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One of my favorite costume accessories here at Studio Davina is a pair of dance sleeves or gauntlets.\u00a0 During the summer, I made this rhinestone encrusted candy-pink bedlah set with a matching skirt and set of sleeves.<\/span><\/p>\n Left: San Francisco\/Bay Area dancer Shalimar in custom bedlah set, skirt, and sleeves from Studio Davina.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Sleeves are a super easy sewing project that can be completed in about two hours from start to finish.\u00a0 They work best with 4-way stretch fabric, but you can make them from the 2-way stretch as long as you lay the direction of the greatest stretch across the sleeve so it stretches around the wrist and biceps.<\/span><\/p>\n Although I custom-made the pattern for this Goblet skirt, to speed up the production I pulled out my Glove and Gauntlet<\/a> pattern for the sleeves. When I purchased the fabric for this skirt, I simply added 3\/4 of a yard to have enough fabric to make the full-length sleeves.<\/span><\/p>\n I use my standard sewing machine, using a medium stitch length with a narrow zig-zag.\u00a0 Although using a serger is nice, and will give you the best finish inside the garment.<\/span><\/p>\n These sleeves are designed to visually lengthen the arm by coming down to a point over the back of the hand.\u00a0 The tip is held down with a loop of elastic that wraps around the middle finger of the hand to hold them in place. The upper edge has a narrow casing for 1\/4″ elastic.\u00a0 I run the elastic through the casing and safety pin them until fitting.\u00a0 Once the size is perfect, I stitch the elastic together, forming a ring, and then seal the casing.<\/span><\/p>\n One of my tricks is to use a permanent marker to “color match” the finger loop.\u00a0 I keep this narrow, 1\/16″ elastic cord on hand in basic white<\/a> and black<\/a>. The white can be easily “colored in” with a marker.\u00a0 I keep a set of fine-tipped Sharpie brand\u00a0marker set<\/a> on hand so I can pick a fairly close match.\u00a0 I also keep a set of Tombo marker portrait set<\/a> to turn the white into a flesh color.<\/span><\/p>\n Once I have customized the color of the elastic, I use my sewing machine to stitch the elastic on.\u00a0 This is the place in the sleeves that have the greatest amount of strain and tension on it so I make sure to really nail the elastic down.<\/span><\/p>\n So if you’re interested in making a set of sleeves – give it a go.\u00a0 If you would like to pick up a copy of my pattern, it’s available on my\u00a0Etsy store for $5<\/a>. It can be the accessory that you make to freshen up an old ensemble, or to add that over-the-top drama for a new look your making or buying for yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n Now it’s time to hit the sewing table and make a bedlah set!<\/em><\/strong><\/span>Making the Sleeves<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
Custom Color Your Elastic with Sharpie<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nGloves and Gauntlets Sewing Pattern<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nDawn Devine ~ Davina<\/em><\/strong><\/span>
\nNov. 3, 2017<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
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