Collared Blouse with Concealed Closure
A fitted, hip-length women's blouse with princess seams front and back, stitched pleats at the front neckline, a collar with rounded ends on a stand, and a concealed button placket. Long sleeves with a pleated cap, a bias-bound opening and buttoned cuffs.
When To Wear
- Tucked into a skirt or trousers for the office, or worn out over slim trousers.
- Under a jacket or a cardigan in autumn and winter; on its own in spring.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted, shaped by princess seams from the armhole on the front and back.
Length: Hip length, straight hem.
Collar: Collar with rounded ends set on a stand, fastened with one button at the stand.
Front: Pleats at the neckline, stitched from the neck edge to the end of the marking and pressed away from the centre. Separate right and left fronts.
Closure: Concealed placket on the right front: the cut-on placket is folded to the inside and topstitched 3 cm from the front edge, so the buttonholes are hidden. The left front placket is turned 1 cm and then 3 cm and topstitched.
Sleeves: Long, one-piece set-in sleeves with a box pleat at the top of the cap and two pleats on either side of it. The opening is bound with a 4 cm bias strip; cuffs with an extension, one button each.
Back: Centre back seam, princess seams and darts pressed towards the centre.
Finishing: Seams overlocked; hem overlocked, turned and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A collar on a stand, a concealed cut-on placket, a pleated sleeve cap, bound sleeve openings and cuffs with an extension.
Fabric Recommendations
Blouse fabrics made of natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (front plackets, upper collar, inner stand, cuffs)
- 9 buttons
Cutter's Must
If the patterns have a double contour, they include seam allowances. If the contour is single, the patterns do not include seam allowances. Seam allowances: all seams 1 cm; hem allowance for the bottom of the blouse – 1.5 cm. Attention! First, print out the paper patterns and lay them out on the fabric width (fabric width can be from 90 cm to 150 cm) 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
- Side Front – 2 pieces
- Left Front – 1 piece
- Right Front – 1 piece
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Stand Collar – 2 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
From fusible interfacing:
- Collar – 1 piece
- Stand Collar – 1 piece
- Cuff – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the cut-on plackets of the fronts, the upper Collar, the inner Stand Collar, and the Cuffs.
- Place the upper Collar on the under Collar, right sides together. Stitch the ends and the outer edge of the collar. Trim the seam allowances. Turn the collar right side out, ease out the edges and press. 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 at the same time. Start and end the stitching exactly at the marked line of the stand attachment seam. Turn the stand right side out and press.
- Stitch the darts on the back, press the dart allowances towards the center. Stitch the back princess seams (Center Back to Side Back), press the seam allowances towards the center and overlock. Stitch the center back seam, press the seam allowance to the left and overlock.
- Lay the pleats at the front neckline and stitch them from the upper edge to the end of the marking; press the pleat allowances away from the center. Stitch the front princess seams (Right Front / Left Front to Side Front), press the seam allowances towards the center and overlock.
- Right Front: Press the front edge to the wrong side along the lines "front edge" and "concealed placket edge". Topstitch along the inner edge of the placket 3 cm from the front edge. Fold the inner part of the placket back towards the front edge. Press and make the buttonholes. Left Front: Fold the placket to the wrong side first by 1 cm, then by another 3 cm, and topstitch along the inner edge of the placket.
- Stitch the shoulder and side seams, press the seam allowances towards the back and overlock.
- Stitch the outer layer of the Stand Collar (with the collar) to the neckline, fold under the open edge of the inner stand and topstitch it into the attachment seam.
- Cut the sleeve opening along the marked line. Cut a bias strip from the main fabric 4 cm wide and twice the length of the opening + 4 cm long. Fold the bias strip in half lengthwise and press. Press the long edges towards the center fold. Bind the sleeve opening with the bias strip.
- Stitch the Sleeve seam, press the seam allowance towards the back and overlock. Lay a box pleat at the top of the sleeve cap and two pleats on the front and back parts of the cap.
- Set the sleeves into the armholes, press the seam allowances and overlock.
- Fold the Cuff in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch the short ends and the extension. Start the stitching exactly at the marked line of the cuff attachment seam. Clip the seam allowances at the mark, turn the cuff right side out, and press. Stitch the outer side of the cuff to the lower edge of the sleeve. Fold under the inner side of the cuff and topstitch it into the attachment seam.
- Overlock the hem allowance of the blouse, press to the wrong side, and topstitch.
- Make a buttonhole on the Stand Collar and buttonholes on the Cuffs. Sew buttons onto the Left Front to match the buttonholes. Sew buttons onto the Cuffs.
