Blouse with Lace V-Insert
A women's hip-length blouse in a loose, straight silhouette, with lace cap sleeves, a lace V-shaped insert at the centre front neckline and pleats laid around the front neckline. The back neck closes with a single button and a rouleau loop.
When To Wear
- In spring and summer, with skirts or trousers.
- For the office under a jacket, where the lace shows at the shoulders.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Loose and straight, with a gently curved hem.
Neckline: Round, finished with bias binding turned to the inside and topstitched along the fold.
Sleeves: Short cap sleeves in lace, each made of a front and a back part joined by an upper seam and stitched to the front and back like a raglan; the sleeve edges and the lower armholes are bound with bias binding.
Front: Cut in one piece on the fold, with a lace V-shaped insert at the centre neckline and pleats at the neckline turned away from the centre.
Back: Cut in one piece on the fold, with a bias-bound slit at the neck closed by a button and a bias rouleau loop.
Finishing: Hem turned to the wrong side and topstitched; seams overlocked.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Joining lace to the main fabric, laying neckline pleats, bias binding on the neckline, sleeve edges, armholes and back slit, and making a rouleau button loop.
Fabric Recommendations
Blouse fabrics from natural or blended fibres for the body; lace fabric for the sleeves and the front insert.
Additional Supplies
- Lace fabric
- 1 button
- Bias binding, 4 cm wide (or cut from the main fabric)
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 – 1.2 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 (do not forget to account for paired and symmetrical details). When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
From main fabric:
- Back — 1 piece on fold
- Front - 1 piece on fold
From lace fabric:
- Back sleeve — 2 pieces
- Front sleeve - 2 pieces
- Front insert — 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
- Make a slit on the back from the neckline edge to the mark. Cut a bias binding from the main fabric 4 cm wide and a length equal to double the slit length +4 cm. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise and press. Press the outer seam allowances towards the center. Finish the slit with bias binding.
- Stitch the insert to the front, press the seam allowances towards the front and overlock.
- Lay and secure the pleats on the front neckline (depths directed away from the center).
- Stitch the upper sleeve seam, press the seam allowances towards the back sleeve and overlock. Cut a bias binding (if not ready-made) 4 cm wide and a length equal to the lower sleeve edge length + 5cm. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise right side out and press. Place the bias binding with the lower sleeve edge right sides together and stitch. Notch the seam allowances. Fold the bias binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold to the main piece. Press the seam.
- Stitch the back sleeve to the back, press the seam allowances towards the sleeve, overlock. Stitch the front sleeve to the front, press the seam allowances towards the sleeve, overlock.
- Cut a bias strip 2.5 cm wide and 5 cm long for the loop. Fold the strip in half lengthwise right side in 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.
- Cut a bias binding (if not ready-made) 4 cm wide and a length equal to the neckline length + 5cm. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise right side out and press. Place the bias binding with the neckline edge right sides together and stitch, inserting the loop. Notch the seam allowances. Fold the bias binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold to the main piece. Press the seam.
- Clip the seam allowance of the lower back and front edge at the mark, overlock, press to the wrong side and topstitch. Stitch the side seams, press the seam allowances towards the back and overlock.
- Cut a bias binding (if not ready-made) 4 cm wide and a length equal to the lower armhole length + 4 cm. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise right side out and press. Place the bias binding with the armhole edge right sides together and stitch, fold the bias binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold to the main piece.
- Sew a button on the back neckline.
