Mastering the Continuous Lap

The continuous lap is the most common way of finishing a vent on a long sleeve shirt with traditional cuffs.  There are a few tricks to getting it right and that's what this blog post is all about.

To begin, cut the continuous lap just a little longer than the pattern calls for.

The exact length required depends on the length of the vent.  If you cut the vent just a little longer than the pattern calls for, the continuous lap will be too short, which is a mess.  With a longer lap, you can just cut off any excess at the end.  Since this is a small pattern piece, finding a little extra room to make it 1" longer is usually no big deal.

Step 1 is to cut the vent, using the traced pattern markings.  For best results, the cut needs to be straight and correctly oriented, no big deal if the traced markings are right.

Step 2 is to pin the lap to the vent.  It's important to put the RIGHT side of the vent fabric next to the WRONG side of the sleeve.  Yes, this is very different from the usual right sides together.  The seam will be 1/4" on the lap and 1/4" on the sleeve at the ends of the vent, tapering to almost nothing (1/16" or so) at the center.

Here's what the seem should look like when sewn:

Be careful that the seam is still on the fabric at the top of the vent and that there are no tucks or creases.

Turn the lap to the right side of the sleeve and press.  Also press in a 1/4 hem in the continuous lap on the side where it isn't yet sewn.

Pin the lap on the right side of the sleeve, tucking the hem and the first seam into the lap.  Be sure that the edge of the lap is 1/16" to 1/8" beyond the original seam.  The idea is that the first and second seams should be on top of each other.

Sew the second seam of the lap right on top of the first.  Be very careful to catch the top of the vent in the lap and to not have tucks or creases in the top.  Yes, it's possible to make this happen.

As the last step, pin the side of the lap away from the sleeve seam under the sleeve.  You are now ready to sew up the sleeve and attach the cuff.

Come back next Saturday for more fun with a sewing machine!