Long-Sleeve Floating Front Blouse
A women's loose, hip-length blouse with a draped floating front panel laid in pleats from the shoulder, and a long collar cut in two halves whose ends hang free. Made with long sleeves gathered into buttoned cuffs, or sleeveless.
When To Wear
- For the office and evenings out, with tailored trousers or a pencil skirt.
- Sleeveless in summer, under a jacket or on its own.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Loose, with bust darts and a straight hem.
Front: Cut on the fold, covered by a separate floating panel. The panel's outer edge is bound with bias binding; three pleats from the shoulder turn towards the armhole and the rest towards the neckline. The panel is caught into the shoulder and side seams and hangs free below.
Collar: Four pieces joined in pairs at the centre and stitched along the outer edge; the neck edge between the marks is left open and set into the neckline. Its long ends hang down.
Sleeves: Two versions. Long set-in sleeves with a bias-bound slit, gathered into cuffs with an extension and one button each; or sleeveless, with armholes bound with bias binding.
Back: One piece cut on the fold.
Finishing: Hem turned twice by 1 cm and topstitched; seams overlocked.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Laying pleats on a draped panel, bias-binding long curved edges, setting a two-layer collar, a bias-bound sleeve slit and cuffs with an extension.
Fabric Recommendations
Blouse fabrics from natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Bias binding (or cut from the main fabric)
- For the sleeved version: fusible interfacing (cuffs) and 2 buttons
Cutter's Must
If the patterns have a double contour, the patterns include seam allowances. If the contour is single, the patterns do not include seam allowances. Seam allowances: hem allowance – 2.0 cm; other seams 1 cm. Attention! First of all, 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. When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match! Attention! When creating patterns, you can choose a model with or without sleeves. Attention! Markings on the patterns are made on the right side.
From main fabric:
- Back – 1 piece on fold
- Front – 1 piece on fold
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Cuff - 2 pieces
- Collar – 4 pieces
- Flying front – 1 piece
From fusible interfacing:
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the designated pieces.
- Stitch bust darts, press seam allowances upwards.
- Cut (if not ready-made) a bias binding 4 cm wide and a length equal to the outer edge of the flying + 5 cm. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise, right side out, and press. Place the binding along the outer edge, right sides together, and stitch. Clip seam allowances. Fold the binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold onto the main piece, press the seam.
- Form and secure pleats on the flying: three pleats from the shoulder seam are directed towards the armhole, the rest are directed towards the neckline. Overlock the lower edge of the flying.
- Place the flying front onto the main front and secure along the side and shoulder edges. Then treat as one piece.
- Stitch side and shoulder seams, press seam allowances towards the back and overlock.
- Fold collar pieces in pairs and stitch the center edges. Press seam allowances open. Fold collar pieces right sides together and stitch along the outer contour, leaving the neck edge between the marks unstitched (this edge is set into the neckline). Clip the front neckline allowance in the center at the mark. Attach the upper collar to the neckline. Fold under the seam allowance of the lower collar and topstitch into the attachment seam.
- For the sleeveless model:
- Cut (if not ready-made) a bias binding 4 cm wide and a length equal to the armhole length + 5 cm. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise, right side out, and press. Place the binding along the armhole edge, right sides together, and stitch. Clip seam allowances. Fold the binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold onto the main piece, press the seam.
- For the sleeved model:
- Make a slit on the sleeve along the marked line. Cut a bias binding from the main fabric 4 cm wide and a length equal to twice the slit length + 4 cm. Fold the binding in half lengthwise and press. Press outer seam allowances towards the center. Finish the sleeve slit with bias binding.
- Stitch the sleeve seam, press seam allowances and overlock. Along the lower edge of the sleeve, stitch with a loosely tensioned thread and gather.
- Set sleeves into armholes, press seam allowances and overlock.
- Fold the cuff in half lengthwise, right side in, and stitch the short sides and the step. Start stitching strictly at the marked line for attaching the cuff to the sleeve. At the mark, clip seam allowances, turn the cuff right side out and press. Attach the outer side of the cuff to the bottom of the sleeve. Fold under the inner side of the cuff and topstitch into the attachment seam.
- Make buttonholes on the cuffs. Sew on buttons.
- For all models:
- Fold the bottom edge of the garment twice inwards by 1 cm and topstitch.
