Blouse with Curved Side Panels
Introducing a versatile women's blouse pattern distinguished by its flattering curved side panels on both the front and back, creating a subtly shaped silhouette.
When To Wear
This stylish blouse is perfect for a range of settings, offering both comfort and polished appeal, making it an excellent choice for:
- Business Casual: Pairs well with tailored trousers or skirts for a professional yet relaxed office look.
- Smart Everyday Wear: Elevates casual outfits, suitable for daytime events, lunches, or shopping.
- Layering: Worn open over a camisole or underneath a blazer for adaptable styling across seasons.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: a gently fitted silhouette achieved through prominent curved side panels on both the front and back, tapering to the waist and flaring slightly at the hem.
Neckline & Collar: Features a classic pointed shirt collar, designed for a neat and polished finish.
Closure: Front button placket with five buttons, offering adjustable wear and a clean, traditional look.
Sleeves: Three-quarter length sleeves finished with neat cuffs, providing a comfortable and chic arm length.
Back: Designed with curved panel seams that mirror the front, ensuring a flattering fit from all angles.
Hem: a gracefully curved shirt-tail hemline that finishes at hip length, allowing for wear tucked in or left out.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. This pattern involves techniques such as sewing curved seams, setting a collar, constructing cuffs, setting in gathered sleeves, and creating buttonholes.
Fabric Recommendations
Ideal when crafted from light blouse fabrics that offer a beautiful drape and comfortable wear:
- Lightweight shirting fabrics
- Cotton Lawn or Voile
- Rayon Challis
- Crepe de Chine
- Linen blends
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing for collar, cuffs, and placket
- 5 buttons
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- 1. Center back - 1 piece on fold
- 2. Side back - 2 pieces
- 3. Side front - 2 pieces
- 4. Center front - 2 pieces
- 5. Sleeve - 2 pieces
- 6. Sleeve cuff - 2 pieces
- 7. Collar - 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: reinforce the integrated facing and cuffs with fusible interfacing. Press the interfacing to only one collar piece.
Sewing Instructions
- Reinforce the integrated facing, cuffs, and lower collar with fusible interfacing (Heat-activated interfacings are pressed to the wrong side of the piece with a hot iron).
- Stitch the princess seams of the front and back. Overlock and press open the seam allowances.
- Sew the side and shoulder seams. Turn up the hem allowance to 1.5 cm and topstitch.
- Cleanly stitch the collar along the outer contour and, bringing the raw edges together, baste it into the neckline.
- Turn the integrated facings to the right side and stitch them to the neckline edge over the collar. From the ends of the facings, stitch the collar into the back neckline.
- Turn the facings to the wrong side and sew them to the lower edge of the blouse.
- Sew the sleeve seams. Overlock and press open the seam allowances.
- Ease each sleeve cap between the notches. To do this, along both sides of the marked sleeve insertion seam line, stitch a machine line with a large stitch, slightly gathering the fabric on the bobbin thread.
- Fold the sleeve with the garment right sides together and pin it into the armhole, initially only in its lower, aligning the sleeve seam with the side seam and the transverse notches on the front and sleeve. Do not ease either the armhole or the sleeve!
- Pin the sleeve above the blouse's shoulder seam, aligning the transverse notch on the sleeve cap with the seam. Then pin the sleeve into the upper of the armhole, easing it slightly and evenly.
- Baste and stitch the sleeve from the sleeve side, starting the seam at the sleeve seam. Overlock the seam allowances together. In the cap area, press the seam allowances towards the sleeve.
- Fold the cuff in half lengthwise and cleanly stitch along the short edges. Stitch the outer half of the cuff to the lower edge of the sleeve, turn under the inner half and sew it over the attachment seam.
- Along the placket of the right front, overlock 5 buttonholes, sew buttons onto the left.
