[frooandboo]

Hello. I’m currently making the fairy tale dress and I’m just wondering if anyone has made the tulip sleeves with the seams enclosed in between the lining? Just think its a little strange to go through all the trouble of making a lined dress but the sleeve seams are showing. Thanks!

[Tamara]

Do you mean the seams at the hem? You put the lining and outer pieces right sides together for this so they are enclosed. This way you can use trim such as lace, mini piping and ric rac along the tulip scallop.

If you mean the seam to attach the sleeve to the dress bodice then I guess you could do a binding on the seam, keeping in mind to trim the seam to reduce the bulk.

I hope I have answered your question. I seem to be confusing people left right and centre just lately.

Tamara

[frooandboo]

Where the sleeve meets the armhole at the bodice. Bias binding is a great idea! My fabric is a little bulky so it might not work. I think I will sew the sleeves onto the bodice before sewing in the lining. Then handstitch the lining at the armhole. I was thinking about it in the shower and it might actually work! Thanks for your reply, Tamara! So excited about this dress!! Irene

[Lightning McStitch]

Irene, I’ve only done it once with sleeves and just stuck to the instructions. You’re right, with a lined bodice AND a two layer sleeve it should be that the seams get hidden somehow. Yet they don’t if you stick to the pattern.

The way the sleeves overlap would make it tricky to try and finish it with the seam allowances inside the two layers of sleeve.

If you pressed the seams towards the bodice then handstitched the bodice lining to the armhole you’d get the clean finish, but I wonder how it would sit with the seam allowances turned in…

Try it, go on. 🙂

[Lightning McStitch]

Edit: Jinx!!

(possibly lost in translation. It’s what we said as kids if you and your friend said the same thing at the same time)

[frooandboo]

Thanks Shelley! Good to know the details of construction. I’ve sewn one sleeve but now the hubs says he likes it better sleeveless! I’ll wait for morning to try it on my daughter before making a decision!

[Liesl Gibson]

Yes, if we had enclosed the sleeve seams it would have been a five scissors pattern!

If you really want to do it, the easiest way would probably be to stitch the sleeves to just the outer fabric at the armholes, then hand stitch the lining to the armholes with seams turned under, like Shelley says.

[frooandboo]

Thanks Liesl! I ended up choosing the sleeveless version over the tulip sleeves, but I will definitely be making another fairy tale dress with the tulip sleeves!

[Nicole]

I agree with Shelly. (And Liesl)

I would stitch a basting line at 3/8ths around the lining sleeve/shoulder seam and press that under before attaching it to the dress bodice. Then hand sew it in place.

If you were really anti hand sewing you ‘could’ stitch in the ditch from the outside but you would have to be pretty good to catch all the lining on the inside.

[Lightning McStitch]

…or have used 1/4″ fusible web to iron the lining perfectly to about 1mm over the seam. Then you don’t have to be too clever, just stay in the ditch. I love that stuff, but if you’re not lazy, hand stitching would be neater.