Australian Stitches — September 2017

Diagram 8

Diagram 7

Diagram 4 Diagram 5 Diagram 6

Sleeve

Foldline

Cuff

Blousing

5cm

(2in) +

Upper

sleeve

Shorten

the

upper

sleeve

Lengthen

the lower

sleeve

Lower

sleeve

Depth

from

diagram 2

Hinge

Hinge

A

B

Overlay the

original

sleeve cap

after the

sleeve width

has been

adjusted

design feature or elbow dart, you

need to shorten the upper arm and

lengthen the lower arm to keep

the design feature in the correct

position! See diagram 5.

Circumference

In the event the sleeve width is too

narrow regardless of style, you will

require some adjustment. Before

adjusting the sleeve, fl at pattern

measure the sleeve in the area

where your arm is fullest.

Remember, we measured down from

the pivotal

point to determine the fullest part

of our arm. You can now use this

information to check your pattern.

It is important to recognise that

wearing ease must be provided in

the upper arm. The minimum wearing

ease will be 5cm (2in) although an

active person may prefer 7.5cm

(3in) ease.

If you need to adjust the sleeve

width, draw in the following lines.

Line A is a vertical line drawn

straight down from the shoulder

marking in the sleeve cap to the

hemline of the sleeve. There is

a pivot point at the shoulder

point and the hemline. Line B is a

horizontal line drawn across the

pattern where the extra width is

required. See diagram 6.

Slash all the way through Line B

then slash along Line A up to the

shoulder point and down to the

hemline, creating pivot points at

either end. Spread Line A open,

bottom and top, until it measures

the required adjustment. Realign

Line B, ensuring that the side seam

allowances match up as per the

original design. The pattern tissue

will overlap along Line B towards

the centre of the sleeve adjustment.

The greater the adjustment the

larger the overlap will be at this

intersection. This overlapping will

cause the sleeve cap to drop down

and become fl atter. See diagram 7.

Once you have altered your sleeve

pattern for width, overlay the

original sleeve cap template onto

your sleeve pattern and tape it in

place. I do not recommend altering

the sleeve pattern more than 3cm

(11/8in) using this method since

larger amounts distort the sleeve

cap too much. See diagram 8.

Tip: Before altering a sleeve

pattern, create a template of

the original sleeve cap to use for

correcting the sleeve cap height after

pattern adjustment.

For further advanced adjustments for

full arms refer to the Palmer/Pletsch

publication Fit For Real People by

Pati Palmer and Marta Alto.

Tips and Techniques