Blouse with a Decorative Bow
A women's fitted short-sleeved blouse with a shirt collar on a stand, a centre front placket stitched closed with no buttons, a pleated bow across the front below the bust and a hidden zip in the left side seam.
When To Wear
- At the office in spring and summer, with tailored trousers or a pencil skirt.
- Under a cardigan or a short jacket on cooler days.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted: bust and waist darts on the fronts, princess seams on the back.
Collar: Shirt collar with pointed ends, topstitched 0.5 cm from the edge, set into a two-layer stand; collar and stand interfaced.
Sleeves: Short set-in sleeves with one underarm seam.
Front: Two fronts with an interfaced centre front placket. The right front is lapped over the left and stitched to it, stopping 10 cm below the top, so there are no buttons or buttonholes.
Closure: Hidden zip in the left side seam.
Back: Back yoke, centre back seam and princess seams (centre back and side back pieces).
Finishing: A horizontal bow placket, folded and stitched along its lower edge, is basted onto the front; the bow, folded and turned, is laid over it in random pleats and held at the centre by a loop strap. Hems of the body and sleeves turned up 1.5 cm and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Collar on a stand, a turned front placket, a hidden zip in the side seam, darts, a yoke and princess seams, and an assembled bow.
Fabric Recommendations
Blouse fabrics of natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (collar, stand, centre front plackets)
- 1 hidden zip
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.
