Thread: Arm Drapes: How?

OK, help a dancer out. I can't really sew, but I can make small accessories if I need to. I can hand-sew small things.

Now, I don't have money to buy ready-made stuff at the moment. But I do have some extra georgette, and I want to make a pair of arm drapes out of it - you know, the kind where you have a band on the upper arm, and a band on the wrist, and a pretty drape of fabric between them. Can anyone offer any how-to's on that? Assume I know absolutely nothing about fabric draping issues...because I don't! Assume as well that I am incapable of using patterns. And..what do I use to make the bands? What can I use that won't give me sausage arms?

Thanks!

- Leela

Hmmm, this would be easier if you could use a sewing machine.

Here is a way to make a whole sleeve that encircles the arm. It's pretty easy but I think it would be a pain with hand-sewing.

1. Measure the distance around your upper arm at the point at which you want the upper edge to rest.

2. Measure the distance around your wrist or lower arm at the point you want the lower edge to be.

3. Measure the length between #1 and #2 (ie, the length of the sleeve), and add 2 inches.

4. Take the measurement in #1, and add half again as much. So, if your upper arm is 8 inches in diameter, you would add 4 more inches. For fuller sleeves, add more. Add 2 inches.

5. Cut two rectangles of fabric. For each, the width should be equal to the measurement in #4, and the length should be equal to the measurement in #3.

6. Sew the seam - ie, the two "length" edges that are measurement #3 in length together, right sides together and wrong side out. Repeat on other sleeve.

7. Turn under about 1/4 inch on the top edge (toward the wrong side, then turn under another 1/2 inch. Sew this down staying very close to the edge. Leave about an inch of the seam unsewn - this is where you'll insert your elastic.

8. Repeat on bottom edge. Then repeat on other sleeve.

At this point you'll have two tubes of fabric, one for each sleeve.

9. Cut a piece of elastic that is 1/4 or 3/8 inch wide the length of measurement #1 above. Stick a large safety pin through one end of it and close the pin -- this is what you will grip with your fingers. Now, insert the pin into the opening of the upper arm "tunnel" through the gap that you left unsewn, and thread it through. Push it through with your fingers all the way until it comes out the other end of the opening. Sew the ends of the elastic together. Sew the hole shut. Repeat on other sleeve.

10. Cut a piece of elastic that is 1/4 or 3/8 inch wide the length of measurement #2 above. Then proceed as described in step #9 above. Repeat on other sleeve, and you're done!

Here is a picture of me wearing a pair of sleeves that are very similar to what I described above:



The sleeves in the photo are slightly different from the ones I described above, because the sleeves in the photo have bands at top and bottom and my directions above don't have the bands. That's because I wanted to avoid making you do gathering, which is not as easy as using elastic.

Thanks, Shira! And actually, what I'm looking to make is even simpler than this. I just want two bands, one on the bicep, one on the wrist, with a drape of fabric between them. I don't want them to be sleeves, even. Just drapes. Can I just use rectangles of fabric, sewn between two bands? Or will that look strange?

- Leela

You can use rectangles or triangles. triangles will give you more flutter. I think there is a pattern for this out there. I'll have to take a look.

{{{HUGS}}}

Leela, I think this might be what you're looking for...

It uses almost no sewing and in theory should work, but I've never actually MADE these. They'll be uncomfortable to wear because the sequin trim is scratchy, but they're inexpensive and require minimal sewing, and sometimes we have to suffer for our art:

Buy some stretchy sequin trim (you'll find it in the Notions department) in a color you like. Buy enough to match the measurements in #1 and #2 in my previous message, plus 2-3 inches extra.

1. Cut a piece of sequin trim the size of measurement #1. Take a piece of normal household tape and carefully encase the two raw edges inside the tape (ie, fold the tape vertically). This is necessary to prevent the trim from unravelling. Put right sides together and sew the edges of the sequin trim together to make a "hoop". Repeat for other arm.

2. Cut a piece of sequin trim the length of measurement #2 from my previous message, and proceed as described in step #1 in this message. Repeat for other arm.

3. Cut a rectangle of fabric. Its length should be the length of measurement #3 from my previous message, but I would add more than 2 inches to it. Maybe about 4, but it depends on your arm length. If it were me, I'd cut it about 6 inches longer than my arm length measurement, then hold it up to my arm and decide whether to cut some off. Depends on whether you have enough fabric to do that. The width of the rectangle of fabric should be whatever width of drape you think would look good + 1 inch extra for hemming the long edges. If it were me, I'd probably try a width that's equal to 1/3 the measurement of my upper arm + the 1 inch extra for hemming, but you can experiment. I suggest that you finish making this drape before cutting the other one so you can decide whether this size works for you and avoid wasting fabric cutting out the other if you decide this width isn't right for you.

4. Get some "stitch witchery" at the fabric store, which is an iron-product that can be used to hold hems in place without having to sew them. Fold over the hem on each of the long edges of your drape (folding over just once should suffice) and use the stitch witchery to anchor it in place. This way, you sort of "glue" the hem down instead of sewing it, and for a drape I think it would be fine.

5. Sew the short edges of the drape to the upper-arm stretch sequin trim and the wrist stretch sequin trim, and you're done!

Here is the triangular-drape approach as described by Dina Lydia, the Costume Goddess: Sleeve Variations for Bellydance Costumes This might be what Tahira was referring to.

I don't think I'd use georgette for it, though, because I'd want something sheerer. Also, hemming these by hand would be a real pain - you could avoid that by using nylon tricot, which doesn't need hemming, but it's not quite as nice as chiffon.

OK, I've made a sketch of what I'm envisioning - it's way simpler than the Costume Goddess example:



- Leela

Originally Posted by flimflamgirl

OK, I've made a sketch of what I'm envisioning - it's way simpler than the Costume Goddess example:



- Leela

Ok - that's what I was envisioning in my second set of instructions.

I made something similar but with out the wrist part. All I did was get a stretch piece of fabric (so no elastic necessary) and cut it as long as I needed it to go around my arm with a little extra for seam allowance when joined. I cut it extra wide and folded it length wise. I then took the floaty fabric and put it in between the open edges (like a pita pocket if that makes sense) and sewed the little sandwich together. Then I just sewed the ends together to finish the circle. I would imagine that this would work just fine for what you want. Just when you finish the upper band, do the same for your wrist with the other end of the fabric. I like the sandwiching cause then you don't see the icky ends of the floaty fabric or have them on the underside up against your skin. Sorry if this made no sense.

ETA: I did all of this with hand sewing

Hey all - Thanks so much. Shira, thanks for the detailed instructions. I hope I can handle them; I'm what you might call 3D-challenged. I'm going to give it a shot.

I feel bad that I don't know how to sew. My grandfather was couture tailor. He'd wanted to be a bridge engineer back in Poland, but the war intervened, and he ended up going back into the family business after it was over. He could make a suit out of pocket lint if he had to. Meanwhile, it's all I can do not to sew my buttons to my hand.

- Leela