Page:The cutters' practical guide to the cutting of ladies' garments.djvu/37

Rh sleevelet, it also illustrates how a loose blouse sleeve may be cut without hindarm seam, the width at the bottom being gathered in to a band. There is another style of sleevelet, which so very closely resembles this that we have illustrated it on the same page, although it partakes very largely of the cape style.

This is a combination of forepart and sleeve, and partakes very much of the Dolman Cape. It is cut by taking an ordinary forepart and laying the sleeve down on the forepart pitch, so that it overlaps from A to B 1 inch, letting point F come in the natural hanging position of sleeve, but this may be varied if it is desired to have drapery at the side for ease. &c., then F may be brought nearer to G. Having arranged this, lay the undersleeve down as per dotted lines, and arrange D E H to taste. This style of sleevelet is worn on both Ulsters and Jackets, and has this advantage, that in the front it looks like a caped garment, whilst behind it looks very much like an ordinary sleeve. In making, they are sewn in with the gorge, shoulder, and scye, and as a general rule are left quite loose below the scye, though occasionally they are fastened at the side. We will now conclude this section on sleeves by giving the remedy for some of the principal

This will put our readers in possession of the leading principles, for a very important lesson is to be learnt from a defect, if it is only thoroughly studied and the principle mastered: for in cutting, however, perfect a system may be, it is necessary for those who use it successfully to fully grasp the principles involved—for the system is, after all, only the tool which needs the hand, the eye and the heart to direct and use it to meet all cases satisfactorily.

These very unsightly creases are generally the result of an insufficient depth between the top of hindarm to the top of forearm, or to use another term, incorrect balance: the same might be effected by taking a good fitting sleeve, cutting the hindarm across and taking out a wedge. It is most apparent when the arm is brought forward, as in the act of writing and almost entirely vanishes when the hands are clasped behind. This defect is bound to exist in a more or less degree in every sleeve, but we should always aim at reducing it to a minimum. If it should be found to exist to a degree which is not only unsightly but uncomfortable, the easiest way to alter is to lower the forearm as from G to H, diagram 51, which practically amounts to the same as if a wedge had been inserted to the hindarm seam to nothing at G: though in one case the forearm is shortened, and in the other the hindarm is lengthened, the relation existing between the two seams is identical in both cases, the length being easily adjusted if a turn up has been left at the bottom of cuff. The opposite defect to this is a dragging from forearm to elbow, diagram 51. In this defect a most uncomfortable pressure is felt when the arms rest at the sides, but plenty of ease exists for the arm being brought forward; there is a lot of fulness and foul material at the top of hind-arm, and a general tendency for the cuff to stand away from the hand. This latter effect is also produced by a different cause—viz., the forearm cut too hollow between elbow and hand (as shown from F to V, diagram 49), the dotted line showing the remedy. It should always be borne in mind that the sleeve between the elbow and cuff at forearm should be cut straight, as illustrated by the solid line between F and V. To return to our defect, just as the creases across the fore-arm are cured by lowering the forearm, this would be remedied by raising it, but as this is not practicable in the made up garment, we give what we term a negative alteration—viz., lower the hindarm as shown by dotted lines P to O, diagram 51, the lowering of the hindarm having practically the same effect as raising the fore-arm, with the exception of the length of sleeve, which may be adjusted at cuff, as previously explained.

Ladies frequently wear very tight-fitting sleeves, and if these are cut too straight, there is not sufficient length at the elbow for the arm to bend, which either results in a split at the elbow or a quantity of superfluous length forming in folds at the bend of the arm. To remedy this in the made up garment is somewhat difficult, in fact, if there is no inlay in the forearm it cannot be treated properly, though it may be relieved by lowering the forearm in a slight degree, as shown from G to H, diagram 51. In cutting new sleeves, cut your pattern across from J to I, and insert a wedge to nothing at I, which will make sleeve more bent, as illustrated by dotted lines, K coming to M, and L to N.

This, too, is necessary to a certain extent, in order to allow sufficient play in the sleeve for the arm coming forward. Ladies, however, do not require so much in this way as men, they prefer elegance to ease; and in