bunched up sleeves-undertunic question--help!

I have read as many FAQ's and previous strings so as not to offend some of the more sensitive members by asking a frequently asked question and to no avail...

Here's my quandary. For my undertunic, I have a nice cotton material; a very thin, lightweight flannel-type material. My dilemma is this. I have a problem achieving the bunched up sleeve look with a material that has to be tight enough to actually bunch up at the wrists without slipping over the hand. The sleeves have to be wide enough for the hand to go through, but if this is so, how do the sleeves bunch up nicely at the wrists without falling over the hands? Do I use an elastic band at the end (cuff?) and if so, how does this stop the rest of the sleeve from just sliding over the 'cuff' and over the hand to end up dangling? Does this make sense? Please help!

 

They just stay up. It's not a problem. You make them just barely big enough to go over your hand. You don't need any tricks. If it's killing you that much, add some extra stitching along the seam after you bunch them up. (Stitch in the ditch).

 

My sleeves are very tight, but not too tight. Essentially, the sleeve from the wrist to the elbow needs to be just big enough for the hand to slip through. This is kind of like the effect of cutting the end off of a tube sock and wearing it on your arm.

As long as your fabric has a bit of stretch to it (as do most fabrics) it will be fine. I do suggest plenty of extra length (like past the knuckles at least) so you get a good amount of "bunching up"...

--Kai

 

Or, you could line the sleeve with a piece that ends just as your wrist. As you sew the two pieces together at the seam, you could bunch up the outer layer so that it will stay bunched up without falling over your hand. That way you don't have to worry about it being tight around your wrist.
Just a thought.

 

Hey that's a good idea, seeing that my undertunic material is not at all stretchy. I guess I will first stick to just a tight sleeve and go from there. I still welcome all you who have made your undertunics. What material and color did you use?

 

Some of my undertunics are linen, and they're not stretchy at all. They still work fine without making them very wide, or doing any special techniques.

 

The material I bought for use with my under tunic is crinkle gauze, nice texture, and very light, which should be a bonus once I start layering the other materials on top.

 

I've used the crinkle gauze, too, and it's too thin to be used in one layer, and I'd only use it as an undertunic in double layers, because it will still be see-through. Crinkle cotton is a bit sturdier and thicker, but it still needs to be double layered. It is stretchy, though, and it makes a great undertunic.

 

I'm going to keep it as a single layer, mainly because I don't intend to be seen wearing it without the outer tunic, and because as a guy I guess I can get away with being less modest!

Actually I wanted to ask, the scene on the balcony in the morning, where Padme asks Anakin about the dreams. Is that the undertunic he is wearing??

Its fairly thin, has the right colour and texture and even seems to have the right kind of neck opening, it may have been reversed for the shot though because the overlap is wrong. if it is though it implies the undertunic is more of a pullover design.

What do you people think?

 

Part of the undertunic shows around your neck. It'll look like different colors where the neck biding is covering and where it's just the inner tunic fabric. The first inner tunic I made, I made with gauze, and thought it would be ok...but it showed.

I always just assumed that that was Anakin's inner tunic, but I guess it doesn't have to be. I'll have to take a look back at that scene and maybe compare to other shots of Ewan wearing just the inner tunic.

 

I remember watching that scene and wondered the same qestion! Guess I will have a good reason to watch the show again to compare colors, etc with his other scenes!

Well, I washed my undertunic material and ironed it! Now to get my wife to help me figure out the next step. Pinning the patterns to the material, and cutting...I think! By the way, it's a white cottony fabric. It does stretch just a little. Weird thing I noticed. I bought a lot of yardage and there is a seam in it where two different pieces were sewn together to make it one longer piece. The two pieces are different in grain direction or something. It is the same material but just seems different. Odd.

 

That is weird. That usually only happens with fabric being sold for drop-cloths or stuff like that. Did you order it online? I always for flaws when they measure my fabric as I buy it.

 

I bought it at Wal Mart. It is the 45 inch wide stuff. after unfolding it several times when I got home, I saw the seam. I think I can work around it and just pin the patterns to the fabric, keeping away from the seam. I should show it to my wife.

 

Does anyone have pictures of the pattern they used for their inner tunic (or--how they modified the pattern from the outer one)?

Alternately, how about a picture of JUST the inner tunic?

I've been trying to figure out HOW to "just modify the sleeves to be longer and tighter" and a visual would really help me.

Are the sleeves baggy to the elbow and then tight to the wrist? Tight all the way down?

Thanks.

Lisa

 

The great thing about Jedi robes/tunics is that they all seem to follow the similar style while all being slightly different. This allowed me to have greater freedom when I created my Jedi costume (you can see a pic of me in it under my profile). The under tunic for my costume has no sleeves at all. The overtunic has flowing sleeves and the robe has larger flowing sleeves.
That all to say, you can do whatever you want...unless you're making your Jedi robe to be a specific character ala Anakin or Obi-Wan...

 

I have a tutorial on my website.
www.azeem2000.com

I re-watched EpII, and Anakin's inner tunic is the same style as Obi-Wan's. Because it is that darker color of crinkle cotton, it should be ok in only one layer (for the inner tunic). The lighter cream color will definately need to be double layered still.

 

Probably the best way to get tight sleeves that will fit over your hand is to cut the sleeve on the bias of the fabric.

The grain of the fabric is parallel to the salvage, which is the finished edge on either side.

The bias runs at a 45 degree angle to the salvage. So even fabric without any stretch will have a bit of stretch if cut on the bias.

 

<i>I have a tutorial on my website.
www.azeem2000.com </i>

Thanks! That's very helpful!

Lisa

 

Thanks, Kai, that's a good idea! Hopefully my inner tunnic will be done by this weekend. Also thanks Stubzilla. Your site is awesome!