The Leg-O-Mutton Sleeve Revisited
I received a question from Chris in Indiana yesterday about the leg-o-mutton sleeve. She attended the
American Sewing Expo in Novi back in September and got to have an in person look at the outfit I did for the contest. Here's a picture of the two of us together. Such a beautiful smile :) Chris is a fireball when it comes to drafting a number of the sleeves I've posted. She just loves taking on the challenge and has had great success with her endeavors.
Chris loved the outfit I did for the contest and especially the sleeve.
Her question was about doing the sleeve in a knit fabric. I thought that many of you might like to see some real life examples of the sleeve made up in knits.
The sleeve above and the sleeve below are the exact same sleeve with one difference, the amount that was added to the cap. In the post I did here,
http://www.rhondabuss.blogspot.com/2013/10/sleeves-on-saturdays.html, I told you that the rule of thumb is that for every 3" that the cap is spread, add 1" to the cap. The sleeve in the above picture is made from a knit that holds its shape and doesn't have a lot of drape. If I had added the rule of thumb amount to the cap, it would really stand up rather high. This sleeve only has 1 1/2" added to the cap. I wear this top as a base layer under my ski sweater. I like that at the end of the day, when I take my sweater off, I have something on that is rather feminine and a little unexpected.
You can see that the top below has LOTS of drape. It is also a knit, but since it is so drapey, it will not hold a stand at the top of the sleeve. The top below has the rule of thumb amount added to the top of the sleeve.
You can get a little better idea of just how full the top of the sleeve is in the picture below. This sleeve has 3" added to the cap.
So, the rule of thumb is just a guideline. How much you add to the cap of the sleeve depends on the look you are going for and the drape of the fabric. If I had wanted an even drapier sleeve, I could have added even more to the cap of the second top.
This is a great sleeve to add to many outfits and one that you can have lots of fun with.
Happy Saturday Everyone!
Rhonda
love the sleeves!
ReplyDeleteOh, I love the super drape on the last sleeve and you are so right, it adds a feminine touch to a plain T. I'm in the midst of planning some cold weather t shirt layer plans and love the idea. Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog and already love it, thanks for the tutorials I see I will be using a lot of them we have similar taste, lol.
ReplyDeleteRonda would u pls. show us how to make a basic block pattern pls.. cos for all designs a shaped block pattern is essential. pls. if u have time.
ReplyDeleteI will be happy to. I'll plan to do this post in the start of the new year. A nice way to start out a new series of sleeves. Thanks for asking.
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