Blouse-Jacket with a Decorative Bow
A stylish women's blouse-jacket sewing pattern featuring a structured fit, short sleeves, and a prominent decorative bow detail across the front below the bust.
When To Wear
This versatile blouse-jacket is perfect for a range of occasions, offering both structure and sophisticated detail:
- Smart Casual & Office Wear: The collared neckline and structured design make it suitable for professional yet stylish everyday wear.
- Spring & Summer Events: Its short sleeves and typically lighter fabric recommendations are ideal for warmer weather gatherings.
- Elevated Daytime Look: Pair with tailored trousers or a skirt for a polished and sophisticated ensemble.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted silhouette, shaped with bust and waist darts at the front and princess seams at the back.
Collar: Classic pointed shirt collar on a stand, edge-stitched.
Front: a decorative center front placket; the fronts are stitched together below a short neck opening, so there are no buttons.
Sleeves: Short, cap-style set-in sleeves.
Bow Detail: a horizontal bow placket across the front below the bust, topped with a large pleated bow held by a center strap.
Back: Features a back yoke, a center back seam, and vertical princess seams for shaping.
Opening: a hidden zipper in the left side seam.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Requires precision in collar and placket construction, inserting a hidden zipper, and assembling the decorative bow.
Fabric Recommendations
Choose blouse fabrics that hold their shape well:
- Blouse fabrics made from natural or blended fibers
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing
- 1 hidden zipper
Cutter's Must
If the patterns have a double contour, seam allowances are included. If the contour is single, the patterns are without seam allowances. Seam allowances: all seams 1 cm. Hem allowance for the bottom edge of the garment and sleeve – 1.5 cm. Attention! First, print out the paper patterns and lay them out on the fabric width (fabric width can be from 90cm to 150cm) to determine how much material you will need (do not forget to account for paired and symmetrical pieces). When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- From main fabric:
- Center Back – 2 pieces
- Side Back – 2 pieces
- Back Yoke – 1 piece
- Front – 2 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Stand Collar – 2 pieces
- Center Front Placket – 2 pieces
- Bow – 2 pieces
- Strap – 2 pieces
- Bow Placket – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Collar – 1 piece
- Stand Collar – 1 piece
- Center Front Placket – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the collar, stand collar and center front plackets.
- Stitch the center back to the side back pieces. Serge the seam allowance and press towards the center. Stitch the center back seam. Serge the seam allowance and press to the left side. Stitch the back yoke to the back, press the seam allowances upwards and serge.
- Stitch the darts on the front pieces. Press the bust dart folds upwards and the waist dart folds towards the center.
- Stitch the strap into a loop, press the seam allowances open. Fold the strap in half lengthwise and press. Fold the bow in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch the outer and lower edges. Trim the seam allowances, turn right side out and press. Insert the bow into the strap, forming random pleats. Baste the pieces together along the center edges. Fold the bow placket in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch the lower edge. Turn right side out and press. Place the bow placket on the front and baste along the side and center edges. Place the bow on top and baste along the center edges.
- Place the center front placket on the front, right sides together, and stitch along the front edge line. Turn the placket to the wrong side, fold under the edge of the inner placket and stitch it over the attachment seam. Press the placket.
- Serge the left side seam edges separately. Stitch from the armhole to the zipper mark and from the zipper mark to the bottom. Press the seam allowances open. Insert the hidden zipper. Stitch the shoulder seams and right side seam, press the seam allowances towards the back and serge.
- Place the upper collar and under collar right sides together, stitch the ends and the outer edge of the collar. Trim the allowances, turn the collar right side out, straighten and press. Topstitch 0.5 cm from the edge. Place the stand collar pieces right sides together, insert the finished collar between them, match the notches and stitch, stitching the ends of the stand collar at the same time. Start and end the stitching exactly at the marked neckline seam line of the stand collar. Turn right side out and press. Stitch the outer stand collar with the collar into the neckline, fold under the open edge of the inner stand collar and stitch it over the attachment seam.
- Lap the right front over the left front and stitch them together, stopping 10 cm below the top.
- Stitch the sleeve seam. Serge the seam allowance and press towards the back.
- Set the sleeves into the armholes. Serge the seam allowance and press.
- Serge the hem allowance of the garment and sleeves, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
