small amount to sew.  It takes a bit of practice to get it right, but it can be done, even on a flat bed machine.

[Ploshkin]

Unless you are planning on walking round with your arms above your head,  it's not worth the hassle 

[Bodgeitandscarper]

I wouldn't bother either, but if you really really want to, then doing it inside out makes it much easier to scrunch the fabric out of the way above where you're sewing.

[realale]

I turn my sleeve inside out, put the seam to be top stitched under the needle, wide side first, and then sew down, scrunching as I go. I suppose practice makes perfect but I manage them quite well now. But there again I've done a fair few.

[Andymat]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I am thinking the emerging consensus is - why would you even try!

The pattern instructions say at the beginning to over-lock the edges of all pattern pieces which I have taken with a pinch of salt - seems a bit over the top really. But I did do the sleeve pieces so when the sleeve is closed the edges are already protected, if individually rather than together.

I suppose one of the points of the top stitching is aesthetics - but as pointed out, who is going to see it under the arms?

The other point is to tidy away the seam material but if it is over-locked, I'm sure I will survive!

I think leaving the long edges un-neatened, using an overlocker to close the seam and neaten at the same time is the answer.

I am glad I decided to to a toile! That's not to say I wont make mistakes in the real go, but at least I will have an idea of what I'm trying to do!

Thanks again for everyone's help.

[Andymat]

I turn my sleeve inside out, put the seam to be top stitched under the needle, wide side first, and then sew down, scrunching as I go. I suppose practice makes perfect but I manage them quite well now. But there again I've done a fair few.

I have seen that you make a fair few shirts. I did manage the first time so I can see it as possible. Probably beginner's luck! Not sure I would bother now on the real item although I'm in awe of your dedication!

Does it matter that you top stitch from the bottom?

[Ploshkin]

When I make shirts I do all the main seams on the overlocker then top stitch the ones that need it.  My husband is very hard on clothes and they survive his abuse no problem.

[Lachica]

I've topstitched short sleeved shirts for DH, more for show than strength. He doesn't wear long sleeves. If I were making for son-in-law's ridiculously long, skinny arms (which I've got out of so far) I wouldn't even attempt it. Fortunately he's now found he can get M2M from a posh shirt maker, 4 for £100 and they add 6" on the sleeve length. The fabric is great quality and treated to be non-iron. I couldn't compete with that. @Andymat you're right, construct on the overlocker then run a line of topstitching on the side seams, yoke etc for show.

[HenriettaMaria]

I have made flat felled seams on long sleeves many times in the past but that was on my 1979-era Singer 522, which has a fairly small presser foot and, compared to modern machines, fairly closely-spaced feed dogs.  This meant I started at the shoulder seam end and worked towards the cuff.  The rest of the sleeve is gradually scrunched more and more up in front of the needle and it all needs a good press when you're done.  I found the process a bit more like hard work on my turn-of-the-millennium Brother.  Happily, my mother endowed me with her 522 so I again have the technology!

Some RTW men's shirts are constructed shoulder seam first (and flat felled) and then the side and arm seam is done in one pass.  I can only assume they have specialist machines to permit the sleeve to pass either side of the needle plate.  Actually, they do - google indicates they exist and they are a very odd shape, eg,
https://www.goldstartool.com/consew-345-3-high-speed-feed-off-the-arm-type-drop-feed-double-chainstitch-lap-seam-felling-3-needles-lockstitch-industrial-sewing-machine-with-table-and-servo-motor.htm