Iceman is ready with new geometry, rigged, weighted...
UV mapping now, using the UV editor, automatic mapping and then cutting the map to make sure that the seams are at the back...
This really reminds me of costume design and paper pattern making at Wimbledon School of Art...
Using the sew UV tool, with a brush size that will only select and incorporate the edges that I require to be sewn (if the brush size, indicated by the faint black circle in the image below, is too large it will cover a multitude of edges - and will attempt to sew them all together - and the result will be a mess.
Only the two edges of the arm - as highlighted by the orange line - will be sewn together. The last segment on the right show edges highlighted in red. These will be sewn together by click and drag select...
Using the unfold UV tool, to smooth out the map...I am using the space outside of the UV area to work on, and will move and scale the map accordingly, once done, and fit it all onto the UV area