Structured Waist Blouse
A women's blouse with a shirt collar on a stand, long gathered sleeves with buttoned cuffs and a horizontal waist seam. The upper front and back are gathered into the waist seam, and a separate double-layer waistband is laid over the waist and caught in the side and front edges.
When To Wear
- For the office with straight trousers or a pencil skirt.
- In spring and autumn with jeans or a skirt, worn outside the waistband.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fullness above the waist from the gathers, fitted lower section below the waistband.
Length: Ends below the waist, at the high hip.
Collar: Shirt collar with pointed ends, set into a separate collar stand that closes with a button.
Sleeves: Long set-in sleeves with a slit at the lower edge (topstitched 0.3 cm from the edge), gathered into a buttoned cuff.
Front: Upper and lower fronts joined at the waist, the upper front gathered. A separate placket is sewn to the front edge and turned to the inside. Buttonholes on the right front, buttons on the left.
Back: Centre back seam; upper back gathered into the lower back.
Waist: Applied waistband made of two layers stitched and turned, in three parts (two front, one back), basted to the blouse at the side seams and centre front edges.
Finishing: Seams overlocked; 2 cm hem, turned and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Gathered waist seams, a collar with a separate stand, a sleeve slit with cuffs, a front placket and eleven buttonholes.
Fabric Recommendations
Blouse fabrics made from natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (collar, collar stand, cuffs, plackets, waistband pieces)
- 11 buttons
Cutter's Must
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- From main fabric:
- Upper Back – 2 pieces
- Lower Back – 2 pieces
- Upper Front – 2 pieces
- Lower Front – 2 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Stand Collar – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- Placket – 2 pieces
- Front Waistband – 4 pieces
- Back Waistband – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Collar – 1 piece
- Stand Collar – 1 piece
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- Placket – 2 pieces
- Front Waistband – 2 pieces
- Back Waistband – 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the corresponding pieces.
- Along the lower edge of the Upper Back, stitch with a loosened upper thread and gather. Stitch the Upper Back and Lower Back together, press the seam allowances upwards and overlock. Stitch the center back seam, press the seam allowances to the left and overlock.
- Place the Back Waistband pieces right sides together and stitch the upper and lower edges. Turn the Back Waistband right side out and press. Place it on the back and baste along the side edges.
- Along the lower edge of the Upper Front, stitch with a loosened upper thread and gather. Stitch the Upper Front and Lower Front together. Press the seam allowances upwards and overlock.
- Place the Front Waistband pieces in pairs right sides together and stitch the upper and lower edges. Turn each Front Waistband right side out and press. Place them on the fronts and baste along the side and center front edges.
- Stitch the shoulder and side seams, press the seam allowances towards the back and overlock.
- Stitch the Placket to the right side of the front, press the seam allowances towards the Placket. Turn the Placket to the wrong side along the front edge line and press the fold. Fold under the inner edge of the Placket and topstitch into the attachment seam.
- Place the Collar pieces right sides together and stitch the ends and the outer edge. Notch the seam allowances at the corners. Turn the Collar right side out, shape and press. Place the Stand Collar pieces right sides together, insert the finished Collar between them and stitch, at the same time stitching the ends of the Stand Collar. Start and end the stitching exactly at the marked collar attachment line. Notch the seam allowances on the curves. Turn the finished collar right side out and press.
- Stitch the outer Stand Collar to the neckline, fold under the raw edge of the inner Stand Collar and topstitch it into the attachment seam of the outer Stand Collar.
- Overlock the sleeve edges separately. Stitch the sleeve seam from the armhole to the slit mark, press the seam allowances open. Topstitch along the slit 0.3 cm from the edge. Set the sleeves into the armholes, press the seam allowances and overlock. Along the lower edge of the sleeve, stitch with a loosened upper thread and gather.
- Fold the Cuff in half lengthwise right side in and stitch the ends. Start and end the stitching exactly at the marked cuff attachment line. Turn the Cuff right side out, press. Stitch the outer side of the Cuff to the sleeve, fold under the seam allowance of the inner side of the Cuff and topstitch into the attachment seam of the outer side.
- Overlock the hem allowance, fold to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Make buttonholes on the right front. Sew buttons on the left front. Make buttonholes and sew buttons on the Cuffs and the Stand Collar.
