The Sewing Place

Drag Lines On Sleeves - Help Please!

Helen M

Drag Lines On Sleeves - Help Please!
« on: July 25, 2022, 19:40:45 PM »
I'm sewing up the Spring Dress which is a Nina Lee pattern that came with I think Simply Sewing last year. I have lengthend both tiers and it looks good apart from the long sleeves. I should have done a toile for the bodice but decided to just jump in and see what happened.  :facepalm:

I'm narrow shouldered and narrower across the shoulder front going down probably almost as far as the under arm. I went ahead and tacked in sleeves but of course shoulders were too wide so undid one and narrowed bodice and re attached sleeve. I did not alter sleeve piece at all.

I have 'drag' lines similar to the photo of dress from magazine which of course I did not notice before........

So should I have altered the sleeve at the front? Back seems to be okay by the way. There are fewer drag lines on the side that has not been altered but of course bodice has not been altered.

Looking more closely at the plain fabric version the shoulder do seem to be slightly extended so have I taken them too far? There is 5/8" seam allowance so a bit of leeway. 

I have a good half metre of fabric left so I could if necessary cut out bodice again, would prefer not to as I've already attached the neckband which was a bit fiddly. I guess I could cut out new sleeves but not both of them. I'm not using the frill on sleeve.

Any help gratefully received!

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« Last Edit: July 25, 2022, 20:16:59 PM by Helen M »
Stash Busting 2024 - Goal: 25 metres
So far:  1.5 metres  ------ Donated : 0 metres
Items decluttered: 55

Helen M

Re: Drag Lines On Sleeves - Help Please!
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2022, 20:18:58 PM »
At last managed to get an attachment loaded.
Stash Busting 2024 - Goal: 25 metres
So far:  1.5 metres  ------ Donated : 0 metres
Items decluttered: 55

b15erk

Re: Drag Lines On Sleeves - Help Please!
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2022, 20:31:30 PM »
I'm no expert @Helen M , but those shoulders look wide to me... or is that just styling?  Seems to be where the drag lines are coming from though...

Jessie

Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

Helen M

Re: Drag Lines On Sleeves - Help Please!
« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2022, 20:52:08 PM »
They do look wide @b15erk  and I'm wondering if you take in the bit of the sleeve that goes underarm it would fix the problem? I wish I had noticed the lines on the photos beforehand.
Stash Busting 2024 - Goal: 25 metres
So far:  1.5 metres  ------ Donated : 0 metres
Items decluttered: 55

realale

Re: Drag Lines On Sleeves - Help Please!
« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2022, 21:24:24 PM »
I was told on one of the fitting courses I did (can't remember which one) is that the drag lines point to the problem so this looks like an arm scye problem rather than a shoulder one from what I can tell. But I am willing to be wrong!!  :P
So many beers, so little time.

Catllar

Re: Drag Lines On Sleeves - Help Please!
« Reply #5 on: July 25, 2022, 21:48:24 PM »
Maybe needs a forward shoulder adjustment on the bodice so the sleeve will move round a bit. Wondering if you tried removing the sleeve and just rotating  it round in the armscye and pinning it to see what happens. If it hangs better then perhaps the shoulder adjustment would improve things?
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

Ohsewsimple

Re: Drag Lines On Sleeves - Help Please!
« Reply #6 on: July 25, 2022, 22:06:06 PM »
I’m assuming you’ve had to change the actual armhole as garment was cut?
Is the armhole now a different size?   
What do the drag lines look like?   I can’t really see too much  in  the way of drag lines on the pictures. 

Surest1tch

Re: Drag Lines On Sleeves - Help Please!
« Reply #7 on: July 25, 2022, 22:07:57 PM »
I'd say the shoulder seams are a touch too wide try tacking about a small 1/2" dart in the middle of the shoulder (don't press it as its only temporary), it will change the way it fits across your upper chest but the idea is not to put a permanent shoulder dart in, it's just so you can see if a shoulder adjustment will help, if it does you'll have to take that much out of the shoulders. It also looks to me that the under armhole isn't big enough, really the only way to find that out is to abandon the good fabric and make a toile that you can mark and cut into until you get it looking how it should do.
I could show you far better than I can explain it with the written word so sorry if it looks like waffle.

Ouryve

Re: Drag Lines On Sleeves - Help Please!
« Reply #8 on: July 25, 2022, 23:14:08 PM »
It is the pattern I thought it was and it looks to be almost drop shouldered. The reviews I saw tended to have the same issue, while singing the praises of the pattern - in one case, for having no sleeve head gathering  ><


I kept the pattern for a while because I liked the neckline and figured I could adapt it into a top but the fit of the sleeves put me off, in the end, so I donated it.
Janome M50QDC - "Jane" - Small, cute and hard working. Pfaff Quilt Ambition 630 - "Pfanny" - Pfickle. Bernina L450 - "Bernie" - Very hungry. Bernina 830 Record - "Becky"

jintie

Re: Drag Lines On Sleeves - Help Please!
« Reply #9 on: July 26, 2022, 08:12:25 AM »
Coming out of lurkdom- the neck looks very wavy on the plain fabric- I guess this doesn't show on the patterned  dress.
Rottweiler with scissors

b15erk

Re: Drag Lines On Sleeves - Help Please!
« Reply #10 on: July 26, 2022, 08:20:07 AM »
@Helen M , @jintie , I've just looked again at this pattern - I was looking on my phone last night, and I've not seen the dress properly.  I didn't see the ties hanging down at all... :rolleyes:

This may cause the sleeve to slip down.  Helem, I would try your dress with the ties tied, and see if it corrects the problem.  If so, maybe the dress is being modelled incorrectly.

Always worth trying small things...

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

BrendaP

Re: Drag Lines On Sleeves - Help Please!
« Reply #11 on: July 26, 2022, 09:30:27 AM »
I was told on one of the fitting courses I did (can't remember which one) is that the drag lines point to the problem so this looks like an arm scye problem rather than a shoulder one from what I can tell. But I am willing to be wrong!!  :P

I agree that drag lines point to the problem, and that the folds are along the line where there isn't enough length.

If yout drag lines are like those in the plain dress I'd suggest that the problem is at the neck edge of the shoulder seam; there isn't enough length; increase the slant that seam a little (sloping shoulder adjustment).
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Helen M

Re: Drag Lines On Sleeves - Help Please!
« Reply #12 on: July 26, 2022, 10:16:07 AM »
Thanks everyone!

@Catllar I wondered about a forward shoulder adjustment but the seam sit fine on my shoulder, I will try moving the sleeve just to see though.

@Ouryve she was right there is hardly any gathering in the sleeve head even though they say to run gathering lines between the notches.

I actually think the sleeve itself is the main part of the problem, I've compared it to a Style Arc sleeve on a pattern I have made and the sleevehead is very shallow on this one. I have also compared the bodices of same pattern and the armscye is much deeper on the Nina Lee. Seems odd, I haven't measured opening on either for comparison yet.

The sleeve and bodice matched from side seam to notches.

I was trying it with the ties done up as you do them before the sleeve @b15erk, and it sat nicely which I felt was a good sign........

@realale I have square shoulders and did an adjustment prior to cutting out. I raised the side seam by the same amount as the shoulder which has always worked in the past.

I definitely need the shoulder adjustment as I am very narrow shouldered @Surest1tch. I wonder if I should try (on a toile) shifting the top half of the bodice in but retain the neck bit as it seems to be okay. I watched a You Tube video just as a refresher yesterday before I posted.

I'm going to try on dress later and take note of differences between the 2 shoulders as I have left the original one stitched in place.

In the meantime I'm going to take some measurments and trace off the pattern pieces and fiddle before cutting out a toile in some other fabric.

The drag lines are like those on the patterned dress @BrendaP (right sleeve as you look at picture) and start about half way up the front bodice. I'll try on dress and leave ties undone to see how the neck end lies. My fabric is patterned so not so easy to see.

I'll come back with first findings but the rest could take me a bit longer. I think a toile of the top and sleeve are called for. Just as well I have some other viscose fabric that I'm not so keen on!



« Last Edit: July 26, 2022, 10:18:21 AM by Helen M »
Stash Busting 2024 - Goal: 25 metres
So far:  1.5 metres  ------ Donated : 0 metres
Items decluttered: 55

Helen M

Re: Drag Lines On Sleeves - Help Please!
« Reply #13 on: July 26, 2022, 11:34:32 AM »
Have tried on dress once more and on the side I've adjusted I pinched in the sleeve under the shoulder seam starting about 2" down from shoulder seam and it removes the highest drag line somewhat. So before I do a toile I'm going to re fit that sleeve. The back is fine apart from right under armhole so that is probably something to do with both front and back.

I'm also wondering if I should only use a 3/8" seam allowance on the sleeve head as that would allow it to drop or am I going in the wrong direction? I was cursing the 5/8" seams but for once maybe they have some use!

Have also re-checked if I need a forward shoulder adjustment and it would be miniscule at the neck end just to slightly lower the neckline a tiny bit so I'll leave it unless I cut a new bodice.
Stash Busting 2024 - Goal: 25 metres
So far:  1.5 metres  ------ Donated : 0 metres
Items decluttered: 55

Ohsewsimple

Re: Drag Lines On Sleeves - Help Please!
« Reply #14 on: July 26, 2022, 11:39:10 AM »
If the sleeve head is shallow and the armhole deep that’s says it’s supposed to be slightly drop shouldered and not a set in sleeve.  Glad you said the drag lines are on the patterned one because I was looking at the plain one.  :rolleyes: