How to sew a cuff: knit bands and buttoned cuffs

A knit cuff is a strip of ribbing or self-fabric cut shorter than the sleeve opening, folded in half lengthwise and stretched onto the sleeve with a stretch stitch, so it hugs the wrist and springs back. A buttoned cuff is a woven band, interfaced on one half, sewn to the gathered or pleated end of a sleeve above a placket, folded over to enclose the raw edges and closed with a buttonhole and button. The knit cuff takes ten minutes a pair; the buttoned cuff takes longer because the placket comes first, but neither needs special equipment.

What do you need to sew a cuff?

For knit cuffs:

• Ribbing or self-fabric with at least 50 % stretch across the width. Rib knit recovers best; a cuff cut from the same jersey as the body works if the jersey has good recovery.
• A stretch needle (75/11 or 80/12), polyester thread and a stretch stitch: a narrow zigzag of 1 mm width and 2.5 mm length, the lightning stitch, or a serger.
• Pins or clips to quarter the cuff and the sleeve.

For buttoned cuffs:

• The cuff pieces, cut on the straight grain, usually one per sleeve folded, or two per sleeve seamed at the top.
• Fusible interfacing for half of each cuff, in a weight that matches the fabric.
• Two buttons of 10–12 mm (3/8–1/2 in) and the buttonhole foot that came with your machine.
• A finished placket on each sleeve, sewn before the cuff goes on.

How do you work out the size of a knit cuff?

Measure the sleeve opening at the seam line, not the cut edge. The cuff is cut shorter than that so it draws the sleeve in, and the amount depends on how much the fabric stretches and recovers:

Add two seam allowances to the length for the cuff seam. For the height, double the finished height and add two seam allowances: a 6 cm (2 3/8 in) finished cuff with 1 cm (3/8 in) allowances is cut 14 cm (5 1/2 in) high. The stretch runs along the length of the strip, around the wrist.

If you want the cuff to pass over the hand without a struggle, check that the cut length stretched to its limit is larger than the widest part of your hand, around 22–25 cm (8 3/4–10 in) for most adults.

How do you sew a knit cuff, step by step?

1. Cut the cuff with the greatest stretch running along its length. Cut it square to the ribs: a cuff cut off grain twists once worn.
2. Sew the short ends right sides together into a ring, with a 1 cm (3/8 in) allowance and a stretch stitch. Press the seam open with your fingers or a cool iron.
3. Fold the ring in half wrong sides together, raw edges matched, so the seam is inside. Press lightly. The ring is now a doubled band.
4. Quarter the cuff and the sleeve. Fold the cuff flat with the seam at one end and mark the opposite fold with a pin; fold again to find the other two quarters. Do the same on the sleeve opening, starting at the underarm seam.
5. Pin the cuff into the sleeve right sides together, raw edges level, matching the four pins. Line the cuff seam up with the underarm seam so it hides there.
6. Sew with the cuff on top, stretching the cuff between the pins until it lies flat against the sleeve, without stretching the sleeve itself. Use the stretch stitch or a 4-thread overlock, 1 cm from the edge. Sew in the round with the sleeve on the free arm.
7. Press the allowance toward the sleeve and let the cuff relax. A row of topstitching on the sleeve 5 mm (1/4 in) above the seam, with a twin needle or a long zigzag, keeps the allowance flat and is standard on sweatshirts.

The method is the same as the neckband of a T-shirt, with a tighter ratio because the wrist opening is smaller; the neckband post goes into the quartering in more detail. The sewing guide of Sewly's sweatshirt pattern lists the cuff pieces with their cut lengths already reduced for ribbing, and uses 1 cm allowances on knits by default.

How do you sew a buttoned cuff on a shirt sleeve?

A buttoned cuff needs an opening in the sleeve above it, or the hand would not pass through. Sew the placket first, whether it is a continuous bound placket or a tower placket, and finish the sleeve seam. Then:

1. Interface one half of each cuff piece on the wrong side, up to the fold line, and press the long unfused edge under by the seam allowance, 1.5 cm (5/8 in).
2. Pleat or gather the sleeve end until it matches the finished cuff length. On a shirt, two 1.5 cm pleats next to the placket are usual; on a blouse, two rows of gathering stitches give a softer look. The placket edges end flush with the ends of the cuff: the underlap is level with one cuff end and the overlap with the other.
3. Sew the interfaced half to the sleeve right sides together, the cuff extending by its seam allowance at each end. Press the allowance into the cuff.
4. Fold the cuff right sides together along the fold line and sew the two short ends, 1.5 cm from the edge, pivoting at the pressed edge. Trim the corners, turn and push the corners out with a point turner.
5. Press the folded edge over the seam on the inside, so it covers the first row of stitching by 2 mm (1/16 in). Stitch in the ditch from the right side, or edgestitch all around the cuff 2 mm from the edge, which also catches the inside.
6. Make the buttonhole on the overlap end, parallel to the cuff edge, centered in the cuff height, 1.5 cm from the end. Sew the button on the underlap to match. How to sew buttonholes covers the foot and the sizing.

Cuff length is your wrist circumference plus 5–6 cm (2–2 1/4 in) of ease and overlap, usually 21–24 cm (8 1/4–9 1/2 in) finished; height is 5–7 cm (2–2 3/4 in).

What are the common mistakes when sewing cuffs?

• A knit cuff that flares was cut too long or from fabric with poor recovery. Measure the ratio, and test the fabric: stretch a 10 cm length and see whether it returns to 10 cm.
• A knit cuff that will not go over the hand was cut too short or sewn with a straight stitch, which breaks as soon as the seam is stretched. Always use a stitch with give.
• Wavy seams come from stretching the sleeve as well as the cuff. Only the cuff stretches; the sleeve is fed without tension.
• A twisted cuff was cut off grain. Cut along a rib, and fold the ring so the seam is straight.
• A buttoned cuff that shows the seam on the outside was folded with the wrong half outside. The interfaced half faces out; the plain half, with its pressed edge, finishes the inside.
• A limp buttoned cuff had no interfacing. Even on a soft blouse, a light fusible keeps the buttonhole from stretching.

When should you use a cuff instead of a hem or elastic?

A knit cuff is the right finish when the sleeve is wide and you want it to end snugly at the wrist, on sweatshirts, hoodies, pajamas and the ankles of jogger pants. A plain hem suits a sleeve that is already the right width at the wrist, as on a T-shirt; see how to hem. A casing with elastic gives the same gathered look as a cuff on wovens, where ribbing would be a visible contrast, and the elastic casing method used at a waist applies to sleeves as well. The buttoned cuff is for shirts and blouses with a full sleeve that needs an opening, and it is the only one of the three that can be worn rolled back without stretching out.