Ruffled Button-Front Blouse
A women's fitted blouse with a shirt collar on a stand, a five-button front placket framed by pleated lace trim, a horizontal seam under the bust with shallow pleats, and long sleeves with slit cuffs.
When To Wear
- For the office with a suit or a pencil skirt.
- For dinners and celebrations with plain trousers or a skirt.
- In spring and summer in lightweight linen.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted, shaped with side panels on the front and back and a centre back seam.
Length: Hip length, straight hem.
Collar: Shirt collar on a separate stand, worn open at the neck; the collar is topstitched along the edge.
Front: Upper front with shallow pleats joined to the lower front at a seam under the bust; the lower front is cut in two parts (centre and middle front) with a vertical seam. A two-layer placket is turned to the right side and topstitched; pleated lace trim is caught under each placket edge and into the collar stand seam.
Closure: Five buttons and buttonholes on the placket.
Sleeves: Long, set-in with an eased cap, finished with deep cuffs that have a slit; the cuff edge and slit are topstitched.
Back: Two back pieces with a centre back seam, plus side panels.
Finishing: Shoulder seams pressed towards the back; hem overlocked, turned up and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A multi-panel front with pleats at a seam, a two-layer placket with pleated lace set under its edge, a collar on a stand, slit cuffs.
Fabric Recommendations
Fine linen or blended fabrics, with lace trim 2 to 7 cm wide for the front frills.
Additional Supplies
- Lace trim, 2 to 7 cm wide
- Fusible interfacing (plackets, upper collar, cuffs, collar stand)
- 5 buttons
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Stand Collar – 2 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- Back – 2 pieces
- Side – 2 pieces
- Upper Front – 2 pieces
- Center Front – 2 pieces
- Middle Front – 2 pieces
- Placket – 4 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: Placket, upper Collar, Cuff, Stand Collar.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse the Placket, upper Collar, Cuff and Stand Collar pieces with fusible interfacing.
- Stitch the Center Front and Middle Front together. Overlock the seam and press.
- Lay shallow pleats on the Upper Front and join it to the lower front (the joined Center Front and Middle Front). Overlock the attachment seam allowances and press towards the upper front. Place the Placket right side to the wrong side of the front and stitch. Press the attachment seam allowances towards the placket.
- Stitch the center back seam. Overlock the seam and press.
- Stitch the Side panels to the front and back. Overlock the stitching seam allowances and press towards the center of the front and back.
- Press the outer edge of the upper Placket under by 1 cm. Place the upper Placket and the lower Placket right sides together and stitch them together. Turn the placket to the right side of the front and press.
- Overlock, turn under, and topstitch the short lower edge of the lace trim. Create pleats on the lace and baste to the pressed edge of the placket up to the notches. Topstitch the pressed edge of the Placket to the front. Remove temporary basting threads. Topstitch the short upper edge of the lace trim to the neckline edge of the front at a distance of 0.5 cm from the edge.
- Stitch the shoulder seams of the blouse. Overlock the seam allowances and press towards the back.
- Face the lower collar with the upper collar, then turn the collar right side out.
- Stitch the two Stand Collar pieces together, inserting the collar between them.
- Insert the lower collar stand with the collar into the neckline, catching the lace trim, turn under the raw edge of the upper collar stand, and topstitch into the seam of the lower collar stand attachment. Topstitch along the collar.
- Stitch the sleeve seams.
- Fold the Cuffs in half crosswise, right sides together, and stitch the short sides up to the marks. Clip the seam allowances at the slit. Fold the Cuffs in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch the edges of the slit.
- Attach the Cuffs to the bottom of the sleeve and overlock the upper edge of the cuff together with the sleeve.
- Topstitch the cuff attachment seam to the sleeve, and topstitch along the bottom of the cuff and the edge of the slits.
- Set in the sleeves, easing the cap.
- Work buttonholes on the right front and sew buttons onto the left front.
- Overlock, hem, and topstitch the bottom of the garment.
