Hi and thanks in advance for your help on this. Is there a “best” order to sewing pieces together? I am sewing a baby sweater together and the directions say to sew the shoulders first, then sleeve seams, and finally the sleeves to the armhole. Would it be easier to sew the sleeves into armhole first before sewing the sleeve seams? Then they would be flat instead of tubes.
(I also have a raglan sweater for me waiting to be put together. Any tips or differences between sewing raglan sleeves vs. set in?)
Also, does it matter which direction you sew the seams - toward the neck vs. the shoulder for shoulder seams, or toward the cuff vs. the shoulder for sleeve seams? Is one direction neater than another?
Thanks again.
For set-in sleeves, I sew the shoulders first - this is often necessary anyway, as there is a neckband or collar or hood to be put on. Then I find the mid-point of the sleeve and attach that at the point where the shoulder seam ends, then sew down towards the underarm; then attach the other half of the sleeve top, stitching down to the underarm. If I have enough yarn to keep stitching, I continue down to join the sides, and join the sleeves. Otherwise I join in a new stitching thread at the underarm to sew the sleeve and side seams, using mattress stitch.
Only once did I ever sew the sleeve seams first and it was awkward.
Stitching down the sleeve seam from underarm to cuff, and down the side seam, seems easier to me; it all seems to come together better and sit more nicely.
For raglan sleeves, the raglan seams are stitched first. Bands or whatever is happening at the neck usually come after that. Then the sleeve seams and side seams come last.
I’ve done some pieces where the body of the garment was done ITR so that necessitated seaming most of the sleeve and then setting it in as you would on a sewn garment. I, personally, prefer to seam the sleeve cap from one side to the other…right to left… (I pin it beforehand to adjust ease) and have gotten good results that way. When I try to work in opposing directions one side of the cap ends up looking diff because the angle of my ndl and the tension change.
If given the option, I prefer to seam the sleeve cap on the flat.
cam
My raglan is knit ITR, thanks for suggestions. I hate doing sleeves!! They just don’t ever seem to come out looking even - but now I will try again. Thanks.