Hi,
I'm Laura from KittyMakesIt.com I'm sharing my method for adding a triple flounce sleeve to the ALD Dream Tee.
You can use this method to add any number of flounces to any length of sleeve. I'm also going to give the disclaimer that my obsessive tendencies came out a bit strong in this hack, so feel free to "wing it" because I made it way more difficult than it needed to be!
My first step is to measure the width of my sleeve. I graded my sleeves in a size because of my body shape, so ignore the folds. My sleeve is 6" wide.
Next, some math. Should be fun.
So my sleeve is 6" wide and it has a front and a back. That means that there's 12 total inches of fabric that will form the circumference around my arm.
The circumference of a circle is 2πr or π d.
So 12 = 2 π r, solve for r. I always use 3.14159 for pi. Close enough and that's as many digits as I can remember. So my radius is about 1.9".
That means I need to draw a circle that is about 2*1.9 across. I grab my ruler and draw a straight line, then round it out with my compass.
(Ignore the actual measurements here.... I had some math issues before I figured it out, but these photos make more sense)
So then I decide how far apart I want my flounces to fall and how long I want them to be. I mark those lines and draw them with the compass. I went with 1.5" apart for each flounce starting from the first one being 2.5" long.
If your compass isn't big enough, perhaps you have a ruler with a hole in it like this one? The compass on amazon though goes much bigger than the one I had on hand.
Keep drawing until you have all your flounces. Then decide how you'd like to make pattern pieces.
You could cut your longest flounce, trim the pattern piece down, cut the next, etc. if you don't need to reuse the pattern pieces.
You could trace them onto tracing paper... you could also fold it in quarters before tracing so that you have pattern pieces you could cut on the double fold.
I opted to trace, trim, trace, trim until I had three separate pattern pieces.
You could also cut half circles and sew them together but then you'd have seams and would have to change your serger thread.... so I opt for circles.
I cut my flounces in alternating colors.
And then I hemmed them all. Because even though they're knit and won't unravel, and they're probably more round before I hem, I just have to hem every edge. *shrug*
After hemming you could press them. Optional. LOL get it, he's my iron!
Do some cooking show magic and pull out an ALD Dream tee totally sewn, hemmed and top stitched except for the sleeves. Stack the flounces how they'll go.
Insert the sleeve into the flounces, right sides together with the smallest flounce closest to the sleeve.
Pin and sew.
ALL DONE!
What do you think? Grab your copy of the Dream Tee here, on sale for $7.99 until Tuesday, 11/5.
Don't forget to check out all the other hacks we're featuring this week in the Dream Tee Hacks category on the blog.