Empire-Waist Gathered Blazer
A women's hip-length lined jacket with a notched collar and a three-button front. The upper front is gathered into a horizontal seam under the bust, and the upper sleeve is gathered into a crosswise seam above the elbow.
When To Wear
- For the office and daytime events, over blouses and tops, with trousers or a pencil skirt.
- In spring and autumn as a light lined top layer.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted, with a seam under the bust and vertical seams below it on the front.
Length: Hip length.
Collar: Notched collar with lapels; undercollar set into the neckline, upper collar sewn to the facings.
Front: Upper front gathered at its lower edge into the under-bust seam; lower front made of a centre front and a side front panel.
Closure: Single-breasted, three buttons with buttonholes.
Sleeves: Set-in sleeves with elbow and front seams. The upper sleeve is cut in two parts: the top part is gathered into the lower part above the elbow. Without gathers, the upper sleeve can be cut from the lining upper sleeve piece.
Back: Centre back seam, side back panels and shoulder darts.
Finishing: Front edge seam understitched 0.2 cm from the seam: to the facing along the buttoned part, to the front along the lapels.
Lining: Full lining cut from the body and sleeve panels, joined to the main jacket with 1 cm tacks at the waist along the panel seams.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Gathers matched into seams on the front and sleeves, a notched collar with lapels, and a full bagged lining turned through the sleeve.
Fabric Recommendations
Suiting fabrics of natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (front facings, undercollar, back neck facing)
- 3 buttons
- Shoulder pads
Cutting Plan
From main fabric:
- 1. Upper Front – 2 pieces
- 2. Lower Collar – 1 piece on fold
- 3. Upper Collar – 1 piece on fold
- 4. Middle Front – 2 pieces
- 5. Side Front – 2 pieces
- 6. Back Neckline Facing – 1 piece on fold
- 7. Side Back – 2 pieces
- 8. Middle Back – 2 pieces
- 9. Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- 10. Upper Sleeve 1 – 2 pieces
- 11. Upper Sleeve 2 – 2 pieces
- 12. Lower Sleeve – 2 pieces
From lining fabric:
- 1. Upper Front – 2 pieces
- 2. Middle Front – 2 pieces
- 3. Side Front – 2 pieces
- 4. Middle Back – 2 pieces
- 5. Side Back – 2 pieces
- 6. Upper Sleeve (lining pattern, without the gathering seam) – 2 pieces
- 7. Lower Sleeve – 2 pieces
From fusible interfacing: Center Front Facing, Lower Collar, Back Neckline Facing.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the Center Front Facing, Lower Collar and Back Neckline Facing.
- Place the Upper Collar and Lower Collar right sides together and stitch around the outer edge. Trim the corners, turn the collar right side out and press.
- Gather the lower edge of the Upper Front over the area of the dart opening.
- Stitch the Side Front to the Middle Front. Press the seam open. Stitch the lower front to the Upper Front. Press the seam open.
- Mark and stitch the shoulder dart on the back. Press the dart towards the center back. Stitch the center back seam of the Middle Back pieces and press it open. Stitch the Side Back to the Middle Back. Press the seam open.
- Stitch the shoulder and side seams of the jacket and press them open.
- Gather the lower edge of Upper Sleeve 1 to the length of the upper edge of Upper Sleeve 2. Stitch Upper Sleeve 1 to Upper Sleeve 2. Stitch the elbow seam (upper sleeve to Lower Sleeve) and press it open. Stitch the front sleeve seam and press it open. Press up the sleeve hem.
- Place the Center Front Facing on the front, right sides together, pin and stitch along the front edge, with the front uppermost, from the hem up to the notch that marks the end of the collar seam. Stitch the lower edges of the facings to the front exactly along the marked hemline. Trim the seam allowances at the upper and lower corners of the front edge. Understitch the front edge seam allowance 0.2 cm from the seam: along the closure to the facing, along the lapels to the front. Turn the front edges right side out, ease out the seams and press. Stitch the shoulder seams between the Back Neckline Facing and the Center Front Facings and press them open.
- Stitch the Lower Collar into the jacket neckline, and stitch the Upper Collar to the Back Neckline Facing and the Center Front Facings.
- Set the sleeves into the armholes, matching the notches.
- Stitch the seams of the lining pieces, leaving an opening in the front seam of the right sleeve, then set in the lining sleeves. Press the lining seams. Stitch the lining to the inner edges of the Center Front Facings and the Back Neckline Facing. Press the collar seam allowances open and tack them together close to the seams.
- Stitch the lining sleeves to the sleeve hem allowances and the lining to the jacket hem allowance. Tack the lining to the jacket at waist level along the panel seams with 1 cm bar tacks. Turn the jacket right side out through the opening in the sleeve lining. Stitch the opening closed.
- Mark and work the buttonholes. Mark and sew on the buttons.
Tip: If desired, you can leave out the gathers on the sleeve. In that case, cut the upper sleeve from the lining Upper Sleeve pattern piece.
