How to Add Bell Sleeves a Sweater

Materials

* Sweater

* Fabric (matching or contrasting)

* Sewing machine

* Thread

* Scissors

* Pins

* Tape measure

* Seam ripper

* Iron

Instructions

1. Measure the width of the sweater's armhole.

2. Cut two pieces of fabric into rectangles, each measuring the width of the armhole by the desired length of the bell sleeve.

3. Fold each piece of fabric in half lengthwise, right sides together.

4. Sew the pieces of fabric together along the long edge, using a 1/2-inch seam allowance.

5. Trim the excess fabric from the seam allowances.

6. Turn the sleeves right side out and press flat.

7. Gather the top edge of each sleeve.

8. Pin the gathered sleeves to the armholes of the sweater, matching the center of the sleeve with the shoulder seam.

9. Sew the sleeves in place, using a 1/4-inch seam allowance.

10. Press the seams flat.

Tips

* To make the bell sleeves more pronounced, you can add a gathering stitch around the bottom edge of each sleeve.

* If you are using a lightweight fabric, you may want to interface the sleeves to give them more body.

* This tutorial can be used to add bell sleeves to any type of sweater, including cardigans, pullovers, and turtlenecks.

Enjoy your new sweater with bell sleeves!