Puff sleeve hack: Joanie Top
The Joanie Top pattern is named after my grandmother.
A woman of full of spunk, yet with unparalleled functional elegance, my grandma knows how to smile big and always look on top of her game.
Which is why, in honor of her teenage years in the 1940’s, we have a video tutorial for you on how to hack the sleeves of the Joanie to give it a completely different vintage vibe!
You’ll need:
- a basic sleeve pattern piece. We’re using the Joanie sleeve.
- tracing paper
- paper scissors
- clear tape
- drafting tools – mechanical pencil, eraser, straight edge and French curve.
Now you can add a puff sleeve hack to any bodice! The Joanie Top and Hinterland Dress patterns are great jumping off points.
Interested in diving deeper into pattern making as a way to enliven your creative practice (and your closet?)
If you love the concept of hacking, you’ll definitely enjoy our in-depth course, The Creative Hinterland: Patternmaking for Mindful Sewists.
Judith will teach you all of the foundational patternmaking skills you need in order to bring your ideas to life, in this gentle, approachable, and supportive online course.
“I have tried to learn pattern drafting from books, and have taken pattern drafting courses at community college, but not until Sew Liberated courses have I felt confident that I’m learning the concepts. Honestly, these are absolutely the best courses anywhere!“
-Laura, Creative Hinterland student
Looking for another simple pattern hack to get your feet wet? Check out our Hinterland Vest Hack video tutorial.
Thanks for the tutorial. Kind of involved – not sure I will get around to all that. But if I do, it would be really helpful if you could add a video snippet showing the difference between sewing the sleeve into the bodice “in the flat” instead of “in the round”. Being a visual person, I think I need to see that, rather than hear it. Or if you have another video somewhere that shows the concept, a link would be much appreciated.
I love these ideas and the how-to! Thank you!
Thank you Judith and Meg, that is brilliant. You explain things so clearly.
Thank you for this!! This would be an amazing add on expansion pattern for Joanie ! I would defo buy this sleeve pattern. 🙂
An add-on is what I’d like, too. Drafting a sleeve is not in my skill-set.
Thank you for the tutorial- my puff sleeve came out perfect. I really appreciate the opportunity to learn more about adapting patterns.
I would love an add-on as well!
It’s a bit more involved that I expected! But the results on that green Joanie are impeccable!