Fitted Blouse with Gathered Peplum & Bow
A women's blouse with darts, a gathered peplum, a wide gathered waist band tied into a bow at the front, long sleeves with gathered caps and buttoned cuffs, and a button closure down the centre back.
When To Wear
- For the office and daytime events, with a straight skirt or trousers.
- For family celebrations in spring and autumn.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted bodice shaped with darts at the front and back; the lower part is gathered into the waist seam and flares over the hips.
Length: Hip length.
Neckline: Round, bound with self-fabric bias binding.
Sleeves: Long set-in sleeves, gathered at the cap; the slit at the wrist is bound with bias binding, and the sleeve is finished with a cuff fastened with a button.
Front: Cut on the fold, with no opening.
Closure: Centre back with cut-on button plackets, buttonholes on the left back and buttons on the right.
Waist: A wide band in two pieces, gathered at the side marks and at the centre back, sewn to the blouse at the sides and fixed by hand to the darts; at the front it forms a bow wrapped with a 6 × 10 cm strip.
Finishing: Peplum hem serged, turned and topstitched; seams serged.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Gathers at the sleeve cap and peplum, bound sleeve slits, cuffs, cut-on plackets with buttonholes, the bow assembled and attached by hand.
Fabric Recommendations
Blouse fabric in natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (plackets, cuffs)
- 8 buttons
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- 1. Back - 2 pieces
- 2. Front - 1 piece on fold
- 3. Lower of front - 1 piece on fold
- 4. Lower of back — 2 pieces
- 5. Bow - 2 pieces
- 6. Sleeve – 2 pieces
- 7. Cuff – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- 1. Placket – 2 pieces
- 2. Cuff – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse fusible interfacing to the integrated plackets and cuffs.
- Stitch darts on the front and back pieces. Trim seam allowances with an overlocker and press towards the center.
- Stitch shoulder and side seams. Overlock seam allowances and press towards the back.
- Stitch side edges of the lower parts. Overlock seam allowances and press. Along the upper edge of the lower, sew a gathering stitch with loosely tensioned stitches and gather. Overlock the lower edge, fold inwards and topstitch. Stitch the upper and lower parts of the blouse. Overlock the seam and press upwards.
- On the bow pieces, clip seam allowances at the notches. Overlock seam allowances along the long sides, fold inwards and topstitch. Fold the bow piece along the “fold” mark and stitch along the upper and lower edges. Trim corners and turn pieces right side out. Place the bow pieces on top of each other and stitch through along the “fold” mark. Cut a trim strip 6 cm wide and 10 cm long. Overlock the short sides, fold inwards and topstitch. Wrap the bow with the trim strip and secure the trim strip with hand stitches. Along the “side” mark and along the center back edge, sew gathering stitches with loosely tensioned stitches and gather. Attach the bow to the blouse at the “side” mark. Secure the bows to the darts with hand stitches.
- Align the center back edge with the center bow edge. Fold the integrated placket (with the bow placket) to the wrong side and press. Fold the seam allowance inwards and topstitch the placket.
- Clip the sleeve slit at the mark. Cut a bias binding 4 cm wide, with a length equal to twice the slit length + 3 cm. Press the bias binding in half lengthwise, fold the outer edges to the center and press again. Finish the slit with the bias binding. Stitch the sleeve edge, overlock seam allowances and press open. Fold the cuff in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch the side edges and finish the corner. 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 of attaching the outer cuff. Along the upper of the sleeve cap, sew a gathering stitch with loosely tensioned stitches and gather. Set the sleeves into the armhole. Overlock seam allowances and press towards the sleeve.
- Cut a bias binding 4 cm wide, with a length equal to the neckline length + 2 — 3 cm. Press the bias binding in half lengthwise, fold the outer edges to the center and press again. Finish the neckline.
- Overlock the hem of the garment, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
- On the left back, make buttonholes, on the right, sew on buttons. Make buttonholes and sew on buttons on the cuffs.
