THIS SLIDES TEACHES ON VARIOUS WAYS TO FINISH THE EDGE OF AN ARMHOLE

1. EDGE FINISHES
­ARMHOLES­
MS. PEACE AKOSUA TSEKPO
VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
HOME ECONOMICS UNIT (CLOTHING AND TEXTILES)

2. We treated facings and other finishes under necklines. Same applies to armholes.
Here we will concentrate on sleeves and sleeve treatments. Sleeves have played a
very important role in fashion over the years. By varying their shapes, set and fit,
sleeves have been exaggerated, emphasized or minimized during different
periods. Sleeve variations are countless and terms used to describe them are
numerous and seem not to follow any logic at times. Sleeves may be short or
long, full or fitted, cuffed or hemmed, set‐in or cut‐in, gathered ruffled, belled
pleated darted, tailored, tailored, vented, buttoned, tucked, tied, etc.

3. Sleeve design can therefore be important to the success of a garment.
Good sleeve design, however, must be followed by quality sleeve
construction and good fit or the end product will not be serviceable.

4. Sleeve Types
Sleeve falls into three structural categories of (a) set‐in (b) raglan (c) or kimono.
Some other authorities prefer to classify them into two namely (a) set‐in and (b)
sleeves cut‐in‐one with the bodice (a&b).

5. Set‐in‐sleeves
This is the most common type of sleeves. It is set into the armhole of the
sleeve. The set‐in‐sleeve is designed with ease that enables the sleeve to fit
comfortably and attractively over a rounded shoulder and upper arm. The
amount of ease needed depends on the width and height of sleeve cap.
The low wide cap set‐ in‐sleeve required little ease because it design provides
the space needed for freedom of movement at the arms and shoulders.

6. Set‐in‐sleeves (Contd)
The roominess of this sleeve cut is good for apparel that is used for active
work and play. The loose cut of this type of sleeve however, causes diagonal
wrinkles in the front and back of the sleeve when the arm is at rest. It is
however, the most common sleeve in casual wear for men, women and
children’s wear.

7. This low wide cap sleeve is easier to set in and usually uses the flat method
of application. It is used especially on shirts.
The high‐cap set in sleeve is required for certain designs of garments which
need a sleeve that is less roomy and has no wrinkles when the arm is in its
normal position. Such sleeves have a high, narrow cap shape that must be
eased several inches over the shoulder curve to attain a good fit as well as
the desired look.

8. Sleeves with this type of cap do not allow as much freedom in movement.
They are often used in tailored suits, and other dressy apparels. This sleeve
needs more care in its application because a considerable amount of ease
has to be inserted into the sleeve cap without creating puckers, pleats or
dimples in the sleeve cap seamline. This sleeve is inserted easing the round
method.

10. Raglan sleeve
The raglan sleeve is roomy, comfortable and simple to apply. The classic
raglan can be recognized by smooth curved diagonal lines running from
underarm to neckline. It forms part of the bodice at the shoulder. Darts,
seams or gathers are used to provide the fullness necessary for the
sleeve to curve over the full part of the shoulder and at the same time
taper to fit the smaller neckline.

12. One‐Piece Raglan Sleeve
The one‐piece raglan sleeve usually requires a fullness of one kind or another
to introduce shaping at the shoulder at neckline. Darts are more often used
for more tailored garment however; it is difficult to construct darts to fit
different types of shoulders within the same size in mass production.
Another shaping method introduced is the gathers. This method is popular in
styles that the entire neckline is gathered or has drawstrings introduced. In
knits they are made in full‐fashion garments.

13. Two‐piece raglan sleeve
The two‐piece raglan sleeve has a seam down its centre from shoulder. This
seam provides an excellent area for adjusting the shoulder slant. This seam,
however, contains a large amount of bias therefore needs a lot of care
during stitching to avoid stretching and/or puckering.

14. Kimono sleeves
The kimono sleeve is cut entirely in one with the bodice front and back.
The resulting underarm curved seam may be loose or closely fitted, but in
either case the underarm seam must be carefully clipped to prevent
pulling. It must also be reinforced to prevent the stitched from breaking
during wear. The looseness of the kimono sleeve is controlled by the point
at which the side seam of the garment curves outward to become the
underarm seam of the sleeve.

15. Kimono sleeves
On very loose sleeves this occurs slightly above the waistline of the
garment. Looseness is also affected by the angle of the upper
shoulder/sleeve seam. If this seam is straight out or angled only
slightly downward, then the sleeve will be loose and more
comfortable.
Loose kimono sleeve
Loose kimono sleeves show soft wrinkles on the back and front of the
sleeve armhole area when the arm is in a relaxed position. They
usually do not require any additional reinforcement beyond the
finishing and trimming of ordinary seams.

16. Fitted kimono sleeves
When the angle of the shoulder/sleeve seam drops and he sleeve curve moves up close
to the underarm, a closer fitting sleeve with no underarm wrinkles is the result. Also,
arm movement is drastically restricted. The strain that occurs at the underarm seam
when the arm is raised requires substantial reinforcement. A gusset which is diamond-
shaped inset it on the bias of a fashion fabric is most often inserted at underarm to
increase freedom pf movement and comfort. Gussets can be cut separately or designed
as extension of the garment and sleeve area. Gussets must be set carefully into a
reinforced slash on the front and back of the bodice. Accuracy is critical when setting
gussets so that the two sections in the completed garment match.

20. Sleeve Finishes
The treatment given to the lower edge of sleeves is commonly refereed to
as sleeve finish. It should be made to complement the sleeve. The type of
finish should be selected to fit the garment and the fabric design and the
use to which the garment will be put. A well‐chosen sleeve is a good start
but must also be well constructed. Quality sleeve finishes begin with
attention to details such as even stitching, matching of fabric patterns
when needed and adequate pressing.

21. Sleeves can be finished with hemmed treatments, facings or bindings.
Facings are most frequently found on shaped, tapered sleeves where the
difference in size between hem edge and hemstitching line is too great to
be accommodated by a hem. Facings also serve to conceal the raw edges of
decorative cuffs and allow decorative shapes to be sewn into sleeve.
Bindings are preferred when they are used on other portions of the garment
as well. They may be combined with a placket opening and extended into
ties to serve as both sleeve finish and fastener. Casings and elastics may
also be used to finish sleeve edges.

22. Plackets
Plackets are finished openings that are used at the lower edge of a sleeve
to allow the sleeve to go over the hand, yet still maintain a tight fit at the
wrist. Plackets vary in their styling effects and I their durability. They could
be concealed or visible. Visible plackets are those in which the slit opening
is always opened sot he slit is covered by a piece of fabric.

23. Horizontal Faced Placket
It is formed by hemming a reinforced clipped portion of the sleeve seam
allowance. In most cases the little rectangle formed is slightly trimmed,
neatened and topstitched in position. Occasionally a small fabric facing is
used. The rest of the edge is then finished with a cuff.

24. Vertical Faced Placket
This is a vertical opening about 7.6cm long pointed at the top and does not
overlap at the base. The slit must be reinforced at the pointed end to make
the tip durable. It is not suitable for sheer fabrics since the facing and seam
allowances show through to the right side.

26. Continuous bound placket
It is a neat strong and durable placket. It is a vertical slash in the sleeve that is
concealed within a straight binding. It is often used in combination with cuffs or lower
bindings.

28. Open Seam Placket
Strictly speaking this is not a placket since it is just an opening in the seamline of
the sleeve. It however functions as a vertical placket. It is constructed by leaving
the seam open above the sleeve edge about 7.6cm – 10.2cm. the raw edges of the
seam allowance in that area are then finished and treated as narrow facings. The
edge of the sleeve is usually finished with a cuff or a binding.
Open Dart Placket
This is made by treating the dart at the wrist of the sleeve as a seam. Leave about
8cm open at the end and finishing the raw edges by turning under and stitching.

29. Pleated Placket
The pleated placket is made by slashing, hemming and folding a reinforced
rectangle at the side back of the sleeve. No extra fabric is used and it forms a
pleat at the top when it is finished. The overlap side of the placket is finished with
a 1.3cm hem and the underlap by a 0.6cm hem the wider side is then overlapped
on the narrower side and held in place with a bar tack or a small machine stitched
rectangle placed at the top of the opening.

30. Tailored Shirt Placket
This placket consists of two sections, bound underlap which is not visible in the
finished placket and a shaped, usually pointed wider overlap. The binding is
applied over one side of a slashed, reinforced rectangle. The pointed side of the
placket is then applied to the other side of the slashed opening and partially
topstitched. This portion is then lapped over the binding the topstitching
completed through all thicknesses to hold the overlap in position. It is a very
strong and durable placket if well made.