With today’s tutorial you will complete your Morningside shirts and dresses!
You can find all the earlier tutorials at the end of this post, including the last tutorial where we sewed the hem and pockets.
If you need the pattern, grab your 25% discount code in this post before it expires on Thursday. Then get it here!
And there is a giveaway at the end of the Sew Along! All the details are at the end of this post.
Time to sew!
Cuff Sleeves
If you haven’t already, clearly mark the shoulder notch and front notch on your sleeve piece.
Right sides facing, pin sleeve side seams.
Stitch and finish sides together with your preferred method. I serged mine together but you could use a zig zag or overcast stitch.
If you’re sewing a shirt, press the seam allowance toward the back.
If you’re sewing a dress, press the seam allowance toward the front.
This is to ensure that the seam allowance faces the same direction as your previously sewn seams and sits nicely in the finished garment.
With right sides together, fold the sleeve cuff in half so that short sides meet. Pin in place.
Stitch together at the standard 1cm seam allowance.
There is no need to finish the seam as this will be enclosed within the cuff.
Press seam open.
Stitch a line of basting stitches 1cm (3/8”) from one edge of each cuff. Use this stitch line as a guide and press seam up onto the wrong side.
With right sides together place sleeve cuff inside the sleeve so that unfolded edge aligns with the sleeve edge.
Match the seam lines and pin so that the cuff sits evenly within the sleeve.
Stitch with a 1cm seam allowace.
Open up the sleeve and cuff so they sit flat. Press the seam allowance toward the cuff.
Fold the cuff, bringing the previously folded edge to meet the seam line. I like to make it slightly overlap the seam line to ensure I catch the edge when I stitch in the ditch next.
Turn sleeve right side out and pin the sleeve cuff along the seam line.
Stitch-in-the-ditch, catching the folded edge on the back.
If stitching in the ditch is new to you, give it a try and if you miss some sections, you can always go back and edge stitch 3mm from the edge of the cuff to secure. (Alternatively skip straight to edge stitching if stitching in the ditch is not for you!)
Insert the sleeve into the armhole. Match the seams, as well as the front and shoulder notches.
Pin from the inside ensuring the rest of the sleeve sits evenly.
Stitch and then finish seams together.
Press toward the sleeve.
Turn the garment right side out. Fold sleeve cuff up along fold line and press.
If you want a permanent fold, hand stitch fold inline with the underarm seam and shoulder to secure it.
That’s it for the cuff sleeves, now you can skip down to the finishing touches!
Flounce Sleeves
If you haven’t already, clearly mark the shoulder notch, front notch and two circles that indicate where your gather stitches will start and finish.
Stitch two rows of gathering stitches between the marked circles. The first line of stitches should be about 5mm (1/4”) from the edge, and the second should be about a 1cm (3/8”) from the first line. Leave your thread tails long.
The tension on my machine naturally gathered the fabric up as I sewed. If this happens just leave it as it is. If yours remains flat – that’s fine too as we will gather the sleeve in a later step.
With right sides together, fold sleeve in half, pin side seams and stitch at 1cm. Finish seams together.
If you’re sewing a shirt, press the seam allowance toward the back.
If you’re sewing a dress, press the seam allowance toward the front.
To keep them out of the way, secure the loose ends of the gathering stitches by wrapping them around a pin placed at each end of stitches.
Stitch a line of basting stitches 1.5cm (5 /8”) from opposite the hem edge. (NOTE:this is a bigger seam allowance than the standard 1cm)
Fold edge up to just meet stitch line, and press as you go. Take your time and the steam from your iron should ‘shrink’ the fabric into the curve of the sleeve edge.
Fold up again along stitch line. The basting stitch line should be at the bottom edge now. Press along the curve and pin in place.
Edge stitch 3mm from the edge and press.
Insert the sleeve into the armhole.
Match shoulder and front notches as well as the seam lines.
Pin from the inside at these points and to the beginning of the gathering stitches.
Keep one end of the gathering stitches secured. On the other end unwind the basting stitches from the pin and gently pull on both of lines at the same time to gather up the fabric until the sleeve fits nicely into the armhole. Evenly distribute the gathers, then pin in place.
Sew sleeve to armhole stitching in between the two rows of gathering stitches.
Press gathers to set, finish seams together and press away from the sleeve.
Your flounce sleeve in now complete! Let’s finish off your shirt or dress…
Finishing Touches
Sew the button hole on the collar stand and attach the buttons.
To locate where I want the collar stand button hole to sit, I pin the placket together. Make sure that the collar stand is overlapping and mark the beginning of the buttonhole with a FriXion or fabric pen.
Use this mark to align your needle and ensure the collar stand is straight before you begin stitching. For more detail on sewing a button hole, refer to the placket tutorial.
To save some tears, it is worth reiterating that you should pop a pin in the end of your button hole before you open it up with a seam ripper. This will prevent you from cutting right through the end of your button hole and into your collar stand! A button hole chisel is an even safer option.
To work out where you should attach your button on the other end of the collar stand, align your placket and pin in place. Use a pen or your needle to poke through the button hole onto the fabric below. Mark where the outer corner of your button hole ends. Due to the horizontal pull on the neckline and buttonhole this is where your button shank will sit.
Attach your button.
To keep the back of the collar stand looking clean. Stitch from the top side so the knot in the thread sits between the collar stand and the button.
I like to place a pin under my button as a spacer to ensure it doesn’t sit too tightly against the fabric. You can place it on top of the button and stitch over it if you prefer.
Once I have secured it with about five stitches, I remove the spacer pin and wrap my thread around the stitches between the button and the collar stand about five times to create a shank and finally knot it a couple times to secure.
To work out where the buttons on the placket sit, I use the same method as above but loacte them in the middle of the buttonhole.
You may find that, especially with drapier fabric, the right placket gapes open slightly exposing the buttons. If so, you can secure the top flap to the bottom one by sewing a few blind stitches between the button holes.
Finally remove any basting stitches that remain. Particularly those on the gathered back and sleeves, your hem and sleve edges.
You have finished you garment!!
Congratulations!!
Don’t forget you have just two more days to enter the GIVEAWAY!
You could be in with a chance to win a pattern of your choice from French Navy!
Sarah, is contriubting two PDF patterns that will go to two separate winners!
To enter all you have to do is:
1. Follow me @indybindyfabrics
2. Follow Sarah @frenchnavynow_
3. Comment on my Instagram post announcing the giveaway and let us know you’re taking part in the sew along
4. By Thursday 3 October 7pm (Tokyo time), tag both of us in the caption of a post of your Morningside dress or shirt pants (complete or in process!) The more posts you tag us in the more entries you get!
5. Be sure to include the hashtags #sewitwithindybindy and either #morningsidedress or#morningsideshirt so we can keep track of all the entries and see your gorgeous makes!!
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See the other posts related to the Morningside Dress and Shirt Sew Along:
- Styling
- Find your size
- Select your fabric
- Print and Cut your pattern
- Sew the Placket (part 1)
- Sew the Placket (part 2)
- The yoke
- Attach the collar
- Sew the hem and pockets
