A little while ago I used the un-cuffed version of a notched sleeve on the Surf and Sun top, and thought it was such a cute detail that I wanted to play around with it a little more. I decided to make a cuffed version for a button down refashion I’ve been working on and it turned out so adorable, that of course I had to share a tutorial for both versions with all of my lovely readers. They’re actually very simple once you get the hang of it, and they’re so charming I”m sure you’ll want to start adding these sleeves to all your projects!
Notched Sleeve
Trace any basic sleeve pattern onto a new sheet of paper.
Decide how deep you want your notch to be, and add that amount plus 1/4 inch to the hem of the sleeve.
example – a 3/4″ deep notch + 1/4″ = 1″ added to the sleeve hem.
The old hem level will be your fold line. Find the center of this line and mark it with a dot.
From this center dot, measure up the depth of your notch. (I’m sticking with 3/4″)
Then measure the same distance down from the center dot. These will mark the top and bottom of you diamond.
Next measure to the left and right of the center dot and add two more marks.
example – 1/2″ to the left of center & 1/2″ to the right of center
These two marks will determine the angle of your notch, so they can be any measurement you like.
Connect the upper, lower, left, and right dots to form a diamond that is symmetrical vertically and horizontally.
Cut out two sleeves with the new pattern, being sure to transfer the four dots (diamond) to the wrong side of each sleeve.
( Finish the bottom edges of each sleeve with a serger or zig zag stitch before continuing)
With the right side of the fabric facing up, fold up the bottom edge so the left and right dots are on the fold.
The upper and lower dots should be directly on top of each other and form a triangle with the lower dots. Pin this fold in place.
Place you needle through the upper dot, and stitch down to the left dot.
Leave a long tail, and return your needle to the upper dot. This time you’ll stitch down to the right dot.
If you draw the lines on before stitching them, it’s a bit easier.
Knot the tails, and trim away the fabric inside the triangle.
Flip the notch right side out. Use a chopstick to get the corners sharp, and press firmly with an iron.
You could edge-stitch along the hem, top-stitch above the point of the notch, or just leave it as is, but
from this point you can simply attach the sleeve to your top using your preferred method.
Simple right? And the cuffed version doesn’t take much longer…
Cuffed Notched Sleeve
Measure the hem of any basic sleeve pattern, and draw a rectangle that length by twice the depth you’d like your notch, plus 1/2 inch.
example – for an 8 inch sleeve hem with a 3/4 inch deep notch (3/4″ x 2 + 1/2″= 2″) you need a 8″ x 2″ rectangle.
Mark the center of this rectangle with a dot, and refer to the directions above to create your diamond.
Cut 2 rectangles, and mark the four dots of your diamond on the wrong side of the fabric.
Fold the strip in half (hotdog style) so that the left and right dots are on the fold.
Follow the directions above to stitch, clip, and turn the notches.
Once both notches are flipped right side out, finish the bottom edge of each cuff.
(Serge or zig zag stitch both layers together)
With the wrong side of the sleeve facing up, match the finished edge of the cuff with the bottom edge of your sleeve.
(Both sides of the cuff should look like “right sides” so just make sure the notch forms a V)
Stitch the cuff and sleeve together 1/4″ from the bottom edge.
Press the seam open, pushing the seam allowance toward the sleeve side of the seam.
Stitch the seam allowance to the sleeve.
Press the cuff up on the right side, sandwiching the seam allowance between the cuff and the sleeve. The right sides of the sleeve and cuff should both be facing out now, and only a row of stitching along the bottom edge should show on the back side. That’s it!
The cuff is finished, and you can attach the sleeve to your garment just as you normally would.
So what do you think? Aren’t these the perfect sleeves for a little girl’s dress?
I can see myself using them on a bunch of my future projects for Aurelia!
You post the BEST tutorials/tips, Toni! Thank you for this & all the previous ones! I don't think I have read one that I haven't saved for future use! kweenbee_612@yahoo.com
You're so sweet Chelle! I know you've been with me for awhile now, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate your comments! I'm so glad that you are enjoying all the post, and can't wait for you to see what's coming next. It feels like I've really gotten my sewing groove back and things just keep getting cuter! Thanks so much for stickin' with me!
Wow, I'm impressed, you got some mad sewing skills Toni. And thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend – maks 🙂
Thanks so much Maks! Don't tell anyone I'm just making it all up as I go along. ;D
I know this is an older post…. I'll be adding a notch to the sleeves of a dress I'm working on right now for my winter work wardrobe. It's a fairly simple dress, so I'm trying to add details that make it interesting, but still remain a classic wear to work.