how to do a full sleeve adjustment

When you're trying out a new sewing pattern for the first time, there's often a bit of tweaking involved to make it fit just right for your personal preferences or your unique body type. That's why making a muslin is such a good idea, right? With Liesl + Co. patterns, we try to simplify some of those adjustments by offering multiple cup sizes, but there are still plenty of ways you can customize a pattern to suit your needs. One fairly common adjustment is dealing with sleeves that feel a bit snug—whether it’s because they don't quite match your arm shape or because you prefer a looser fit. Luckily, it's pretty straightforward to tweak the pattern piece to create more room. In this little guide, I'll walk you through how to make this simple alteration.  **Step 1:** Start by marking the seam lines on the pattern piece you want to modify. This ensures that any changes you make stay within the seam allowance and don't alter the intended length of the seams. On Liesl + Co. patterns, the seam allowances are typically 1/2". Below, I've highlighted the seam line in red to illustrate. After drawing the seam lines, add a horizontal line across the pattern at the underarm level. Then, draw a vertical line that crosses the center of the sleeve cap. (It may not be exactly centered due to the sleeve's back being slightly longer than the front, but your best guess will work just fine.)  **Step 2:** Once these lines are drawn, carefully cut the sleeve into four sections along the two lines you've created, but leave the pattern uncut where the lines meet the seam lines. I’ve marked a small circle to indicate where the hinge-like connection should remain intact. These hinges ensure the pattern stays connected while allowing you to adjust its shape.  **Step 3:** Now, spread the sleeve pieces apart to add extra width. As you open up the center of the sleeve to create more space for your arm, the vertical cut will naturally fan outward, while the horizontal line will cause the top and bottom sections to overlap slightly. Don't worry about this—it's perfectly normal because the adjustments are happening within the seam lines, so the overall seam length remains unchanged. At the same time, the sleeve's shape subtly transforms to give you more room.  **Step 4:** Once you've added enough width to feel comfortable, tape the adjusted pattern piece onto a fresh sheet of paper to close any gaps and stabilize the pattern. You’ll likely want to redraw the sleeve cap to restore its rounded shape, as the adjustment might have left it looking a bit angular. Finally, to determine the new grainline, fold the sleeve pattern in half. And voila! Your pattern is ready to go.  **Step 5:** If you have particularly slim arms, you can reduce the sleeve's width by overlapping the pieces instead, as shown below.  I hope this helps! P.S. If you enjoy altering patterns and exploring the creative possibilities it opens up, you might enjoy my Building Block Dress book. It provides guidance on customizing patterns to design your own styles or simply tweak existing elements like sleeves or necklines to better suit your preferences. --- By the way, if you ever get stuck or want feedback on your alterations, feel free to share photos or ask questions. Sewing communities online are always eager to help each other out!

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