How to Sew Cuffs
When I used to do a lot of alterations, I got to get a good hard look at how cuffs are assembled in ready to wear production facilities.
One of the most common alterations that must be done for a great fit and a proportionate garment is to shorten the sleeves. And a lot of the time that meant I had to remove the placket and the cuff in order to rebuild, shorten, and slim the sleeve.
A majority of the time, the cuff came off in just one step, because it would be one seam. They weren't applied by sewing one side and stitching in the ditch on the other. Because when you gotta get like 100 of those made, that would really hurt your bottom line.
No, the cuff was attached in just one step.
I love this method, and once you work through it, I know you will too.
If you don't mind taking your time and doing the stitch in the ditch method, I celebrate you. I honestly have always struggled with it because patience is not my virtue. And because of my background sewing professionally, I'm a bit of a speed demon because I've always had to account for the time spent and am always looking for the easiest and fastest method to get me to the final outcome in a proficient and professional way.
In this written and video lesson, we are going to take a look at building a cuff, and then placing it on the sleeve in a one step sewing application method.
1. Fold the cuff in half and sew the side seams- or sew all three sides- whatever your pattern calls for.
Once sewn, clip the corners.
2. Clip, turn, and press the cuff.
There's a few steps that I can only capture with video here, so make sure to watch this part carefully. You will use a point turner to refine the corners.
3. Fold and press one side of the cuff at seam allowance.
4. Fold the other side of the cuff over the just pressed side, and press.
5. Press corners.
You're going to want to watch this part in the video and spend some time really refining the corners where they meet the sleeve placket.
6. Pin cuff on, working from the corners first towards the middle.
Make sure to check your work and ensure that you are pinning the same place on the front of the cuff through to the back.
7. Sew the cuff onto the sleeve.
I cover lots of refinements and extra tips in the video- be sure to watch it and practice.
I'm always looking for fun tutorials to show you and my students. Let me know how I can help you, and you might just see it pop up as a tutorial soon :)
Thanks and happy sewing!
Andrea
