buried in the comments under supplies, Kay Y wrote:
I suspect Els' sleeve heads may be sold out in short order. Here is a tip for those of you who may miss out, or just to try. You can make your own curved sleeve heads from your coat pattern. If I can tell from the picture, the ones Els is selling are made from needlepunched fleece. I have used warm and natural (cotton) quilt batting which is about the same weight. Or you can use other fleecy products which are reasonably firm and aren't too stretchy, such as good quality felt, micro-fleece, polarfleece, other poly fleeces for quilting, etc. Use lighter weight fleece for lighter fabrics.
Using the sleeve cap pattern for the appropriate curve (always the right size), cut a strip approximately notch to notch or shorter, about 2" (5cm) wide. In the picture you can see that one end (front I believe) is tapered whereas the other is square. Make a snip to mark the top of the sleeve. I baste these inside the sewn-in sleeve, just inside the seam stitching.
May 31, 2008 12:29 PM
I thought it was worth bringing to the light of day.
A question was also asked, is a sleeve head necessary even if you're using a shoulder pad - quick answer is Yes!
The sleeve head supports the sleeve cap so that it doesn't collapse (ever seen someone wearing a coat and the top of the sleeve literally has caved in?). The shoulder pad gives shaping and definition and lift to the shoulder line. Both are necessary in every tailored jacket and coat you'll ever make.
Els is planning on writing a tutorial on the method of sewing a sleeve head in on the Sewing Diva's blog - watch for it. When the time comes, I'll link back to it too.
Picture belongs to Els, and shows the placement of the sleeve head. Notice the edge of the shoulder pad above?
3 comments:
Thanks! This is helpful about the use of sleeve heads and shoulder pads.
To confirm earlier comment-- you'll be amazed at what a difference a sleevehead will make. I learned this in Peggy Sagers sewing workshop. Shoulder pads and sleeveheads are critical to any tailored jacket or coat.
Okay, I think I am understanding all of this! I also think this will be a notch or two above my current sewing level. I will indeed have to take advantage of everyone's expertise to hold my hand through this process!
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