[rbmcgill]

i just made my first hopscotch dress (with short sleeves). i was a little nervous b/c i am an beginner sewer…i had no problems until i got to finishing the sleeves. they are just so tiny and after i finished the raw edge and then tried to hem them…they look terrible! the sleeves are not fitting well in my machine and it was IMPOSSIBLE for me to keep a straight edge while sewing (the fabric kept moving). Needless to say, does anyone have any suggestions??? thanks.

[Toyota888]

Yes those tiny armholes are so hard. I can only imagine they are harder in a knit which moves. Apart from sewing them by hand (which might in fact not be so time consuming if they are very small) I have had great experience with a walking foot which stops fabric moving by having teeth above and below the fabric. They are quite expensive tho (but great for so many other reasons). Perhaps one of those tricks that people use when sewing very fine fabrics would work… like putting some not very sticky tape around it and sewing through it and then ripping it off (so that the area is stiffer and the feed dogs can grip it better). I just made that one up but I think I have heard something like that before!

[Nicole]

I haven’t made this yet , but just off the cuff : Hand basting the seam first

: Sew the seam on the inside of the sleeve rather then trying to sew on top

http://www.flickr.com/photos/motherof5/5023942213/ , I took this photo for you , I hope it helps !

[Lizabeth]

Another option would be to hem the sleeves while they are still flat, ie before sewing the underarm seam. if you look on ready wear sleeves this is sometimes done…

[Nicole]

Lizabeth is so right ! Or you can hem nearly all the sleeve hem , construct it and then there is just a tiny bit to sew.

(I am so sorry , I was muddled and thought that you meant the under arm seam ! I hope I did not confuse you more) !

[JohannaO]

You’re right, they are tiny– I pinned mine to the wrong side, turned mine right side out, got out my magnetic seam guide (attaches to the bottom metal piece) looks like this (http://www.amazon.com/Dritz-Magnetic-Seam-Guide-Order/dp/B0033P8YIY) and then sewed from the bottom, turning it frequently. I think the magnet is the only reason I had a straight seam, because I had something to push my fabric up against, so it came out evenly. Good luck!

[sayiamyou]

When my daughter was smaller I would sew the sleeve hems while the piece was flat, like Lizabeth is saying. It saved from headaches and frustration after completing a project.

I like Nicole’s idea though! Very clever!

[lydiawatts]

Do I need to adjust the fabric requirements for the long sleeve version of the dress? Thanks.

[sayiamyou]

I have made both versions and haven’t had to. You’ll use a little less for short sleeves, but the requirements are good for long sleeves.