1. Home
  2. Sewing Discussions
  3. question: sleeve adjustment?

question: sleeve adjustment?

I have had problems with Vogue patterns before with the upper sleeve being much too tight. I've got a nearly finished item from this summer which is sitting around because I'd forgotten learning this before. Sigh.

I'm not sure why I have this issue -- my arms are neither especially fat nor muscular. Go figure.

I've got an ambitious yen to make a business suit - I'm finding nothing I can stand in the stores lately. Enter pattern V2853.

I'm making the jacket a combination of size 14 and 16 - 14 at the chest and shoulders, blended to 16 at the waist and hips.

I could the sleeve for 16, but this will leave me with a lot of adjustment to make the armscye come together. I could blend the size - take the 16 line on the width and the 14 line on the sleeve cap.

Or, I could slash and spread the sleeve - but it has an upper and lower piece, with a large 4 button placket at the lower edge, and the slash line would cut right through it.

Oh, and there is a separate pattern piece for the upper sleeve lining, so any changes will have to be copied to it.

Any sage advice, oh fitting gurus?

-Liz

Reply to
Liz S. Reynolds
Loading thread data ...

Dear Liz

You can adjust the upper sleeve without changing the outer edge. Make a copy of the two sleeve pieces. Cut the under sleeve piece in half lengthwise, and reverse them. Tape them to the edges of the upper sleeve. You now have a "regular" set-in sleeve to work with.

Draw a long line on a piece of paper that is big enough to make a new sleeve. This line will be placed at the bicep, or beginning of the lengthwise sleeve seam. Draw another line above this one, anywhere from one to two inches. Now place the pattern over these lines, and push a pin into the dot at the center of the sleeve. The beginning of the armhole should be on the lower line, visible on both sides. Pivot the sleeve in one direction to meet the upper line, and trace the sleeve cap. Repeat in the other direction. If there is a dip in the center of the cap, blend it out. You have just made the sleeve larger in the bicep area, without changing the armscye edge.

Now, remove the underarm pieces, and turn them back around, and tape them together. There may not be much of a change, but again, there may be. That's why it's wise to do it this way.

There is a complicated formula for making a basic set-in sleeve into a two-piece sleeve, but if anyone is interested, I'll be happy to give it.

Teri

Reply to
gjones2938

on the width

Sounds tailormade for the seamline alteration method... draw in the seamlines, cut along them, and swing the SA to the side as needed for more width. Patch in paper.

See:

formatting link

Reply to
Kay Lancaster

InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.