• The first would be sun cancer prevention.  If you have a skin that needs to be out of the sun, this is a great option.
• The second option would be because as you get older your arms don’t look as flattering as they used to.
And the final reason would be that you find a really lovely top or dress that you love, but it doesn't have sleeves and you prefer them.

So what to do?  Find yourself some really nice stretch fabric.  There is a fabric called Peek a Boo.  It comes in a range of colors (black being the most popular) and it is a really lovely fabric to work with.  Take your time preparing your garment and you should be able to use any basic sleeve pattern.  Cut a sample out in a cheap stretch fabric first to make sure of the fit.

Obviously if the top of the sleeve is more like a singlet in appearance then cut a higher sleeve cap and if the edge of the sleeve rests on the top of the upper arm then less of a sleeve cap.  It’s always best to have a little more room in the head of the sleeve than too little, but once you get used to cutting out a sleeve, you will get used to what the shape should be.

If in doubt Google sleeve cap and see what comes up.  There is a heap of information out there at your finger tips.

Sew a row of stitching around the top of the sleeve from one side to the other in a long stitch.  Pull the threads so you have a very slight ease in the fabric.  I actually prefer to sew two rows of stitching side by side.  It gives a better shape to the head of the sleeve.

Play around with different fabrics and have fun inserting sleeves.

Happy sewing

Judith aka genie