Blouse with Front Yoke and Bishop Sleeves
A women's fitted long-sleeved blouse with a pointed collar cut in one with the front yokes, a front cut in one piece with a curved upper edge topstitched over the yokes, gathered sleeves in buttoned cuffs and an invisible zip in the centre back seam.
When To Wear
- At work with a pencil skirt or tailored trousers.
- In autumn and spring under a sleeveless dress or a jacket worn open.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted, hip-length, shaped with bust and waist darts on the front and waist darts on the back.
Collar: Pointed collar cut in one with the two front yokes, joined at the centre back collar seam; the yokes meet at centre front in a V and are faced with front facings and a back neck facing.
Front: One piece cut on the fold, its curved upper edge faced, turned and topstitched onto the yokes along the seam line; no front opening.
Sleeves: Long set-in sleeves with a topstitched slit, gathered at the lower edge into a double cuff with two buttons.
Back: Two pieces with darts and a centre back seam holding an invisible zip.
Finishing: Seams overlocked; slit topstitched 0.1 cm from the fold; hem turned up 2 cm and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A faced curved front edge topstitched onto a yoke, a cut-on collar set into the neckline and facing, an invisible zip and gathered sleeves in cuffs.
Fabric Recommendations
Blouse fabrics of natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (front facings, back neck facing, front facing of the curved edge, cuffs)
- Invisible zip
- 4 buttons
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Back – 2 pieces
- Front – 1 piece with fold
- Front Yoke – 2 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Back Neck Facing – 1 piece
- Front Facing – 1 piece
- From fusible interfacing:
- Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Back Neck Facing – 1 piece
- Front Facing – 1 piece
- Cuff – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the designated pieces.
- Stitch darts on back and front pieces, press waist dart depths towards the center, bust darts upwards.
- Finish the raw edges of the center back separately. Stitch the center back seam from the neckline to the first mark and from the second mark to the hem. Press seam allowances open. Insert the invisible zipper.
- Stitch the collar seam on the yokes, press seam allowances open. Finish the outer edges of the front facings. Stitch the collar seam on the front facings, press seam allowances open. Place yokes and front facings right sides together and stitch the center edges and the outer edge of the collar. Trim seam allowances at corners, turn pieces right side out, shape, and press.
- Place the front facing and front piece right sides together and stitch the upper edge. Clip seam allowances at curves, trim at corners. Turn pieces right side out, press. Attach the front yoke, aligning it flush, to the lower edge of the front facing. Clip seam allowances, press and finish. Topstitch the front piece to the facing from the right side in the seam attaching the yoke to the facing.
- Stitch shoulder seams, clipping the front piece at the corner, press seam allowances towards the back and finish. Attach the collar to the neckline, press seam allowances towards the collar. Finish the outer edge of the back neck facing. Stitch the shoulder seams of the back neck facing and front facings, clipping the front facing at the corner, press seam allowances open. Attach the collar to the facing neckline, press seam allowances towards the collar. Secure the shoulder seams of the front facing to the garment's shoulder seams.
- Stitch side seams, press seam allowances towards the back and finish.
- Finish the raw edges of the sleeve separately. Stitch the sleeve seam from the armhole to the slit mark, press seam allowances open. Topstitch the slit 0.1 cm from the fold. Along the lower edge of the sleeve, stitch with loosened upper thread and gather. Set sleeves into armholes, press seam allowances and finish.
- Fold the cuff in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch the side edges. Start and end stitching precisely at the marked line for attaching the cuff to the sleeve. Turn the piece right side out, press. Attach the outer side of the cuff to the sleeve, fold the seam allowance of the inner side of the cuff inwards and topstitch into the seam attaching the outer cuff.
- Finish the hem allowance, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Make buttonholes and sew buttons on the cuffs.
