Friday, May 12, 2023

Friday Fun Fact: Drafting poofy sleeves

Poofy sleeves are in again, and you won't believe how easy it is to modify your pattern and sew this style!

I drew some sketches for you for this one, and keep in mind that I Cannot Draw, so hopefully this gets the point across, though it won't win any art prizes.

All you need to start with is a basic sleeve pattern, a pencil, some extra paper, and tape.

We're going to add volume by slashing the pattern and spreading it. Then you can simply gather the sleeve into your armscye for extra poof!

Because you're gathering the sleeve cap, the measurements don't need to be exact. You can afford to estimate here!

First, draw vertical lines down the entire length of the sleeve. 

Then cut along the lines and tape them all to a big piece of paper, spreading your pieces out. Keep the bottom edge aligned.

Connect the edges and smooth out the jogs (a curved fashion ruler can help with this! - get one here)

Gather the extra fullness into a cuff or just let it stay loose!

This works just as well for a short or long sleeve.

If you prefer to keep the sleeve cap smooth, but still want some fun floof, hinge your cuts so that the sleeve cap stays the same, and add only to the lower edge.

Then you can gather just at the bottom for a puff at the wrist, or leave it loose for a bell or flutter sleeve.

Bonus tip: You can add a little more fullness to a cuffed sleeve by adding a couple extra inches of length, too! That's how you get those romantic poet sleeves.

I had a lot of fun making doodles for you guys, so I hope they inspire you to modify your sleeves with confidence!

Check out all our Friday Fun Facts in the archive here!

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