FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Divine Puffed Sleeves
(click images to to enlarge)
Other Credits
Little Bro for taking a snowball to the face
Outline the story …
Anne of Green Gables is a story I adore about a verbose young girl with red hair who's had a harder life than she should have had to start. She gets brought into a family of two siblings on in years, both very stuck in their own way and shakes everything up.
I wanted to take a serviceable, reasonable plaid that Marilla would pick, but give it the one thing Anne wants more than anything - Puffed Sleeves, as they are "Simply divine" per her words.
In the story, Marilla makes three new dresses which are fine, but not pretty, nor "thrilling". Anne talks of how she is grateful, but she would be ever so much gratefuller if just one of them had been made with puff sleeves.
I wanted to have a functional dress that I could wear about -- but with a little extra. I also wanted to learn how to modify sleeves and work on fitting a pattern.
Outline the construction…
I started with a base pattern from Sewist that I pieced together off my measurements. From there I modified the back and bust seams to get a better fit, and went through 6 sleeve mockups for the right amount of poof. I could not find the gingham I wanted - but I did find this nice plaid - there was -BARELY- enough.
I wanted to work on pattern matching and focusing more on grain line, and seam finishing... Also with getting to know my new sewing machine. Angela Clayton's videos where she shows pattern matching were very helpful.
I had to scrap doing the skirt I had tested and did a rectangle skirt since there just was not enough yardage. I am glad it was able to be fuller though from the change.
While doing the sleeves, I somehow made them too tall despite 6 mockups, and the 6th was fine - so I put pintucks in! Which I personally get a "thrill" from. I did run out of time to try doing the buttons for the front, as I've never done button holes, but that will be a task for next weekend.
Special thanks to the Plus Size Historical Fashion group on FB for helping me out with sleeve questions.
Omg, I am INTO THIS!! I remember that scene where poor Anne sighs over the puffed sleeves vividly. It’s one of my favourite parts. You did a really smashing job!! The “serviceable plaid” was really well chosen, and I can just see the look on Anne’s face if she saw your sleeves! You look fabulous!
The puffiest sleeves there ever was! This is delightful!
Kristen this is so great! I remember watching the 80s Anne of Green Gables and the kerfluffle over the sleeves, so this fiercely speaks to my nostalgia!
I love the addition of the pin-tucks in the sleeves – even if it was due to a mistake, it brings in that common element from Victoria clothing and adds to the whole look! And I love that you made it short and more practical so you can wear it all over, while keeping the thrilling sleeves:) Great work!
I just adore this. So charming!
This is SO perfect! And that colour is just *chefs kisses* – Your video is super cute also XD
Well done! Your many mockups really paid off. It looks really nice and pouffy.
I love it ! It really tells the story, and you look like you’re having so much fun with it it’s contagious !
I love this! Simple and cute. I love that fabric too! Thank you!
Yes! Wanna make! Screenshooting as I am writing!
You did a fantastic job and I love the puffed sleeves.
I can’t believe the sleeves were an accident! They are brilliant. And I love the vimeo – that looks like a very well fitted bodice. Good shot with the snowball BTW.
This is lovely. I’m imagining a skirt slightly fuller or longer to start, but Anne has taken some of that fabric and made puffed sleeves for herself. Maybe a longer hem that Marilla was planning to let down as Anne grows but Anne just sees extra material that is doing nothing at the moment but would be perfect for bigger sleeves!