FINDING THE LENGTH OF THE SLEEVE.
Having made a satisfactory yoke pattern, the next thing to tackle was the sleeve. An oblong piece of paper was again necessary, and its dimensions were found in the manner shown in the two pictures. The measure was slipped loosely around the top of the arm, and three or four inches added to allow for the arm movement. This gave the width required, and the length was found by holding the measure on the top of the shoulder, as the girl is doing in the illustration, and then carrying it around the bent elbow to the wrist.
TAKING THE WRIST MEASUREMENT.
When this oblong was folded in half, lengthwise, it faintly resembled a sleeve, but, to shape it properly, two other dimensions were necessary. The next two photographs show the girls getting them. The length of the under-arm sleeve is about three quarters of the full length, and the wrist the same fraction of the width at the top of the arm. The girls discovered these things for themselves, and marked with the rounded end of the scissors, a slightly curved line from the wrist to the under-arm position. This double piece was then cut away.
The shaping of the top of the sleeve requires a little more judgment and care. The pattern was opened out flat, and a convex curve made from one side to the top, joining a slightly concave one starting from the other. Thus they obtained the foundation of any sleeve pattern. It can easily be made wider or narrower, longer or shorter, according to the dictates of fashion.
As the frock the girls made on this occasion had sleeves with cuffs, two or three inches deep, the pattern was shortened accordingly, before the material was cut.
The girls were only beginners, so they cut patterns of the collar and cuffs in paper, and fitted all the parts on the material before cutting out.
The cuff and waistband were straight pieces of material cut to the required sizes.