Draping sleeves.. Who knew!

As a second part to my earlier post about draping on the stand as the new way of drafting I have created this post to talk about the infamous sleeve.

As anyone who is a seasoned costumier / pattern cutter / likes to make clothes knows, sleeves are the devil. Hence why the majority of outfits I make for myself are sleeveless. Drafting and sewing in a perfect looking and fitting sleeve can be a nightmare. Particularly when the sleeve is meant to be fitted, and has none of the fullness of gathering or ruching to make up for a lack of accuracy.

Working in the theatre over summer I got known as 'the girl who likes sleeves' or 'the sleeve Queen'. The majority of costumes that required a sleeve were passed onto me after the bodice was constructed so I could work my magic with a sleeve. I'm not entirely sure how I got this title, I think perhaps just because I was willing to take on the challenge (and admittedly one day I did say I actually like sewing sleeves. Mistake? Nah.) So I set upon my task of dutifully sewing in the sleeves. On my last full day of sewing I was hurled a partially sewn dress for Mrs Potts from Beauty and the Beast and told to finish it asap. It was the dress rehearsal directly before the first performance and Mrs Potts still didn't have a 'human' dress to change into at the end. I had a few hours to do it. The overall sewing of the dress went well, and then it hit me, I had to do a sleeve. Solo. This time I had noones help or guidance, I had to draft and sew in a sleeve to a bodice I didn't draft myself - talk about tricky.

But I did it.

I have never felt such a sense of achievement than when I gathered that sleeve into place, put it on the actress and it looked good. I added a few pleats across the fullness of the cap to give it some decoration and shape, and it was done.

I've stared the sleeve in the eye, and I won.

Yet, I slightly moved off topic there. I really wanted to show my draping sample. We were working on 19th Century styles, so had the lovely leg of mutton sleeve to create.

Back

Front

Side

Pleating down the inside seam

A little bit of measuring and a lot of counting squares from an original pattern, a few lines drawn on some calico, a line of machine stitching and a line of gathering and you're sorted. No fiddly numbers and instructions, no absolute accuracy. Just playing around with a shape. And what a shape it created.

Draping on the stand really has shown me a new way to create your flat patterns. Not only a new way, but a fun and effective way. 

Keep your eyes peeled, my clothes might start resembling some 19th Century chic!