Cap Sleeve

Cap Sleeve

When sewing shrug that is ruffled and sleeveles how do you turn it rightside out?

I am making shrug that has a ruffle all the way around the edge and a little ruffle for a cap sleeve. I sewed the ruffle on first and now I need to sew the lining to the fabric and leave a place to turn it. Where would be the best place where I would have the lest amount of hand sewing?

lower center back or inside jacket lining. You actually need only a few inches to turn through.

Here's the order of stitching I learned from Connie Amaden Crawford's
book, "Guide to Fashion Sewing", (Fairchild) which uses many of the RTW
methods for quick but professional construction. That book has some very
good simple drawings that may make much more sense to you than my attempts
to explain the drawings in words.

1. Cut vest and lining pieces out of fabric. Lining should be 1/8"
smaller all around than fashion fabric.

2. Interface vest. (at least a 2" band around the back neck, front from
neck edge to front edges, around the bottom, and armholes -- it's
usually easiest to just block-fuse the front.)

3. Apply pockets, construct darts, sew shoulder seams on vest and vest
lining. Press.

4. Match right sides of vest and vest lining together at front opening,
lower front edges, and neckline. Start sewing about an inch from the side
seam on one front lower edge, and sew along the front lower edge, up the
front, around the neckline, back down the other side of the front opening,
and to within an inch or so of the other side seam. [You'll want this inch
or so of unsewn seam when you hit step 8]

-->IMPORTANT: Leave side seams and lower back edge of vest unsewn.<--
Trim stitched seam allowances to 1/4" (if you're not using a serger).

5. Match armhole to armhole on fashion fabric and lining, and sew
from sideseam to sideseam (all the way to the edges)

6. Reach into the lower back edge of the vest (you've left it
unstitched, and through the shoulder area. Grab the vest front and pull
it through the lower back. Repeat, pulling the other side of the vest
front through the other shoulder.

7. Press all sewn seams flat, rolling the fashion fabric slightly to
the lining side.
8. Reaching through the unsewn lower back section, match side seam of
fashion fabric from armhole to hem. Sew. Repeat, this time matching
lining side seam to lining side seam. Press the side seams flat. At this
point the vest should look like it's nicely constructed except the lower
back seam and part of the lower front seam is unsewn and unhemmed.

9. Turn the vest back inside out -- this is not really a complete
"inside out, as all you really need is the unstitched section at the
lower edge of the vest to be available to sew. Pin the lower lining and
fashion fabric edges together, and stitch BUT LEAVE A GAP OF A COUPLE OF
INCHES UNSTITCHED AT CENTER BACK. (How wide this gap is depends on how
heavy the fabric is. I leave 2-3 inches with a tapestry fabric vest,
but only an inch or so on something lightweight.)

10. Turn the vest right side out again through that little bitty
opening. (Yes, it does work ). Match the unsewn sections at lower
center back, and blind stitch, top stitch, edge stitch, or hand stitch
the last inch or so closed. Press.

11. Construct buttonholes or other closures, do any finishing stitching
desired.

In step 10, some commercial sewing leaves the opening just pressed,
not sewn -- especially in a well-behaved fabric with a small opening
needed. If you want to do that, I like to serge-finish the lining
and fashion fabric in that area between steps 3 and 4.