Butterick B6175 Simple Sleeve Hack

Tuesday 17 October 2023


 With the change of seasons, I get the need to make my dressmaking patterns fit the weather. This means shortening the sleeves, changing a necklines and making tops into dresses and vice versa. Anyone with me?

 I bought Butterick B6175 this summer as a basic pattern block for a woven blouse style top. I have so many knitted top patterns and a stash of beautiful cotton prints needing a sewing pattern. I was also looking for a quick make out of a metre of fabric (as I can't help myself buying a metre of a pretty fabric).


I loved this pattern as it has five..five! variations and even though they are all short sleeved, it is so easy to extend the short sleeve to a long. Winner!


For this top, I spied this Art Gallery remanent at Sewing B in Stapleford nr Nottingham. I loved the sunflower print and they didn't have it on the roll, they sold me three pieces for £3 and I was determined to make my sunflower top out of them! And I did...

The fabric is Art Gallery fabrics which are so beautifully soft like a Tana lawn with a gorgeous soft brush. I would guess I needed a metre if it was sold off the metre and you know what I use all the fabric. 

I made view B with the sleeve of view C and added on a hack to the sleeve. I love the fit of this blouse top, I cut a size 12 and it fit great. I like that it has two darts at the front and cute fastening at the back.



The back fastening was just a button with embroidery thread loop on an open placket. 


My sleeve hack was the favourite part of this make, and this is how I did it. 
I took two pieces of fabric 45cm square and hemmed on edge and added a double long running stitch on the other so they could ruche up and make floaty mid length sleeves.





And the dress matches the sunflowers I've been growing this Autumn in the garden. 


I'm looking at making this style now in heavier weight fabrics for the winter months and adding a double button at the back so it's not as open.

Have you made this pattern and have the added a little hack?

Happy Crafting,

Samantha x