This is a technique to put in sleeves without putting the ease in first. You build in the ease at the same time as you put in the sleeve. In this technique you essentially create differential feed. It is easy to do but rather hard to explain.

This technique is used only on the part of the sleeve where you would normally put the ease stitching--between notches. For the rest of the sleeve, you stitch as normal. It works best in things that you put in flat, but can be used on set-in sleeves if there is less than 1 inch of ease in the sleeve head. For the following instructions, I will assume you are putting the sleeve in flat.

With practice, you will be able to do this without any pins, but the first time, you might want to at least pin at the notches and the top of the sleeve head. (BTW, the top of the sleeve head doesn't always go to the shoulder seam, sometimes it is moved forward or back for either fit or design reasons. Pin wherever the sleeve head top needs to meet the garment.) Then lay the work under the needle with the sleeve next to the feed dogs. Begin stitching as normal, until you get to the first notch.

Once you get to the notch, grasp the work a couple of inches from the needle with your right hand, with fingers on top and thumb underneath. Then rotate your hand toward the machine, so that the thumb is on top and the fingers are underneath. The fabric will be folded in a U shape, with the rounded bottom of the U closest to you. Begin stitching, adjusting your hands and your work as it goes under the needle so that it stays in the U shape until you get to the notch on the other side. Once that notch gets to the needle, finish sewing with the work flat and normal.

I should say here that, in general, you want to sew with the most unstable seamline up, so that you have some control over it. But by doing it the other way, you are using the feed dogs to force the bigger piece to catch up to the smaller piece. You can use this same easing technique in so many other places--easing the inseam, easing the elbow, or any other place where you need to make a larger piece fit a smaller piece.

If you want to use this technique on a set-in sleeve, you put the garment inside the sleeve, instead of the other way around, and sew with the work on the bed of the machine, instead of using the free-arm (if your machine is so equipped). This way you still have the sleeve head next to the feed dogs. It is a little awkward if you have a machine that sits on top of a table instead of one that sits flush, so you might want to build up a little support around the machine bed--stacks of books will work fine, and you don't have to be exactly the same height, just close enough to support the work.

First, following the pattern instructions, stitch the facing or lining to the overlay. If you desire, you can understitch, sew the seam allowance to the facing or lining, but don't topstitch at all.

After having turned the overlay right side out, position it over the bodice front again according to the instructions, and pin it to the bodice front. This pinning is to get the overlay properly placed and hold it there as you begin shifting it out of place in subsequent steps.

Note in your pinning where you will want the nursing openings to end at the top and bottom. You may want to do something like place two pins at these points, or you may have marked it on the seam allowance before you turned the overlay right-side out.

Carefully holding the overlay in the pinned position, transfer the pins from holding through all layers to holding through only the bottom layer. This will transfer the pins to the inside, between the layers of a lined overlay, or through only the facing of a faced overlay.

When you have all the pins transferred, stitch along the seamline, where the overlay is sewn to either the lining or facing, backstitching at the ends of the nursing opening.

Sometimes the pinning and/or sewing can be a little tricky, but the results are worth it IMO.

This can be done this a couple of different ways. One is to sew both shoulder seams, and the binding short ends, and then apply the binding in a circle. The other way is to leave one shoulder seam open, sew the binding on, and then sew the shoulder seam, including the binding edges. I switched to the second method after deciding that there seemed to be a lot of bulk at the short seamline of the binding. However, using this method, there is sometimes a bit of the shoulder seam that peeks out of the neckline. YMMV

It really will depend on the thickness of the knit, and the look you like. (Most of the striped fabric I use for my girls is heavy jersey, approaching the weight of interlock.) I personally like the finished width somewhere around 3/8" or 1/2" wide, multiply by 3, and then I add another 1/8" to allow for the bulk of folding. Next, I measure the raw edge of the neckline as it lays relaxed. The length of the binding really depends on the stretchability of your fabric. For an average interlock, cut the binding 2-3" shorter than the neckline measurement. For a stretchier or lighter weight knit, you'll cut it closer to 4" or maybe even 6" shorter. Sometimes it's just trial and error. And yes, I've done my share of second and third applications of binding to get it just right. I like the binding to "snug in" the fabric ever so slightly. I cut the binding with a rotary cutter, ruler, and a mat. This way I ensure that the edges are VERY straight, and that the width is exactly the same all the way across. And don't forget to cut the length of the binding on the crosswise grain.

I serge one long edge. This is the edge that will be on the inside of the neckline. I quarter the binding and the neckline like I would with ribbing. I sew the binding on with a (4.0-width) double needle (longest stitch length), which seems to let the fabric relax better than using a zigzag stitch. But once again, zigzag may be what works for you. If I want 3/8" finished, I sew on the binding, rights to rights, with 1/4" seam allowance. Because of the width of the double needle, the finished width ends up at 3/8". If you use a narrower double needle, use a wider seam allowance. Once I've sewn the binding all the way around, I fold the serged edge up and over, enclosing the raw edges. I match the serged edge to the bottom of the double needle stitching (on the inside), or the lower folded edge of the binding, if I can feel it through the fabric. I pin it down, to make sure I'm not pulling it at an angle when top-stitching, but I make sure to remove the pin before I sew over it. Sometimes a dimple will remain if you sew over the pin. Then I top-stitch close to the lower edge of the binding. There is no bulk from the binding on the inside neckline, and the outside looks like RTW.

I always make my own bias. For a binding that will be turned to the inside and topstitched, I cut my bias 1 7/8", fold in half (I just pin it in half, I don't press it), and stitch it with a 5/8" seam. I don't pin the binding to the neckline, I just lay it down as I sew. Be very careful and do not stretch the folded side (the cut side should ease in nicely, as it is on the bias). Then trim and clip the neckline, turn inside, and topstitch (edge stitch too, if you like). i always put my binding on after I sew the shoulder seams, but before I sew up the side seams, it is easier to work "flat".

If you want a wider binding, the formula to figure out the width is: seam allowance + desired binding width X 2 + 1/8". For a thicker fabric (such as denim), you might want to try a bias tape maker. It is really easy and great to use. (I used it to make some bias tape out of chiffon, and it worked great.) This way, you could reduce the bulk in your seam allowance.

You can also do a bias binding that shows. To do that, trim your neckline to the desired opening, cut your bias 6X+ 1/8" your desired finished width (if you want a 1/4" binding, cut your bias 1 7/8"), fold in half, stitch at your desired finished width. But this time, you do not stretch the *cut* edge (your folded edge will curl up). Then bring the binding around the seam, and either stitch in the ditch or hand-sew to cover your previous stitching.

--compiled by Mona

--compiled by Mona

--compiled by Mona