Long Sleeve Lace-Up Utility Shirt
A women's hip-length pullover shirt with a lace-up front opening, a shirt collar on a stand, four patch pockets with box pleats and buttoned flaps, and long sleeves with buttoned cuffs.
When To Wear
- Everyday wear with jeans or chinos, worn loose over the waistband.
- Spring and autumn, on its own or under a light jacket.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Straight, loose fit; front and back shaped with darts (the front darts are pressed upwards, the back darts towards the centre).
Length: Hip length, straight hem turned up and topstitched.
Collar: Shirt collar with pointed ends on a separate stand, interfaced upper collar and upper stand, topstitched.
Front: Pullover style, front cut in one piece. A V-shaped opening at the centre front is finished with an interfaced placket turned to the inside and topstitched; eyelets along both edges carry a cord laced criss-cross. A folded insert stitched under the placket fills the opening from behind.
Sleeves: Long set-in sleeves, eased into the armhole, with a short opening left in the sleeve seam above the cuff; straight interfaced cuffs fastened with one button each.
Pockets: Two chest and two lower patch pockets, each with an inverted box pleat at the centre and a topstitched top edge; interfaced flaps with a pointed lower edge, each fastened with one button.
Back: One piece with no centre back seam, shaped with darts.
Finishing: Shoulder and side seams pressed towards the back and overlocked. The cord can be ready-made or cut from the shirt fabric.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A collar on a stand, cuffs, pleated patch pockets with lined flaps and buttonholes, and a faced lace-up opening with eyelets set in.
Fabric Recommendations
Shirting fabrics made from natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (placket, upper collar, upper stand, flaps, cuffs)
- 6 buttons
- 12 eyelets
- Cord for the lacing (ready-made or made from the shirt fabric)
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Back – 1 piece
- Front – 1 piece
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Stand Collar – 2 pieces
- Placket – 2 pieces
- Insert – 1 piece
- Upper Flap – 4 pieces
- Upper Pocket – 2 pieces
- Lower Flap – 4 pieces
- Lower Pocket – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: Placket – 2 pieces, Collar (upper) – 1 piece, Stand Collar (upper) – 1 piece, Upper Flap – 2 pieces, Lower Flap – 2 pieces, Cuff – 2 pieces.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the Plackets, Cuffs, upper Collar, upper Stand Collar, and 2 pieces each of the Upper Flaps and Lower Flaps.
- Stitch darts on the back and front. Press darts on the back towards the center, and on the front upwards.
- Fold an inverted box pleat on each Upper Pocket and Lower Pocket. Press the upper seam allowance of the pockets to the wrong side, fold under, and topstitch. Press the side and lower seam allowances of the pockets to the wrong side. Place pockets on the front according to markings and topstitch.
- Place the Upper Flap and Lower Flap pieces in pairs right sides together and stitch around, leaving the upper edge open. Trim the corners of the flaps and turn right side out. Straighten seams and press. Overlock the open edge of the flaps and work the buttonholes. Attach flaps to the front, turn down, and topstitch. Sew buttons onto the pockets according to the buttonholes.
- Place the Placket pieces right sides together and stitch a small section from the mark downwards. Press seam allowances open. Overlock the outer edges of the placket. Place the Placket on the Front, right sides together, and stitch around the neck opening. Trim allowances, turn the placket to the wrong side, baste, and press. Baste the outer edges of the placket to the front. Punch eyelets.
- Press the Insert in half crosswise, right side out, and overlock the edges. Topstitch the Placket to the Front according to the markings, placing the Insert underneath from the wrong side. Remove the basting.
- Place the Collar pieces right sides together and stitch along the ends and outer edge. Trim, turn out collar corners. Stitch the Stand Collar pieces together, sandwiching the Collar between them, starting and ending the stitching exactly at the neckline seam line. Turn right side out, press the finished collar.
- Stitch the shoulder and side seams of the blouse. Press seams towards the back and overlock.
- Stitch the lower Stand Collar with the Collar to the neckline, turn under the raw edge of the upper Stand Collar and stitch it in the ditch of the lower stand seam. Topstitch along the collar.
- Fold each Cuff right sides together and stitch the short edges, trim allowances at the corners, and turn right side out. Press cuffs.
- Overlock the sleeve edges. Stitch the sleeve seams, leaving a section unstitched from the mark downwards.
- Stitch the outer side of the Cuff to the bottom of the sleeve. Turn under the allowance of the inner side and stitch it in the ditch of the attaching seam.
- Set in the sleeves, easing the cap. Overlock the seam.
- Press the bottom of the garment to the wrong side, fold under, and topstitch.
- Insert the cord into the eyelets. Work buttonholes on the Cuffs and sew on the buttons.
- Tip: The cord can be ready-made or made from the blouse fabric.
