MAKING SLEEVES

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 81, Issue 2, 15 August 1950, Page 177

MAKING SLEEVES

THE less experienced home dressmaker often finds difficulty in making the sleeves of garments. This article by Edith G. McNab, Rural Sociologist, Department of Agriculture, Timaru, and its illustrations are intended to help women to handle the problems of sleeve making successfully. TO avoid difficulties in fitting, the measurements of a sleeve pattern should be checked before the pattern is used for the first time. The measurements used in producing sleeve patterns differ from one pattern company to another, and individual measurements vary so much that the pattern selected may not prove a good fit. If any seams are allowed on the pattern, such allowances must be deducted when the size is being tested. \ ' The diagram on the left shows a plain long sleeve. The line

AD represents the outer arm measurement, taken from the shoulder bone round the bent elbow to the wrist at the little finger line. The length from shoulder to elbow (AC) and elbow to wrist (CD) should be checked at the same time. Alterations in size may be made by slashing and spreading the pattern to enlarge it or overlapping to decrease the size, as described in the article “Preparing and Adapting Dressmaking Patterns” on page 403 of the “Journal” for April, 1948. Taking measurements was described under the heading “Measuring and Fitting for the Home Dressmaker” on page 633 of the June, 1949, issue. The inner arm measurement from the tendon at the front of the shoulder to the wrist at the thumb line corresponds to the

Hnes GM and HN on the diagram. Width measurements should be checked at wrist (MN), adding |in. extra for ease, and elbow (KL), using the measurement round the bent elbow and allowing lin. for ease.

An important width measurement is the base of the cap line (GH). The sleeve cap is the portion above this line. This measurement is taken with the tape horizontally round the arm, high up under the armpit, and . l|in. for ease should be added to it on the pattern. If the tape is left pinned round the arm here, the height of the cap may be taken using another tape, measuring from the shoulder bone to the bottom of the tape round the arm (AB). The width of the cap should be checked again at the level of the tendons joining the arms to the body (EF) 1| to 2in. above the base of the cap line. On the pattern these points are where the outward curve over the top of the sleeve changes to the inward curve under the arm. Notches are usually marked at this point. The measurement from tendon to tendon should be increased by IJin. for ease.

On the pattern the back part of this line measuring from the centre line (AD) should be -|in. longer than the front; that often provides a means; of deciding which is the back and which the front of f a badly marked pattern. When a sleeve is folded in halves lengthwise the wider portion at this level may be seen readily and that is the back. Sleeves which are full at the top are likely to have a greater height-of-cap measurement, and those full at the wrist may have a longer elbowwrist line measurement. Even a plain sleeve may have gin. added to the length just back from the centre line, and the wristline curved. Full sleeves may have all or only some of the width measurements . increased, depending on style. Plain, Fitting Sleeve The pattern for a plain, fitting sleeve will appear much as in the first diagram, but probably will have a wrist or elbow dart to fit the lower sleeve to the arm. If desired the dart s may be moved from one position to the other as shown in the diagrams below. The wrist dart should not take out more than 3in. of material; if more requires to be fitted out at the wrist the fitting may be done at the seam. Sometimes two or three small elbow darts are used in place of one larger dart. Elbow darts are limited in

size, for they must be short. Some patterns of plain dress sleeves have one seam eased on to the other at the elbow instead of darts. When darts are provided for they should be made before the lengthwise seam. In many factorymade garments the sleeve is joined to the garment before the sleeve is made so that sleeve and underarm garment seams are sewn in one operation. Though that saves time in the making of overalls or pyjamas, in which fit is not important, it is not a good practice for dresses and other outer garments in which the fit needs to be good. Best results are obtained by setting in the sleeve after the shoulder and underarm garment seams have been made and the long sleeve seams sewn. All seams should be pressed as they are finished and before they are crossed by another seam. When the top of the sleeve is eased or gathered, a double row of : gathering stitches Jin. from the edge of the material^and Jin. apart gives best results. Either hand running stitches may be made using double thread and a knot and a backstitch to start, or the stitches may be gathered by machine, using a very large stitchand loosening the tension; both threads are pulled together. In some designs darts instead of gathers are used to fit the sleeve over the shoulder; these darts should be fitted, sewn, and pressed toward the top of the shoulder before the sleeve is set in. To pin in the sleeve have the garment inside out and the sleeve turned right side out. Slip the sleeve into the

garment, matching the underarm seam of the sleeve with the underarm seam of the garment, and pin them. Match and pin the two pieces at the back and front notches, and match the mark at the top of the sleeve with the shoulder seam. Make sure the back of the sleeve is pinned to the back of the garment; that should not be difficult if the pattern carried distinctive marks for matching and if those marks were transferred to the material If the sleeve had no marks, the back can be found as described earlier. Pin sleeve and garment together all round the armhole, using plenty of pins, and pinning at right angles to the seam line. Pull up the gathering threads to fit the sleeve to the garment and distribute the gathers as directed by the pattern. Usually most of the gathers are arranged over the top and slightly toward the back of the shoulder. Easing or gathering is more readily controlled when the garment and sleeve are turned back over the left hand so that the gathers or eased part are on top. After pinning the sleeve use fairly small stitches to baste it in position. When both sleeves have been done, remove the pins and try the garment on. The lengthwise straight grain, marked on the material by a line of basting thread before the pattern is removed, should appear as a vertical line from the end of the shoulder seam when the arm is hanging relaxed at the side. The base of the cap line should be on the crosswise straight grain and should be horizontal when the garment is on the figure. If the lengthwise straight grain is not vertical, the top of the sleeve must be ripped out and refitted. Also check the armhole seam for position, ease of movement, and neatness of fit. If all is satisfactory, the sleeve may be sewn in by machine, the eased or gathered sleeve being kept on the bottom and the garment on top. When the basting stitches have been removed the seam allowance should be clipped almost to the machine stitching at the notches at either side; above these points the

seam allowances should be turned over on to the body of the garment. If necessary, clip the seam allowances at intervals all round the armhole to allow them to lie flat against the garment. Do not clip quite to the machine stitching. The seam allowances may be caught at the shoulder seam with a few hand stitches to ensure that they remain turned over against the garment. The part of the seam which lies under the arm when the garment is worn is not turned over but is allowed to stand up or fall over during wearing. The seam may be finished by a second row of machine stitching about jin. from the first and the raw edges trimmed and overcast if necessary. If shoulder pads are used, they are attached after the seams are made and pressed.

Two-piece Sleeve

The pattern pieces for a two-piece sleeve are shown in the diagram on the right. This sleeve is used for tailored garments. The two lengthwise seams are sewn first. The upper arm piece is usually eased on to the lower arm piece at the elbow on the little finger seam line. Elbow level is at the lines EF in the diagram. Neither of the two seams is matched to the underarm garment seam when the sleeve is set in; they are joined to the garment at or about the points where the back and front tendons join the arm to the body. Any reliable pattern - will have those points marked by notches, or they can be located by fitting the sleeve on the figure. The sleeve cap should fit smoothly and snugly, and the lengthwise straight grain should be vertical as for the one-piece plain sleeve.

When a two-piece sleeve is used for woollen or

worsted garments any excess fullness at the top of the sleeve is usually shrunken out by judicious pressing under a damp cloth to mould the sleeve over the curve of the arm and shoulder. Short Sleeves The long-sleeve pattern may be shortened as desired to make short sleeves or three-quarter-length sleeves. Usually the sleeve is cut straight across at the appropriate place, but special designs may be shaped. A commercial short-sleeve pattern should have its measurements checked as for the upper part of a long sleeve. .

If the lower edge is straight, it may be turned in and hemmed, using very inconspicuous stitches. If the edge is. curved or the sleeve fits closely, a bias facing may be used. The facing is stitched on by machine, right sides of the material together, and turned to the wrong side, ensuring that no part of the facing is visible from the right side. The raw edge is turned in and hemmed. Sometimes the design of the sleeve calls for a fitted facing. The facing is cut exactly the same as the lower part of the sleeve and of a suitable width; it should not be too narrow. Especially if the fabric is thick, an inside facing may be cut very slightly smaller than the lower edge of the sleeve and an outside facing a little larger. The seam joining the ends of a fitted facing should be made before the facing is attached to the sleeve. This seam should lie over the sleeve seam when the facing is in position. If a contrast or trimming is desired, the facing may be stitched inside the sleeve, right side of the facing to the wrong side of the sleeve, and turned to the outside, the raw edge being folded under and stitched down to the sleeve; otherwise the facing is attached as described for a bias facing. - Cuffs may be used to finish sleeves. They may be cut on the straight or bias, the width, length, and shape depending on the style desired. Sleeves are usually gathered or pleated into wrist cuffs. The fullness may be used in this way instead of being fitted out in a dart, or extra fullness may be added. Usually a placket is required if a cuff is used to finish a long sleeve. Making plackets will be described in a separate article.

A plain, straight, blouse cuff is made by cutting on the straight grain a piece of material double the finished width plus seam allowances and the length of the wrist measurement plus ease, overlap for closing; and seam allowances. The amount of overlap depends on the style of the placket and the method of fastening. The cuffs are folded in halves lengthwise, right sides together, joined across the ends, and turned to the right side before being attached to the sleeve. If all stitching is to be invisible, the cuff is machined to the sleeve, which is gathered or pleated to fit, right sides together. The remaining raw edge of the cuff is turned in and hand stitched to : the sleeve, each stitch being taken under a stitch of the machined row and into the seam allowances, so that the end of the sleeve is fixed between the two layers of the cuff. If decorative stitching is to be used on the outside of the garment, the'cuff is attached to the wrong side of the sleeve first, the second edge of the cuff being turned in and stitched in position on the right side to hide the first row of machine stitching. If the sleeve has been gathered heavily, the join will be flatter if some of the fullness is trimmed out of the seam allowance as shown in the illustration above. n Cutting Fabric on the Bias Material to be cut on the bias should either have a selvedge (woven edge) or be cut along a drawn thread exactly on the straight lengthwise grain. Fold the material so that this straight lengthwise edge lies parallel to the crosswise grain, or weft. The selvedge will form a right angle when the fabric is correctly folded. The diagonal fold is the true bias, and strips for facing or binding may be cut parallel to this fold as illustrated on the left. If joining is necessary, place the strips together so that the seam comes on the straight grain; the strips are in the correct position to be joined when they are at right angles.