The Sleeve Saga

Here I am in my jacket. My friend took the pictures although we had to go back to her house to use her camera. She's as passionate about photography as I am about sewing. I can understand wanting to use familiar equipment.




Luckily I wore the coat yesterday morning. By the afternoon, it was way too hot. The extremes in our weather are wide and weird. These are the jeans I sewed a couple months ago. I'm wearing them and the slimmer leg ones all the time but I'm not totally satisfied with either pair. I can't believe how much they stretch in just a few hours even when I've accounted for that several times in the sewing. If I take them in any more, I won't be able to get them on - LOL. I hate the baggy butt.




I was out until mid afternoon and then - finally - got to sew the blouse. It should have been pretty straightforward. A few slight adjustments to the sleeve, and sew the blouse again, after all I've sewn it before. The fabric factor is rather amazing. This fabric has the weave and twill look of a denim but must contain some linen because it stretches like the dickens. I started out with problems to the sleeve and ended up with problems to the armhole.




I spent about three hours trying different sleeve variations. After each pattern adjustment, I'd cut a sample and baste it in. The one above appears to have too short of a cap. In reality, it had not enough bicep width. I figured that out by comparing patterns.

The pattern is for the pink jacket I just finished. The depth and shape of the back armhole was the same. The shoulder width was about 1/4" narrower on the blouse which makes sense. A jacket needs slightly more width to go over the layers below.

The shape of the front armhole was similar but appeared lower. It was hard comparing the pattern to the fabric because the fabric was so soft and easy to manipulate.

The curve of the sleeves was again very similar. The difference at the back is caused by the elbow dart in the jacket pattern. Note that the jacket (top pattern) had more bicep width. I sewed a sample of it into the blouse armhole and then looked at why it wasn't hanging straight. There was too much armhole length around the front and a bump forming in the back. When I pinched in a 1/2" along the front princess seam and another 1/4" along the back, the sleeve hung straight. The armhole had stretched.

I confirmed that later when I compared the pattern to the finished garment. It was nearly the same size again so the pattern didn't need to be adjusted for next time. Unfortunately, adjusting the princess seam made the armhole shape irregular and the sleeve pulls a bit at the top of the seams. It's not as nicely rounded as it could be. Next time, I'd sew another dart below the seam instead.




As you can see, the sleeve hangs straight, there is enough bicep width, and yet, it looks a bit tight with a dip above the bust in the front. That's the too tight I was referring too although I have a feeling this won't be a problem. Once I've worn the blouse for an hour, it'll warm up and stretch, and will most likely be quite comfortable. It has that feel. Now I want to try it again with a less stretchy fabric. But first, the collar and hem.

Have a great weekend - Myrna

Grateful - the news last night talked about the financial situation in Greece. Along with the predictions for Britain, Portugal, Spain, and Italy, it makes me nervous about our global financial future. Greed is catching up with all of us in one form or another, whether we personally are greedy or not. I wish that I'd learned about money management sooner and that my mortgage was paid off. It's not. However, I'm thankful that I am now far more aware and can make as wise of decisions as possible.

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Personal Growth - Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God - you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration - what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; you know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you. The days of my life prepared before I'd even lived one day. - Psalm 139

I had a conversation yesterday with someone who described me as "a lot of work" and then tried to define what she meant by that. I'm still not sure. Quite a few years ago, someone else told me that I was "too much work". His comment was not said nearly as nicely. In fact, quite cuttingly. I've also been told that I'm "challenging" which was defined as my way of being challenges people to be better and they don't always want to be. I can almost laugh - almost - especially when I remember a conversation years ago with someone who thought I was too shallow and fluffy. Perhaps the pendulum swung too far the other way?

While I want to be all that God created ME to be, it is a lot of work (she's right - VBG) staying comfortable in your own skin when your way of being is not the norm, especially when it gets a negative critique. I've mentioned this before and how mostly I'm okay with it and occasionally I struggle. Today, I'm struggling. Luckily, I am having coffee later with a friend who is incredibly supportive and encouraging. I so appreciate her.