This challenge has been on my mind for so long now and I am so excited to finally be sharing all the details with you. I knew once I hit my next big milestone on Instagram I wanted to run this challenge instead of a giveaway as it is a fun way to engage with all my followers while sharing my love of a good sleeve with you all!
The Details
The first thing I want to stress is you do not need to make anything new for this challenge, although it can be a fun time to engage with the community while sewing something new.
All you need to do to enter is post a picture on your instagram of a Finished garment using the hashtag #joyfulsleeveschallenge and tagging me @sosewdressmaking in the photo. And that’s it!
So what is a #joyfulsleeve?
To be honest, it can be any type of sleeve. Personally, I think you all know by now that I love a big sleeve. The bigger the better! I will be sharing some of my favourite patterns with big sleeves during the month and also a few tutorials of my favourite hacks.
But I know big sleeves are not everyone’s taste. A #joyfulsleeve can also be a normal sleeve, with no extra volume but in a fabric that brings you joy. Your favourite colour or a fabric with special memories will also count. Or it could be a sleeve that you set in perfectly on the first go and made you do a fist pump in the air! I want as many people as possible to join in.
The Sew-alongs
Each week during February I will be posting a sew-along for 4 of my favourite patterns and hacks.
First up will be the Bella Loves Patterns Flor/Vita hack that I have previously done. This time I will be showing you how to add a little (or a lot of) extra volume to the sleeve and will be making a wrap top without the ruffles.
The next sew-along will be for the Atelier 8 Avril Victoria dress which I recently made. This pattern is only in French and I have had requests to make a sew along for this. I will be using a beautiful viscose crepe I received from Sister Mintaka recently to make this and might add a little length to the skirt to make full use of the fabric. This pattern has a more subtle volume to at the sleeve head which is a nice way to dip your toe into the big sleeve trend.
I know a lot of people have been living in comfortable clothing recently so I am including the Digital Pattern Library Belted Sweater. This sweater has amazing sleeves, along with some other really nice details.
The final sew along will be a pattern from the book “Pattern Magic” by Tomoko Nakamichi. The “Crater Sleeve” caught my eye straight away and has been on my ‘to-sew’ list ever since. I will be taking you through the pattern drafting process and how to sew the sleeve.
These sew alongs will all be available through my Ko-Fi page for my supporters. You can either buy me a coffee or set up a monthly donation. This money supports the content that I am able to create and will also go towards the prize fund. So the more ‘coffees’ I get the bigger the prizes will be.
The Prizes
These are still being confirmed so keep an eye out on my Instagram page for more details. It will be a range of patterns, vouchers and fabric. I also hope to organise a social Zoom call for my supports to have a chat about what you are all up to.
If you have any questions feel free to drop me a message on Instagram. I would love it if you could help spread the word and share my posts. I am so looking forward to connecting with you all next month and seeing your joyful creations.
Happy sewing,
Sharlene xx
S.O. Sew Dressmaking 