Shirt Sleeve Placket Tutorial

While making my husban'ds most recent shirt, I decided to find out how a RTW sirt placket was made. Since I had a shirt that I could take apart to figure this out, it was a good opportunity. After taking it apart, I discovered that the placket was made of one long rectangle, rather than separate overlap and underlap pieces. Once I saw how it was done, it wasn't too hard to figure out how to do this technique for myself.

Here's how:

1. Prepare sleeve. To prepare the sleeve, mark the length of the placket opening 6 1/2" long from the cut edge of the sleee where the cuff will be attached. Then mark 3/8" on both sides of the placket opening line and across the top. You will have a rectangle. Using a small stitch, staystitch all the way around on the marked lines. Clip along the placket opening line, to about 1/2" from the top and then clip diagonally into each corner.

2. Prepare placket. Cut a rectangle of fabric, 16" x 2 1/4" wide. Fold in half right sides together and press. Press under 3/8" to the inside on one long side of placket.

3. Pin placket to sleeve. Starting at one end, place the *right* side of the unpressed edge of the placket to the *wrong* side of the sleeve and pin from the sleeve edge to the corner of the stay stitching. Open out placket opening so that the whole opening is straight - this is where the diagonal clips are important. Continue pinning across the top, and down the other side. If there is extra placket length, trim off excess even with the sleeve edge.

4. Attach placket. Stitch placket in place from sleeve edges to corner of stay stitching only, using a 3/8" seam. Do not stitch across top of placket. Stop at the corner. Repeat for the other side. You can see the thread tails in the photo below where I stopped stitching at the corners.

5. Top stitch placket. Fold placket over seam allowances to the right side, lining up pressed edge along with seam line.

Top stitch along fold from sleeve edge to corner, the same as for attaching the placket. Do not stitch across top of placket. Repeat for other side. You can see where the stitching stops in the photo below.

6. Fold the top. Press the triangle at the top of the placket opening up.

Lay the sleeve down on a flat surface and extend the underlap. This is on the side closest to the sleeve back, or the side of the sleeve with the least amount fabric between placket and sleeve seam. Fold the top of the placket at a 45 degree angle inward and downward, which results in the other side of the sleeve folding upward at a 45 degree angle, with the overlap now at 90 degrees to the underlap.

Again, but closer so you can see the detail of the fold:

Now fold the overlap downward so that it is directly on top of the underlap. This will form another 45 degree angle at the top of the placket.

Trim top of triangle (now underneath the folds). Press folds and pin in place.

7. Finish the top . Once the top of the placket is pinned in place, draw a line 1 3/8" down from the point of the placket horizontally across the placket. Starting at the edge of the overlap, stitch across this line, pivot and stitch up and around point, pivoting at the corners and connecting with the top stitching on the overlap.

That's it, you're done! Here is the front and back:

Parting Shot: Done! My sweater is finally done! I am really, really pleased with how it turned out. I just love the style, color and fit, too.