Sleeves On Saturdays

The Barrel Shaped Raglan Sleeve
Once you have drafted a raglan sleeve, there is almost no limit to an array of design possibilities. The sleeve I am sharing today starts with the basic raglan sleeve which we drafted here, http://rhondabuss.blogspot.com/2012/10/sleeves-on-saturdays.html. A raglan sleeve is basically a sleeve with a large dart on the shoulder. For this sleeve we will be rotating some of the shoulder dart into the mid section of the sleeve. It's a very easy sleeve to draft.

In the picture below, you can see the bowed out mid section.

To draft the sleeve, begin with the basic raglan sleeve pattern.    

 Draw a guide line across sleeve at the mid section.

Cut sleeve pattern in half.

 Draw a guide line on your paper. With the sleeve touching at the point of the raglan, rotate sleeve, opening up large dart at the hem of the sleeve. Be sure to spread equally on either side of the center guide line and also be sure not to overlap the raglan area where you are rotating. The sleeve should only be touching at that point.

Slash the mid section guide lines to the edge of the sleeve, but not through. Over lap the slashed lines until the wrist lines meet the center guide line.

The final pattern. Cut sleeve apart along the center line. Be sure to round off the points on the underarm seams which I have shown in red. If you would like a more exaggerated barrel shape, bow out the center line as I have also shown in red.

This sleeve is beautiful on a coat as well as a jacket. I will use mine on a casual t-shirt, so it is really quite versatile.

The sleeve has fullness in the mid section with a nice tapered wrist. Easy to draft and easy to wear. What could be better?!!
Hope your weekend is off to a great start!
Rhonda