Date: 11/2/09 3:49 AM

So I have read Kathleen Fasanella's excellent article Sleeve Cap Ease Is Bogus.

I am currently making a Burda magazine tee shirt. I want to use a striped fabric, and I want the stripes to match at the armholes so it doesn't look naff. Now, you CAN'T have any ease in the sleevecap, or they won't match. And, excuse me to criticise you Burda, I pretty much find you above reproach on fitting and drafting issues, but... does anyone else think sleeve cap ease in a STRETCH KNIT is a little weird in the first instance?

So my question is, how to redraft the sleeve cap to get it to match the armhole? Do I shave off the side slopey-bits and make them flatter to reduce the distance, leaving the height the same, or do I bring that down a little bit too?

The Burda tee shirt I am using as a basis for my pattern is here, the last photo when you scroll down. Thanks in advance for any insight anybody may have.

-- Edited on 11/2/09 3:53 AM --

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www.thisisemilykate.blogspot.com

Date: 11/2/09 4:41 AM

Classic T shirt sleeves are usually drafted more like a shirt sleeve. That is they have a flatter head. In the first inspiraton photo you can see clearly that the line of the seam is lower than it would be on a fitted jacket, where the sleeve head would either go right over the ball joint at the top of your arm or sit across it. A shirt sleeve sits lower. A shirt sleeve, and a t shirt sleeve usually measures exactly the same as the armscye it goes into.

Reply to Emi1yKate
Date: 11/2/09 5:11 AM

First thing, don't shave off the "side slopey bits". These bits are drafted to exactly match the bottom of the armhole on a 1:1 ratio. It's important not to change this.

What you need to do is both shorten the sleeve cap height AND narrow the sleeve width. To shorten the cap height you shave some off the top. To narrow you take the width out on either side of the shoulder notch, about mid-armhole. The same amount both sides. Use a combination of the two to take out the ease.

Now this said, Burda drafts with a small armhole. The extra sleeve ease is usually there to make the sleeve wide enough to fit over the bicep, but still fit into the small armhole. You need to be very careful not to make the sleeve too tight. HTH

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Belinda. Melbourne, Australia
http://sew-4-fun.blogspot.com/

Subject: Sleeve cap ease- I know its bogus Date: 11/2/09 3:45 PM

Thankyou both so much! petro, I can see what you mean at the shoulder- its most noticeable on the first pic. The other two are a little shorter on the shoulder seam. Makes sense, the first one is meant to be a 'slouchy' tee, the others are made to be more fitted.

Sew4Fun, thankyou for your detailed explanation. I was not aware that Burda are known for small armholes... in your opinion, would it be an idea to open up the armhole a bit and reduce the sleevehead too, sort grow one and shrink the other to get them the same size?

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www.thisisemilykate.blogspot.com

Reply to Emi1yKate
Date: 11/2/09 4:27 PM

>>in your opinion, would it be an idea to open up the armhole a bit and reduce the sleevehead too, sort grow one and shrink the other to get them the same size?

Personally no, but this is me. I choose Burda because I want a custom fit. I like the small armholes, and high, narrow sleeves. They fit so nicely compared to RTW. I don't want RTW fit with their larger armholes designed to fit a variety of different shaped bodies and no ease in the sleeve cap. It's why I love Burda just the way it is, because they use a different drafting system than RTW.

If you want a more RTW t-shirt, where there is no ease in the sleeve cap and a larger armhole then you are probably better to try another pattern company. It would be easier. A boat neck tee is pretty generic. HTH

Edited for spelling
-- Edited on 11/2/09 4:28 PM --

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Belinda. Melbourne, Australia
http://sew-4-fun.blogspot.com/

Reply to Sew4Fun
Date: 11/2/09 5:01 PM

Quote:

If you want a more RTW t-shirt, where there is no ease in the sleeve cap and a larger armhole then you are probably better to try another pattern company. It would be easier. A boat neck tee is pretty generic. HTH Edited for spelling

No, I think I like the idea of a higher tighter armhole too actually. I think its more flattering. I think I will ake up a quick muslin to test the fit with the sleeve ease removed and see how I go. Thanks so much for your help :o)

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www.thisisemilykate.blogspot.com

Reply to Emi1yKate
Date: 11/2/09 6:03 PM

Good luck. By doing two alterations to the sleeve cap it means you are making two small alterations rather than one large one, which effects the fit of the sleeve the least. I think you'll be be fine. I just wanted to warn you about making the sleeve narrower in case you had larger upper arms. It can be a problem if you have.

I look forward to seeing your finished tee. Good luck matching those stripes too.

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Belinda. Melbourne, Australia
http://sew-4-fun.blogspot.com/