How to make a ribbon-cuff t-shirt

1. Materials & tools

Materials (one shirt, size M)

• Outer (cotton lawn, voile or any light cotton) — about 110 cm wide × 200 cm (43 × 79 in)
• Or, if buying ribbon: 1.5 cm satin ribbon — about 150 cm
• Sewing thread to match
• A bodkin (a safety pin will do)

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Adult clothes” → “Ribbon-cuff T-shirt” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the bust, length, shoulder width, sleeve length, sleeve fullness, gathered cuff measurement, neckline width (one side) and ease. Presets cover S, M, L and a short-sleeved version. The greater the sleeve fullness, the more the cuff gathers when you tie it.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Trace the pattern
   Lay the pattern on the wrong side and trace both lines. Front and back are cut on the fold at center.
2. Cut the pieces
   One front and one back, each on the fold; two sleeves; one bias strip for the neckline; two sleeve ribbons.
3. Transfer the notches
   Mark the sleeve-cap notch and the casing fold line at the cuff — that is where the double fold goes.
4. Make the self-fabric ribbons
   Fold each strip in quarters (both edges to the center, then in half) and topstitch the open edge. Shop-bought satin ribbon works just as well.

4. Sewing

4-1. Sew the shoulders

1. Place front and back right sides together and sew the shoulder seams.
2. Finish the allowances and press them towards the back.

4-2. Bind the neckline

1. Join the bias strip into a loop, then sew it round the neckline right sides together.
2. Turn it to the inside and topstitch.

4-3. Make the cuff casings

1. Finish the cuffs before setting the sleeves in. Once the sleeve is a tube the double fold is much harder to stitch.
2. Turn the cuff under 1 cm, then 2.5 cm, and press.
3. Topstitch along the upper fold, right round. That is your casing.
4. Make two exits for the ribbon on what will be the outside of the sleeve. Cut a 1.5 cm slit through the inner layer only and finish each slit with buttonhole stitch or a tight zigzag. Skip that reinforcement and the slits will tear the first few times you pull the ribbon.

4-4. Set the sleeves

1. Match the sleeve-cap notch to the shoulder seam and set each sleeve in, right sides together.
2. Finish the allowances and press them towards the body.

4-5. Sew the sides and underarms

1. Place front and back right sides together and sew from the cuff down to the hem in one pass. Repeat on the other side.
2. Check that the seam allowance has not closed off the casing — if it has, the ribbon will not pass.

4-6. Hem, then thread the ribbons

1. Turn the hem under 1 cm then 2 cm and stitch.
2. Thread a ribbon through each casing with a bodkin or safety pin and bring both ends out of the slits.
3. Put the shirt on, decide how tight you like it, then trim the ribbon ends on the diagonal.

✏️ The trick to this pattern is finishing the cuffs while the sleeve is still flat. Flat, the double fold and the topstitching go in straight; as a tube you are feeding the sleeve round the machine arm and the stitching wanders. Keep to that order and the rest is an ordinary T-shirt.

5. Tips & variations

• Play with the ribbon: self-fabric is quiet, a contrasting satin makes it an occasion. Make several and swap them.
• Adjusting the puff: set the sleeve fullness to 12 cm or more and the cuff gathers into a proper puff sleeve. Around 8 cm gives a soft, restrained ripple.
• The short-sleeve preset: even short, the ribbon at the cuff quietly covers the upper arm.
• Nothing to tie: thread 1 cm flat elastic instead of ribbon and the sleeve needs no tying at all — better if you are making this for a child.
• Keep it light: thick fabric makes a bulky casing that the ribbon will not pass through. Lawn or voile.