Drafting a Straight Sleeve Sloper lesson from University of Fashion. (Image credit: University of Fashion)
Drafting a Sleeve
If you’ve ever tried to sew a sleeve and thought, “How hard could it be?”—welcome to one of the great plot twists of garment making. Drafting, fitting, and setting a sleeve can make all the difference between “loving-hands-at-home” and “couture quality”.
UoF’s Sleeve Measurement Chart assists in sleeve drafting: Suit Sleeve from Measurements lesson (Image credit: University of Fashion)
It all begins with sleeve drafting, which hinges on one thing: accurate body measurements (yes, the tape measure matters more than optimism) and/or by using measurements from our sleeve size charts.
UoF’s Women’s Straight Sleeve Measurement Chart for sizes 2-16 from our drafting a Straight Sleeve Sloper lesson. (Image credit: University of Fashion)
UoF’s process of planning sleeve ease stitches from our lesson Mounting & Fitting a Suit Jacket Sleeve .(Image credit: University of Fashion)
Then comes sleeve ease—the secret sauce. Too much, and your sleeve puffs like it has opinions. Too little, and it refuses to cooperate. Fun fact: the thinner the fabric, the less ease you need. Fabric has feelings, apparently.
Gathering the sleeve cap shirring is an art form. Most of the shirring will remain in the upper quadrant of the sleeve cap and the shirring stitches are pulled from the underside of the sleeve, from notch to notch. Fun tip: use your fingernails to distribute and “scratch” the shirring into place.
In our lessons on drafting both a straight and suit sleeve, we walk you through the process step by step—no guesswork, no drama. Well…less drama.
Setting a Sleeve
Our instructor points to problematic uneven sleeve gathers. (Image credit: University of Fashion)
Then comes the real adventure: setting the sleeve into the armhole. Ever had gathers that all migrate to one spot? Or ended up with a surprise pleat that you weren’t expecting? We’ve been there.
Our lesson on mounting & fitting a suit jacket sleeve, you learn how to gather the sleeve cap smoothly from notch to notch, how to distribute that ease evenly and then how to massage the seam allowance into the sleeve cap to create a rounded sleeve header.
Mounting a Jacket Sleeve
Adding more sleeve cap and width to a suit sleeve. (Image credit: University of Fashion)For jacket sleeves, once you have pinned your suit sleeve into the jacket’s armhole you must test it on a dress form to determine whether there is enough cap width, that the sleeve doesn’t sit away from the body at the wrist and whether the jacket’s grainline is in line with the side seam of the dress form. You will need to make adjustments, as needed.
Checking that the sleeve grainline is aligned with the side seam. (Image credit: University of Fashion)
Once you’ve mastered our sleeve basics, you’ll be able to move onto our other sleeve drafting lessons.
University of Fashion’s Sleeve Design Series:
UoF’s sleeve design lesson series. (Image credit: University of Fashion)
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