Friday, June 6, 2014

Drafting a Frock Coat, part II: The Sleeves

Drafting sleeves--one of the banes of my existence.  Like in the first part of the tutorial, I am going to translate and provide step by step photographs of the process.  To find the measurements needed to draft the sleeve pattern, you need to have the body pattern drafted...or, as I am using, made up in halves (I recommend the first).

Page 13 of the Cutter's Guide
Page 14 of Cutter's Guide



















Page 15 of the Cutter's guide...the last of the instructions.


Start off by measuring the width of the scye.  This is done by placing the ruler horizontally (or squared to the back seam) at the side-body seam.  Like Thus.



Measure down from point 'O' by this amount.



Here, it starts talking about finding the pitch.  Mark point 'A' 3/4 inch above the bottom of the scye (Forearm seam).  Mark point 'B' (Hindarm seam), the back-sidebody seam, or to taste.  Because the difference between the front and back is so drastic on mine, I decide to put 'B' one inch above the shoulder seam--actually on the front piece.



Using a square, square from the back seam, across 'B' with the top (short) edge, and line the opposite edge with point 'A'. 
Adjust the angle of the bottom arm to how your (or your client's) arm hangs.



From 'A', measure up to even with 'B'.  Transfer this measurement to your sleeve pattern, measuring up from point '1', and jotting a horizontal line.

On your Body, measure vertically between points 'A' and 'B'.  You may need to roughly draft a portion of the back, above the front piece (I do not, as both sleeve seams are on the front piece). 
Lightly draft a line this long--on the sleeve draft--at the point '1' you found in the last step.
I suggest noting down this measure.



Divide this in half and mark, then half again and mark.  Points '3' and '4' respectively.



Gently rule a line from '3' to '1'. Even with point '4', mark out 3/4s of an inch from the line just ruled.

Draw a smooth curve between the four points '1', the inbetween, '3', and five.



Rule down (from 'O') to the elbow and wrist measures.  Measure in 1inch at the elbow mark (or as instructed).  Draw a curve from the wrist, through the inside elbow mark, to '1'.



Now mark off the widths at elbow and wrist.  These should be done to customer's taste, or to specific guide.  Lacking that, make the elbow 1/4 breast measure minus 1inch, and the chest 1/6th  breast.  Make the measures slightly larger for small sizes, and smaller for large sizes.



Square across at the wrist by the amount.

Measure round the scye (at the bottom) on the body.  Mark across at line '1' on your sleeve draft by this amount.



(Note: This step is semi optional, but recommended if your armscye is close fitting). 
Take the distance of Point 'A' (on the body) from the bottom of the scye, and divide in half.  Dip below line '1' by this amount, parallel to point '4'.



Draw a curve between '1' and '7', passing through the point you made above (if you did).



Draw the outside curve, from the wrist, through elbow, to the point '5'.  About halfway between point (completely up to you) '5' and the elbow, curve in to point '7'.



When you cut the pattern out, in addition to your regular seam allowances on all edges, cut a generous inlay of 1.5inches (for a total 2inch seam allowance) on the outer edge.  This will be needed for the overlap in the cuffs...IF they are called for.  The inlay may be trimmed later, depending on the design, but should be included, as it is impossible to add the fabric on if you find it's needed. 
In addition, before cutting I like to measure round the armscye on the body, then do the same for the sleeve head...just to make sure that it isn't too small.


I may update the tutorial in due time, regarding a separate cuff, but it is the sleeve head which is the painful part to make.

In addition, I am wondering if this process (with some modifications to the finished sleeve shape) could be used to draft set in sleeves from the Medieval and Renaissance periods.  If anybody gives this a try, please, share your experiment in the comments.

Part 1, Drafting the Body.





© John Frey, 2014. The Author of this work retains full copyright for this material. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this document for non-commercial private research or educational purposes provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all copies. 

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