Taking the Measures - Drafting a Pattern for a Sleeve - Alteration of Stock Patterns

The following sleeve measures must be taken :

1. " Round Armhole." This measure must be taken rather loosely.

2. " Round elbow." Bend the arm slightly when taking this measure.

3. " * Round wrist."

4. " Inside length of arm." Take this measure from the top of the inside seam of the sleeve to the wrist. (See Diagram 2.)

* N.b. - If the sleeve is to slip over the hand, instead of being buttoned or hooked at the wrist, the pattern must be drafted about two inches larger than the actual wrist measurement.

Diagram 1. Measurements taken round armhole, elbow, and wrist. The arm to be slightly bent

"Plain Lines" for Sleeve Pattern

Place the square along and near the bottom edge of the paper, with the short arm to the right, pointing upwards, and draw the length of sleeve line and the width of sleeve line. (See Diagram 3.) Measure along the length line three inches, make a mark, and draw a line parallel to the width line (for the balance line), and two inches beyond it, make another mark, and place the letter a. This denotes the top of the inside seam. Deduct four inches from the round armhole measure (No. 1), measure the remaining number of inches on the " balance line," make a mark, and write b. This denotes the top of the upper piece of the sleeve.

Diagram 2. Taking the inside length of arm

Measure half that number, make a mark on the width line, write c, and from the mark draw slanting lines to the marks at a and b. These are plan lines for the top of the sleeve.

Draw a sloping line four inches long, from the mark at a to touch the balance line, and write d. This line denotes the top of the under-arm.

Outline Of Pattern

Draw a curving line from the marks at a to c and on to b for the top of the sleeve, and a curving line from the mark at a, to d, for the top of the under-arm piece, as shown in Diagram 4.

Diagram 3. Place the square with the short arm to the right, pointing upwards, and draw the length of sleeve line

On the length line measure from a the inside length of arm measure (No. 4), make a mark, and write e. This is for the length of the sleeve, and half-way between a and E make a mark (for the bend of the arm), from it, measure upwards two and a half inches, make a mark, and draw two sloping lines, one to a, the other to e, for the inside seam.

To obtain the elbow line, place the square in the position shown on Diagram 5, and draw a line along the long arm.

Deduct three inches (more or less) from the round elbows measure (No. 2), and halve the remainder. Measure and mark this half on the elbow line (from the bend of the arm), and place the letter f, for the width of the under-arm piece at the elbow, and above the mark at f, measure the three inches deducted from the round elbow measure (for the width of the top or larger piece of the sleeve), make a mark, and write g. Draw a line from g to b, and a line from f to d.

Deduct three inches from the

* round wrist measure (No. 3), halve the remainder, measure and mark this half (from E), for the wrist line, and place the letter h, and, from the mark at h, measure the three

4327 dress inches deducted ; make another mark, and place the letter i.

Diagram 4. Draw a curving line from A to C and from A to D

Draw a line from H to f, and from I to g. Next measure the length of the sloping line from a to bend of arm, and on to e.

Diagram 5. To obtain the elbow line place the square in the position shown in this diagram

N.B. - This measure must be made to correspond with the inside length of arm measure (No. 4), so that, if the mark at e is not exactly at that length, it must be slightly-raised or lowered.

Place the square with the long arm passing through the mark and the short arm along the line 1 g (as in Diagram 5). and draw a line from e to 1 for the wrist line.

Measure three-quarters of an inch on each side of the mark at e, and draw two slanting lines to meet at the bend of arm, and another line (three-quarters of an inch long), slightly sloping to the left, to complete the bottom of the sleeve. (See Diagram 6). Slightly curve the line from bend of arm to a.

* N.b. - If the sleeve is to be drafted to slip over the hand, two inches must be added to the round wrist measure before the three inches are deducted.

To Cut Out The Pattern

Place the drafted pattern on another sheet of paper, and with a tracing-wheel trace through to the under-sheet of paper the outdiagram 6. Measure three-quarters of an inch each side of mark at E, and draw two slanting lines to meet bend of arm line of the under-arm piece - i.e., the lines D to f and on to h, the curve a to d, and the curve a to bend of arm, the inner line from bend of arm to wrist-line and on to H.

Remove the drafted pattern, and cut the under-arm piece from the traced outline on the second sheet of paper (see Diagram 7). Next cut out the drafted pattern in one piece through the curved line a to c, and on to b, then to g and 1 ; from a through the curved line to bend of arm, and on the outer line wrist; from 1 to h on to point of arrow at E, and down the sloping line three-quarters of an inch long. (See Diagram 8.)

To Place the Two Pieces of the Pattern Together

Place the larger piece of the sleeve on the table, the drafted lines uppermost, and pin the cut out under-arm piece over it, exactly in the position in which it was drafted. Fold over and crease (at the line E) the front edge of the larger piece, to meet the edge of the under-arm, from wrist to under-arm.

Diagram 7. Cut the under-arm piece from the traced outline

Diagram 8. Cut out the drafted pattern as directed, in one piece

Bring the back of the larger piece over to meet the back of the under-arm, from the top down to the elbow, and crease the fold; then from the wrist up to the elbow, and crease the fold.

Diagram 9. The extra length at the elbow must be folded into small pleats to fit round under-arm

N.B. - It is most important, in folding the back of the larger piece over, that the edges should be quite level with the underarm piece at the wrist and at the top, otherwise the sleeve will not set.

It must on no account be folded crookedly, and then cut off to make the edges level.

The extra length at the elbow on the larger piece must be folded into small pleats to fit round the elbow point of the under-arm. It should now appear as in Diagram 9.

N.B. - The fulness at the elbow must be neatly gathered in the material.

The sleeve pattern has been drafted without any turnings, so they must be allowed for everywhere in cutting out the sleeves in the lining and material. The edge of the pattern gives the line for the stitching of the seams.