The Woven Essentials Dresses have less ease incorporated into the sleeve cap to make them easier to install, and also to provide a smooth yet relaxed shape for the sleeve itself. The method we recommend for installing the sleeve easily may take a little practice, but once you have tried our method, we think you might even enjoy sewing sleeves into your bodice.

Before you get started putting the pieces together, sew a basting stitch 1/8" inside the called for seam allowance (for Woven Essentials that would be 3/8").

Match your sleeve cap notch to the shoulder seam with right sides together.

Then, pin your sleeve front notch to the matching notch on the bodice armhole. You'll see the sleeve cap is curvier than the matching bodice area,

Clip the straight portion of the bodice to (but not through) the basting stitches to provide the necessary flexibility to match the seams easily.

[... to use this method on a typical sleeve with a large amount of ease in the sleeve cap, you may simply staystitch your gathered area between the notches and continue...]

Now, your sleeve is ready to sew into the bodice smoothly and easily, using your 1/2" seam allowance.

Press the seam allowances toward the bodice, so you can enclose them inside the facing in your next step.