Step 19 - Take your sleeve bands and fold them in half widthwise so that the two short ends are touching, right sides together. Stitch at 1/2” seam allowance. Trim to 1/4”. Press seams open.
Step 20 - Take the unnotched edge of one sleeve band and press it at 1/2”, with wrong sides together. Repeat for the other sleeve band.
Step 21 - Starting and stopping on either side of the underarm seam, stitch a basting stitch at a scant 1/2” from the raw edge of each sleeve. (Do not backstitch on either end). Stitch another basting stitch parallel to the first, at 3/8” from the raw edge.
Step 22 - On one sleeve, gather your basting stitches so that the ruching is uniform around the sleeve opening. Pin the notched edge of the sleeve band to the bottom of the sleeve, with right sides together. Match the notches to one another and the underarm seam to the the sleeve band seam. Pin and stitch at 1/2” seam allowance.
Trim the gathered sleeve seam allowance to 1/4“ and the band seam allowance to 3/8” to reduce bulk in the binding.
Step 23 - Press the sleeve band away from the sleeve and over the seam allowance.
Step 24 - Take the folded edge of the sleeve band and pull it to the inside of the sleeve until it covers the seam by about 1/16”. Pin and press. Do this slowly and patiently adjusting as needed to make sure that the binding is visually uniform all the way around.
Step 25 - Just like you did on the neckline, stitch in the ditch on the right side of your sleeve, where the sleeve meets the sleeve band, catching the folded edge of your sleeve band underneath. Press. Repeat these steps for the other sleeve. Go slowly and do your best to get the stitches right in between where they are nearly invisible. (You can also do this by hand on the inside of the sleeve if you prefer.)
It should look something like this once you are done.
That's all for today. Tomorrow we finish our blouses and dresses!