How To DIY Spring’s Split-Bell Sleeves

For the Spring 2016 season, designers seemed obsessed with covering our arms in eccentric ways: there were leg-of-mutton sleeves the size of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s biceps at J.W. Anderson, fluffy bonbon sleeves at Roksanda, bristled fringe sleeves at Valentino and off-the-shoulder balloon sleeves at Proenza Schouler.

If I could, I’d just go naked from here on out and wear nothing but sleeves. They win the leading part in this season’s fashion cast, and for us DIY fabricants, I see great times ahead because sleeves are easy to make yourself.

Take the split bell sleeves we saw at Derek Lam and Trademark.

How did I live for so long without without them? They are talented multitaskers, simultaneously acting as fake wings, cover-ups for un-manicured hands and dusters. (Yes, dusters. Just walk around your apartment in a bell-sleeved blouse stroking your furniture à la Charlotte-mid-break-up-with Trey. The sleeves will do all the dusting for you.)

Now back to crafting! Here’s what you need to buy to make your own bell sleeve top, which you can add to whatever feels right to you: shirts, blouses, jackets, coats, your fridge, your friend, your dog. The possibilities are endless.

What you’ll need:

1) An item to add the sleeves to (I used this blouse)

2) 60in x 25in of light fabric in a matching color

3) Greedy scissors to attack your top

4) Sewing thread, needle and pins

5) A pattern for the bell sleeves you’ll learn to make in step #1

Step #1: Make the sleeve pattern

Draw the pattern as pictured on a piece of paper, then cut it out. The length of the pattern’s short (right) side should be adjusted to the diameter of your top’s sleeves. The top I used has sleeves with a diameter of 11.2 inches, so my pattern’s short side had to measure half of it, ergo 5.6 inches.

Step #2: Cut the fabric

Fold the fabric and pin the pattern along the fold line. Cut out the sleeve with an added seam allowance of 0.5 in. Repeat this step three times so that you have 4 sleeve pieces in the end.

Step #3: To button or not to button

Step #3 is optional! The blouse I used had three little buttons with loops on each cuff which I decided to save for my bell sleeves.

Step #4: Make sleeve No. 1

Take two of your sleeve pieces and place them on each other, right side on right side. Pin the pieces together along the edges and leave the short edge open. If you want to use buttons, pin the button loops between the two sleeve pieces on the right edge just above the open edge (the loops are now hidden between the sleeve pieces).

Step #5: Sew and turn over the sleeve

Sew along the pinned edges. Make sure the button loops remain in the correct place. Then turn over the sleeve and iron it. Repeat steps #4 and #5 with the other two sleeve pieces to make sleeve No. 2.

Step #6: Time to attack the top!

Cut off the cuffs/lower sleeves of your top just where you want to add the bell sleeves. Place the bell sleeves right side on right side on the top’s sleeves. The bell sleeves’ open edges meet the top’s sleeves open edges. Sew along the pinned edges.

Step #7: Almost there!

Flap down the bell sleeves. If you want to add buttons, sew them on the bell sleeves’ long edges just “across” from the button loops.

TA-DA! Now show me your sleeves.

Follow Claire on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Go check out her website C’est Clairette, too. Photographed by Julien Barbès.

Runway images via Vogue Runway.

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