It’s been a while since I showed you anything “sewing wise” so I thought I’d take this opportunity to show you how I add cuffs to long sleeves as I’m making Kirsten’s dress. There are a multitude of ways to add cuffs but some can take forever and the end result really isn’t that much different. You just want it to look nice and snap around the wrist.
You can make the little placket where the sleeve is split and you have to gather the sleeve around this tiny little 3 1/2″ cuff.
This was the best picture I could find to show you what I meant by the method where you have to finish off the little split in the bottom of the sleeve. For doll clothes, that’s overkill to me…
Cuff with split in bottom of sleeve
Let me show you how I do it… I’m sorry for the quality (or lack thereof of my pictures…the light above my sewing machine has a lightbulb that shows up my pictures as yellowish…so a few I took over to my cutting table to show you a little better.
First take your sleeve and serge the two side edges, then run 2 rows of basting along the cuff edge.
Take your cuff and press a piece of interfacing to one half of it… (You can press it before you add the interfacing or afterwards… I did mine before..that way I get the middle line for my interfacing to go up to.)
Then fold it right sides together (the interfacing should be on the outside when stitching). Stitch the ends with a 1/4″ seam.
Turn it so it looks like this… the interfacing will be on the inside…
You can serge the edges now or wait and do it a little bit later.. I did mine now…
Gather up your sleeve and lay your cuff on to right side of your fabric, and stretch out your gathers so they are a bit longer than the cuff…
Line your cuff up along the gathered edge but 1/4″ from the edge. Do this on both ends. Pin in place.
Fold the ends over the edge of the cuff and move your pin to the front to hold it in place.
Now flip your sleeve over and evenly distribute your gathers between the two pins at the end…
Stitch across the gathers making sure your gathers don’t bunch up in one place. It’s a short distance so you don’t really need to use any pins but you can if you like. (Make sure you don’t stitch over any pins as you sew.)
Flip it over and this is what it should look like.
Turn the cuff out like this…
Press it flat… with the seam pressed toward the sleeve.
It should lay flat…
I always take a couple extra minutes and tack down those corners where the cuff was turned. It helps hold them in place and looks neater too.
Here are both of my sleeves with cuffs added…
So do you want to see how to add the sleeves to the dress and finish up the underarm seams so the cuffs match up?
You’ll have to come back on Monday… sorry…
But DO have a wonderful Saturday!
See you Monday,
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne, your instructions and photos are always so clean; it’s a real joy to look at them!
I do most dolly cuffs the way you do, although I usually wait to serge the edges until I have the cuff sewn in place. However, I Have done cuffs the “regular” way for an AG doll. Molly was the recipient; she wanted to be a cowgirl for Halloween, so I made her a “pony-spotted” faux sued skirt and vest, and a red gingham shirt; the shirt had the normal cuffs, and all went well until I went to hammer the snaps in (well, after all, a Western shirt needs Western snaps! LOL). I ended up putting the snaps in wrong, so instead of the “top” of the cuff wrapping over the arm and snapping onto the “back” (underside) of the cuff, it was the underside that wraps and snaps over the “top” of the cuff! No one else knows except myself–and, now, the rest of you!
By the way, I did get my little Boneka doll’s skirt and blouse finished, and now her nightie is almost done, too!
HI Charlotte,
I do need to change out the lighting around my sewing machine if I plan to show any more pictures of my,sewing… they are too yellowish to suit me.
Oh the dreaded snap fiasco! I’ve done that several times myself…
Congrats on the sewing you’ve gotten finished for your little Boneka doll…remember pictures when you are finished!!! :o)
Thanks Charlotte,
Blessings, Jeanne
Bonjour Jeanne,
Merci beaucoup pour cette lecon de couture si bien expliquée. J’attends lundi avec impatience car les manches sont ma bête noire !
Thanks a lot for this sewing lesson so well explained and useful. Can’t wait for monday because sleeves are my pet peeve ( is that correct ?).
Friendly , amicalement. Sophie
HI Sophie,
I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures on how I add cuffs to long sleeves.
I hope you’ll learn how to put in the sleeves on Monday and finally get rid of it being your pet peeve!!
Thanks Sophie,
Blessings, Jeanne
Humm, well, since I don’t have a serger, mine would not be quite so neat, but have pinked edges. I really like how the cuff looks so crisp and neat. Would you bother with inter facing using regular quilting cotton? I would suspect that it might be too thick. I have never done a cuff this way, only the standard human way. As this was unfolding, the process was tugging in the back of my mind, how do you sew the side seams? I know I’ll have to wait until Monday, but I suppose that they would be sewed down only part way and then when opened and pressed the seam would be invisible. I do think this method might not work so well with pinked seams though. What a great tutorial. Love it.
Hope your weekend is filled with lots of free time and creativity.
HI Joy,
Pinking shears is how I used to finish my seams too, so don’t worry about it.
I use very lightweight interfacing in most of my cuffs…it makes them just a little bit more crisp than without.
You’ll see how the sleeves are finished on Monday…sorry to make you wait.
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
Wonderful, detailed tutorial, Jeanne! Anyone who is hesitant about how to do cuffs will now proceed with confidence:)!
HI Shara,
It’s a pretty simple way to do dolly cuffs…doing human cuffs or very special doll dresses might require another method… I’ve done both.
Thank you Shara,
Blessings, Jeanne
Thanks for showing us how you sew your cuff, Jeanne. About a third of the way in I knew what you had in mind to do. I love that there will be a neat finished edge and that you can still have a slit when you sew up the underarm seam. This allows the cuff to fit nicely over the doll’s arm but yet with a snap you can fit it to size. Great idea!
Thanks for all of your helpful suggestions and hints.
Have a great Saturday.
HI Lynn,
I’m glad you enjoyed the tutorial on cuffs today…it’s pretty simple and a great way to do doll clothes. Yes, and there is the opening big enough to let the dolls hands pass through.
Thank you Lynn,
Blessings, Jeanne
I always enjoy your tutorials. As a self taught sewer who only had the required home ec class in jr high school, I really benefit from your experience. As Lynn said this technique will really help to get those fingers/ hands through the sleeve and it is so neatly finished.
Thanks for sharing and wishing you & family a wonderful weekend.
Thank you, Leigh,
I’m glad you enjoyed the way I showed how to add a cuff to your doll clothes. I hope you learned something new from it.
I am having a great Saturday…hope you are too!
Blessings, Jeanne
Dear Jeanne, these instructions were so clear even I, the non-sewer, could understand them!
If you are looking for a “next up” doll for whom to sew, I nominate Elin (Iplehouse). After I got my Little Darling and now my Boneka’s my Elin (called Elyse) has been suffering. I have to give her some dolly love very soon.
Happy Sew-day!
HI Dorothy,
I’m glad you enjoyed the instructions for putting on cuffs…even if you never do it yourself.
My sweet Elin has been sorely neglected too…too many other dolls wanting my attention…I’ll have to consider her….
Thanks so much, Dorothy,
Blessings, Jeanne
Another very clear and well done tutorial. Thanks. It keeps the bulk down instead of turning under the fabric and slipstitching after the sleeve seam is completed.
Your picture editing program will get rid of the yellow cast to the light with one click or sliding along the options under Lighting Options. What program do you have?
HI Susette,
I’m sure this was nothing new to you and your sewing…
I have Picasa but changing my light setting only makes my pictures more washed out. Someday when I do it again maybe I’ll take new pictures…and replace these…
Thanks Susette,
Blessings, Jeanne
What a great way to do those cuffs! Getting the hands through and stil having the cuff tight enough was always an issue so this is perfect. THANK YOU!
HI Kathie,
I’m glad you learned something Kathie…next time you add cuffs, try this…
Thanks so much,
Blessings, Jeanne
Very useful, and it’s also useful to have all the tutorials accessible under one heading. Looking for one thing, any of us will find other things we’ve forgotten that you have demonstrated. Many thanks.