Blouson with Decorative Front Panel
A sleeveless women's top with a round neckline, a front panel gathered at the bottom into a casing by a tie, and a longer back with a centre back seam and a neck slit closed with a rouleau loop and one button.
When To Wear
- In summer with slim trousers, jeans or a pencil skirt.
- Over a fitted skirt or trousers for daytime events, with the tie ends left hanging.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: The front panel narrows from the shoulders towards a casing at its lower edge; the sides and the lower part are formed by the back, which is longer than the front.
Neckline: Round, finished with interfaced front and back neckline facings.
Sleeves: Sleeveless; armholes finished with 4 cm bias binding turned to the inside and topstitched along the fold.
Front: One piece cut on the fold. A folded casing facing is stitched to its lower edge and topstitched along the marking to form a casing; a tie (waistband) is threaded through it to gather the front, and its ends hang free.
Back: Two pieces with a centre back seam stitched from the slit mark to the hem, leaving a slit at the back neck closed with a rouleau loop and one button.
Finishing: Side seams stitched only up to the lower mark, with the back inserted between the front and the casing facing; the lower edge of the back is hand-stitched to the inside of the casing facing. Back hem serged, turned up 2 cm and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A rouleau loop, a faced neckline with a back slit, bias-bound armholes and a casing joined to the side seams with hand finishing.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress or suiting fabrics of natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (front and back neckline facings)
- 1 button
- Bias binding for the armholes, if not cut from the main fabric
Cutter's Must
Seam allowances: all seams 1 cm. Hem allowance for the back bottom – 2 cm. Attention! First of all, 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 (don't forget to account for paired and symmetrical pieces). When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- From main fabric:
- Back – 2 pieces
- Front – 1 piece on fold
- Waistband – 1 piece
- Back Neckline Facing – 2 pieces
- Front Neckline Facing – 1 piece
- Casing Facing – 1 piece
- From fusible interfacing:
- Back Neckline Facing – 2 pieces
- Front Neckline Facing – 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the Back Neckline Facings and Front Neckline Facing.
- Serge the center back edges separately. Stitch the center back seam from the slit mark to the bottom. Press seam allowances open.
- Stitch the shoulder seams of the garment, press seam allowances towards the back and serge.
- Cut a bias strip 2.5 cm wide and 10 cm long for the loop. Fold the strip in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch 0.3 cm from the fold. Trim seam allowances close to the stitching, turn the strip right side out and straighten the rouleau. Adjust the loop length.
- Stitch the shoulder seams of the Back Neckline Facings and Front Neckline Facing, press seam allowances open. Serge the outer edge. Place the facing on the right side of the garment and stitch the neckline. Clip seam allowances, turn facings to the wrong side and press the neckline edge. Hand stitch the facing to the center back seam, inserting the loop.
- Cut (if not ready-made) a bias binding 4 cm wide and a length equal to the armhole length + 4 cm. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise, right sides out, and press. Place the binding on the right side of each armhole, raw edges aligned, and stitch, then fold the binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold to the main piece.
- Serge the back hem allowance, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Fold the Casing Facing in half lengthwise, right side out, and press. Place it on the right side of the front, aligning the bottom edges, and stitch.
- Stitch the side seams up to the lower mark, inserting the back between the front and the Casing Facing. Press seam allowances towards the front and serge. Hand stitch the lower edge of the back to the inside of the Casing Facing. Topstitch the front along the marking to form the casing.
- Fold the Waistband in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch the long side and both short ends, leaving an opening for turning. Trim seam allowances at the corners, turn the waistband right side out through the opening. Close the opening. Press the waistband, insert it into the casing and gather.
- Sew the button to the back neckline opposite the loop.
