Drafting Basic Sleeves

July 2007

by Marion McNealy

1. Start by taking your fitted bodice patterns, the front and the back

 2. Lay them out flat, and overlap the shoulders so that seam lines are butted together. You can also fold back the seam allowence and butt the two patterns together.

3. Take a piece of string and lay it along the seam line of the two bodice pieces, from the side seam on the front, over the shoulder to the side seam on the back.
a. Cut the string to the length of the seam.
b. Put a mark on the string where it crosses the shoulder line.
You are using the string to measure the length of the armscyth. Its much easier than laying your measuring tape on its edge. 		4. Now measure the string. You need three measurements
a. Total length of armscyth
b. Length of front armscyth
c. Length of back armscyth
All instructions from this point use the Sleeve Block Measurements section on the measurements sheet
5. Take a large sheet of paper, it should be 10 inches longer than measurement C and 8 inches wider than measurement D. You want a long rectangle of paper 6. Measure and find the middle of the paper, and draw a verticle line. This will be the center of your sleeve.

7. Measure 3 inches from the bottom and mark a line. This will be the cuff edge of your sleeve.

8. From the bottom line, measure up the total amount of measurement A, and draw a horizontal line. This is the top of your sleeve cap.

9. From the top line, measure down and mark measurement B, the length from Shoulder to Elbow. Draw a horizontal line.

10. Now measure out along the
a. top line, measurement D, Biceps.
b. Mid line, measurement E, elbow
c. Bottom line, measurement H, hand around the knuckles.

11. Now connect the dots with a straight line.

12. Now take your piece of string that you used to measure the armscyth with. Lay it on the paper, with the center mark on the center line, taking care to know which side is front and which side is back. Arrange the string in a wavey line, like this. It will take some fiddling with it, you want the dip to be no more than 2 inches below the top line, and the top curve to be no more than 3 inches above the top line.
Sometimes the string doesn’t fit with such a flat curve, so its OK to make it fit within the parameters and increase the sleeve width. But you can’t shorten the string, otherwise the sleeve won’t fit in the dress.

13. Here I’ve demonstrated a sleeve where the string didn’t fit the width of the sleeve, so the width had to be increased. The red is the old line, the green the new.
When the string is adjusted properly, carefully draw right next to it with a pencil.

14. This sleeve is ready for seam allowences. Add them on ALL sides.
This sleeve pattern makes a period style sleeve that has the seam going up the back of the arm, not under the arm as most modern commercial patterns have the sleeves.

When you cut and sew the sleeve you will have a left sleeve and a right sleeve. Just remember that the seam goes up the back, when you pin it to the bodice. I like to pin it in and then double check before sewing it, saves having to rip it out when you make a mistake.

Drafting the Cuffs

1. To make the cuffs, I use the same string technique as for the armscyth, only this time it’s the sleeve cuff that we are measureing.
 2. Take a piece of string, and measure the bottom sleeve edge. Fold it in half and cut into two pieces
3.Take the half piece of string and lay it out on the paper, you want a nice curve, but not too much. Draw next to the string to capture the curve.

4. Next, decide how long you want your cuffs. I like about 3-3 ½”, but you may like them shorter. Draw the depth in the center of the curve line, and on a slant on the ends. All three lines should be the same length.

5. Now draw the bottom curve.

6. Add seam allowences on all sides. This makes one half of one flared cuff .

If you have any questions or comments about these instructions, please email me at m_mc_nealy(at)yahoo.com

Have fun!

Marion