How to sew a garment sleeve with lining

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Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Turn the garment

   Turn the entire garment right side out through the opening that was left in the seam or lining. This gives you easy access to both sleeve layers and makes the subsequent steps much easier to manage.

2. 2

   Align the sleeves

   Place the lining sleeve inside the main sleeve so they are nested together, then gently match the edges of both layers. Turn the edges of the sleeve and lining right sides together and pin just a few centimetres to keep them aligned before pulling through.

3. 3

   Pull the sleeve through and sew the hem

   Carefully pull the sleeve out through the lining opening, keeping everything aligned and using the pinned section as your reference. Match the rest of the sleeve hem edges together with right sides facing, pin all the way around, and sew the hem in a complete circle.

4. 4

   Turn and position the facing

   Flip the sleeve back right side out. Tuck the facing or hem allowance inside the sleeve so it sits completely flat and hidden. Pin it carefully in place to prevent any shifting before you move on to the hand stitching.

5. 5

   Finish with invisible hand stitching

   Turn the sleeve inside out again through the lining opening. Using a needle and thread, hand stitch the facing to the lining with small invisible stitches — insert the needle into the folded edge of the hem, catch just a few threads of the main fabric, and repeat along the full edge. Knot the thread securely at the end and trim.

6. 6

   Final steps

   Turn the sleeve right side out again, remove any temporary pins or clips, and give the sleeve hem a gentle press with an iron. The lining should sit smoothly inside with no rolling or bunching visible from the outside.

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