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How do I add them? (Moderated by Deepika, Sharon1952)
Posted on: 2/8/11 12:57 PM ET
I really like for my long-sleeve tees to stay down around my wrists because I am always cold and my skinny arms seem to have some kind of problem that makes sleeves want to bunch around my elbows.
I used to have an employee who wore these great thumb-hole sleeved knit shirts. I've wanted one for ages but could never find a good price on them, especially considering they're unlikely to be long enough for me anyway. (Extra-long limbs.)
So if I wanted to sew a long-sleeve knit top for myself, how would I go about making those thumb-holes? Unlike this photo, I would want them to be as neat as possible, much in the way that a button-hole looks on knits, but large enough for my thumb.

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I used to have an employee who wore these great thumb-hole sleeved knit shirts. I've wanted one for ages but could never find a good price on them, especially considering they're unlikely to be long enough for me anyway. (Extra-long limbs.)
So if I wanted to sew a long-sleeve knit top for myself, how would I go about making those thumb-holes? Unlike this photo, I would want them to be as neat as possible, much in the way that a button-hole looks on knits, but large enough for my thumb.
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Heather in Baltimore
Posted on: 2/8/11 3:00 PM ET
In reply to sharkycharming
You could try a self-fabric cuff. While closing the cuff seam , leave gaps in the stitching big enough to put your thumb thru. You might have to experiment a little bit to get the seam 'holes' to line up if you're doubling over the cuff. Then sew the cuff to the sleeve end. Simple, and not noticeable when the thumbhole isn't being used. You might have to adjust the cuff seam placement to not be exactly lined up with the underarm seam so that your thumb can use the hole without twisting the shirt.
Posted on: 2/8/11 3:04 PM ET
In reply to sharkycharming
i love these kinds of sleeves. i've seen them done with a hole in the underarm seam for your thumbs, like an inseam buttonhole. my son has a sweatshirt with this type of sleeve, and what they did was bind a slit in the cuff with ribbing, then stitched the cuff onto the sleeve. so cut a little slit in the cuff and cover it with ribbing, as if you were making a continuous sleeve placket. make sense?
i like the exposed seams on your picture too. just a different look, that's all.
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i like the exposed seams on your picture too. just a different look, that's all.
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Linda
Girls do not dress for boys. They dress for themselves, and of course, each other. If girls dressed for boys, they’d just walk around naked at all times.
-- Betsey Johnson
http://mamafitz.blogspot.com
Girls do not dress for boys. They dress for themselves, and of course, each other. If girls dressed for boys, they’d just walk around naked at all times.
-- Betsey Johnson
http://mamafitz.blogspot.com
Posted on: 2/8/11 3:22 PM ET
In reply to sharkycharming
I left a hole in the sleeve seam and top stitched the seam allowance on both sides. You need to extend the sleeve in length and widen the extension to accommodate your palm. It works quite well.

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Be you. The world will adjust.
Central Coast of NSW, Australia
theinsouciantstitcher.wordpress.com
Central Coast of NSW, Australia
theinsouciantstitcher.wordpress.com
Posted on: 2/8/11 3:23 PM ET
I don't have a magic answer (I haven't tried this myself), but I do have the long arms and a love of the thumb-holes, so here's my thoughts :)
The one you show seems to be in the seam of the sleeve, which would be fairly easy to do---just leave a little gap in your stitching, and finish it or not how you like---but in a standard knit shirt the seam comes more towards your palm or even pinkie, so twisting it around to put your thumb through might be annoying, depending on your preference. If you put in an extra seam or put the thumbhole in the cuff, this could avoid the problem (if it's a problem for you).
As to how to finish it---in a cuff seam, I've seen them just as a gap in the seam where the cuff is stitched to the inside layer of the cuff. This would be a bit fiddly but I'm sure could be done. If you want to put the hole in like a buttonhole, maybe reinforcing it with fabric stiffener, starch, even a wash-away stabilizer would work while you put in the stitching like a regular buttonhole (or a little circle, if you're better at free-hand machien embroidery than I am). If you were really determined you could maybe put a little band, like at a neckline, around it---it would be cute but I admit that fine of sewing would probably defeat me. Of course with most knits you could just cut it out and leave it, but I suspect that's not the finish you're looking for.
Have fun!
The one you show seems to be in the seam of the sleeve, which would be fairly easy to do---just leave a little gap in your stitching, and finish it or not how you like---but in a standard knit shirt the seam comes more towards your palm or even pinkie, so twisting it around to put your thumb through might be annoying, depending on your preference. If you put in an extra seam or put the thumbhole in the cuff, this could avoid the problem (if it's a problem for you).
As to how to finish it---in a cuff seam, I've seen them just as a gap in the seam where the cuff is stitched to the inside layer of the cuff. This would be a bit fiddly but I'm sure could be done. If you want to put the hole in like a buttonhole, maybe reinforcing it with fabric stiffener, starch, even a wash-away stabilizer would work while you put in the stitching like a regular buttonhole (or a little circle, if you're better at free-hand machien embroidery than I am). If you were really determined you could maybe put a little band, like at a neckline, around it---it would be cute but I admit that fine of sewing would probably defeat me. Of course with most knits you could just cut it out and leave it, but I suspect that's not the finish you're looking for.
Have fun!
Posted on: 2/8/11 3:45 PM ET
Whoa, such great ideas from all of you, I am going to have to think on it and maybe try each of these ideas with different shirts. I've got a nice pile of bamboo jersey that's dying for me to sew it.
FranticFashion, your top is very cool!
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FranticFashion, your top is very cool!
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Heather in Baltimore
Posted on: 2/8/11 10:04 PM ET
This is just so funny!
I bought my 14yo DD a shirt like this for xmas and she loves it. I told her that it reminded me of a sweatshirt she had a few years ago that she had ripped and chewed holes in the cuffs and wore it with her thumbs in the holes! She, of course being 14, said that she didn't know what I was talking about, that she would never have done that. (Like, MOM!, like eeww! You don't know what you're talking about! ...roll eyes during entire sentence)
Judy
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I bought my 14yo DD a shirt like this for xmas and she loves it. I told her that it reminded me of a sweatshirt she had a few years ago that she had ripped and chewed holes in the cuffs and wore it with her thumbs in the holes! She, of course being 14, said that she didn't know what I was talking about, that she would never have done that. (Like, MOM!, like eeww! You don't know what you're talking about! ...roll eyes during entire sentence)
Judy
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judyp
Posted on: 2/8/11 10:07 PM ET
If you have time you can pop in to a store for runners. Lots of running tops have that feature and it should be easy to see how it's done.
Posted on: 2/9/11 9:15 AM ET
Thanks, happytobehere -- I will check it out. I hate running more than almost anything in the world, so I didn't realize they used those kinds of tops.
Judy, wow, I don't know anyone gets through those eye-rolling years. But I, too, have stuck my thumbs through holes in worn out sleeves!
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Judy, wow, I don't know anyone gets through those eye-rolling years. But I, too, have stuck my thumbs through holes in worn out sleeves!
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Heather in Baltimore
Posted on: 2/9/11 2:05 PM ET
In reply to sharkycharming
I think Trena made a similar top recently (purple? green?) so check out her blog The Slapdash Sewist.
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