Making a Puff Sleeve Dress Pattern in 10 Easy Steps

Check out the step-by-step instructions below and learn how to make a pattern without any hassle!
By
Jean Chaney
Jean Chaney
Research Writer
Jean is the brains behind her fashion label. She's a whiz with a needle and thread, and has been sewing since she was old enough to hold a pair of scissors. Jean has always read more
reviewed
Reviewed By
Isabel Misner
Isabel Misner
Expert Consultant
A professional seamstress. Isabel has her own video blog where she shares her experience about all the aspects of sewing – from choosing suitable materials to step-by-step read more
Last updated: August 22, 2023
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Are you a stitching enthusiast? Or simply someone who likes wearing dresses? Then you need to stitch yourself a puff sleeve dress! Puff sleeves dresses are all the rage these days. They have an elegant yet fun look which makes them suitable for all kinds of occasions. And once you learn how to create the dress pattern you can let your creativity run wild and make a puff sleeve dress for formal occasions, picnics, or even daily wear. The best part is that the puff sleeve design is versatile, and you can also use it on shirts.

We will be giving you a step-by-step guide on how you can create a puff sleeve dress pattern and then sew your very own dress according to your personal taste and requirements.

Measurements You Need to Take

An easy way of making a puff sleeve pattern is by using a normal sleeve pattern. Here are some essential measurements you need to take in order to make a normal sleeve pattern:

Armscye Depth: This is the hole in your dress/shirt through which you put your arm. You can also think of it as the fabric edge to which you sew your sleeve.

Making a Puff Sleeve Dress Pattern in 10 Easy Steps

Sleeve length: For your sleeve length, simply measure from the back of your neck (around your spine area) to your shoulder and then to your wrist. While you will require two different measurements for your sleeve length, it is a relatively easy process. You can also easily customize the length according to the sleeve size you want- whether it is full, half, or somewhere in between.

Making a Puff Sleeve Dress Pattern in 10 Easy Steps

Sleeve Round: This refers to where you want your sleeve to end. If you are stitching full sleeves, then you can simply measure your wrists. You will also need to measure the widest part of your arm (this tends to be below your shoulder) in order to complete your sleeve.

Making a Puff Sleeve Dress Pattern in 10 Easy Steps

Making a Puff Sleeve Dress Pattern

Once you have got the basic measurements down, you can move on to creating the dress pattern and then finally sewing it! This section will cover all the things you will need and then provide a thorough step-by-step guide.

What You Will Need

Before you start working on your pattern, you should assemble all the tools and materials you need. This will make the entire process more methodical and allow you to make your dress without any hiccups.

First, you will need all of the sewing basics! Make sure you have a sewing machine, some sewing pins, and some good-quality sewing thread.

Next, you will need to figure out the material you want to make your dress from. Linen and cotton are popular choices for puff sleeve dresses since they are easier to sew puff sleeves from. However, you can also use other fabrics such as faille or organza if you want to create more structured and formal silhouettes. When it comes to colors and patterns, floral fabrics are a popular option when it comes to puff sleeve dresses. However, you could also use block colors and other patterns if that is what you like.

Some additional materials that you will need are a measuring tape, ruler, paper, marker/pencil, safety pin, and some straight pins.

Now that you have gotten all of the materials in order, we can look at exactly how you stitch the puff sleeve dress!

Step-by-Step Guide

Here is an easy step-by-step guide on how you can create a puff sleeve dress pattern and then sew your very own puff sleeve dress. We will be focusing on the puff sleeves styles that comes with gathers at the top and bottom:

  1. Get a normal sleeve pattern that fits your measurements accurately.
  2. Making a Puff Sleeve Dress Pattern in 10 Easy StepsCarefully lay out the pattern and fold the sleeve by the center. Place this pattern on a bigger pattern drafting paper and fold this paper also. For the puff sleeve, you will need to add some additional inches. The best part is that you can customize the amount of gather in your sleeves according to the inches you add. A 1-inch gather will give a subtle puff. In case you want a proper puff, you can add up to 6 inches. If you are looking for something more dramatic, then you can add even more fabric!
  3. Making a Puff Sleeve Dress Pattern in 10 Easy StepsNow open up both the papers and mark the other side of the sleeves as well. You will notice that the sleeve is much larger than the size of your arms, well this is the fabric that you will have to gather and stitch to give the puff effect.
  4. Turn your sleeve inside out and then fold the hem twice for an elastic casing. You will have to think about the width of the elastic casing. If you want a bottom hem frill, you can add 1 inch of additional fabric to the hem after finishing it. Also, make sure to stitch a 1.5-inch piece of strip to the back of the sleeve so you have the casing for the elastic casing. When you insert the elastic, the hem will gather and create the puff effect.
  5. Make two separate rows of gathering stitches Trusted Source www.instructables.com and leave long trails of threads on each end.
  6. Now use a safety pin to insert the plastic into the elastic casing that you have made at the hem.
  7. Making a Puff Sleeve Dress Pattern in 10 Easy StepsStitch the ends of the elastic to the side seam allowance with 2–3 back stitches. You can easily do this with a sewing machine.
  8. Pull at the thread tails and gather the top of the sleeve. Make sure you distribute the gathers evenly.
  9. The sleeve is now ready! You can easily join it to the bodice of your dress.

In case you are completely new to the world of stitching, we would recommend investing in a pattern-making kit as it will make your life easier. Pattern-making kits allow for a lot of versatility and come in different types, you can even get one for puff sleeves dresses for kids!

Final Thoughts

Once you learn this puff sleeve dress pattern, you can easily stitch a variety of different dresses or even blouses with puff sleeves! Puff sleeves add some extra elegance Trusted Source The Puff-Sleeve Trend Is Here to Stay | Vogue From light poplin blouses to linen dresses, here’s 21 summer versions of the puff-sleeve trend you can wear right now. www.vogue.com to simple dresses and give them more personality. And if you are stitching your own dress, you can always customize the size, color, and length according to your taste. We hope this step-by-step guide was useful and you will be stitching your very own puff sleeve dress soon!

References

1.
www.instructables.com
2.
The Puff-Sleeve Trend Is Here to Stay | Vogue
From light poplin blouses to linen dresses, here’s 21 summer versions of the puff-sleeve trend you can wear right now.
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