Construction7 minIntermediate
Easing a Set-in Sleeve
The miniature sleeve cap is the technical milestone of doll tailoring. The trick is gathering 4 mm of ease into a 12 mm armhole.
Demo film in production
Follow the written steps below in the meantime.
- 01
Run two gathering rows in the cap
Rows at 2 mm and 3 mm from the cap edge, only between the front and back cap notches.
- 02
Pull both threads gently until the cap matches the armhole
Distribute fullness — most ease should sit at the top quarter of the cap, almost none at the underarm.
- 03
Pin in 5 spots: notches, underarm, shoulder seam
Then add 2 more between each pair. At 1/6 scale, 7 pins is plenty.
- 04
Stitch slowly with the sleeve side up
Use a hump-jaw clamp instead of a presser foot. The gathered side must face you.
- 05
Remove gathering threads + press cap over a sleeve roll
Never press the cap flat — it kills the shoulder shape.