Gussets by Hand

 It's funny how you can do something many times, and still learn more.  When you first start in the SCA, there are two basic ways you are taught to make a tunic with sleeve gussets.

The first one is to sew the square gusset to the side of the sleeve, then sew the sleeve to the body of the tunic.  Then you sew the side seams, somehow managing to sew the other three sides of the gusset.  Because this is frustrating, the second way is to split the gusset into 2 triangles.  The side seams are now easy, but you have a seam in the middle of the gusset, which defeats some of the purpose of it in the first place.

The problem with both of these methods is that it assumes that you are using a sewing machine.  If you are constructing the garment by hand, gussets are no problem whatsoever.

1.  Sew the gusset to one side of the sleeve.

2.  Sew the gusset to the other side of the sleeve and sew the rest of the sleeve seam.

3.  Finish all of the seams on the sleeve now.  It is much easier than after it is attached to the rest of the tunic.

4.  Sew the sleeve to the body of the tunic. It should be one seam starting and ending at the point of the gusset.

5.  Sew the side seam.

I have no idea why this seemed so magically easy this time.  I guess I just haven't sewn any gussets in a while.


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