Pussy Bow Blouse with Puffed Sleeves and Flap Pockets
A women's hip-length shirt blouse with a tie collar knotted in a bow, a concealed button placket, two chest patch pockets with pointed buttoned flaps, and short sleeves gathered into deep cuffs.
When To Wear
- For the office with trousers or a straight skirt.
- In spring and summer, worn loose or tucked in.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Semi-fitted, shaped by long vertical darts on the fronts and back.
Length: Hip length, straight hem turned up twice and topstitched.
Collar: Tie collar joined at the centre back, folded lengthwise and set into the neckline between notches; the long ends tie in a bow at the front.
Closure: Concealed button placket: the right placket is folded double with the buttonholes on its inner layer, the left placket carries the buttons, both caught between the fronts and interfaced front facings.
Pockets: Two chest patch pockets with pointed flaps, each flap fastened with one button.
Sleeves: Short set-in sleeves with an eased cap, gathered at the lower edge into a deep cuff that is stitched into a ring and folded in half.
Back: Centre back seam and two darts.
Finishing: Shoulder and side seams pressed towards the back and overlocked.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A concealed placket built from separate pieces, a tie collar, patch pockets with lined flaps and gathered sleeves set into cuffs.
Fabric Recommendations
Shirting fabrics of natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (plackets, front facings, cuffs, two flap pieces)
- 6 buttons
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Back – 2 pieces
- Front – 2 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Right Placket – 1 piece
- Left Placket – 1 piece
- Flap – 4 pieces
- Pocket – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: Right Placket, Left Placket, 2 Flap pieces, Center Front Facings, Cuffs.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the Right Placket, Left Placket, Cuffs, Center Front Facings and 2 of the Flap pieces.
- Stitch the darts on the Back and Front pieces. Press the darts towards the center. Stitch the center back seam. Press the seam allowances to the left side and serge.
- Press the top seam allowance of the pockets to the wrong side, fold, and topstitch. Press the side and bottom seam allowances of the pockets to the wrong side. Place the Pockets on the Fronts according to the markings and topstitch.
- Place the Flap pieces right sides together in pairs and stitch, leaving the top edge open. Trim the seam allowances at the corners and turn right side out. Press. Serge the open edge of each flap and make the buttonholes. Stitch the flaps to the Fronts, turn them down and topstitch. Sew buttons onto the pockets to match the buttonholes.
- Fold the Left Placket in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch the short top edge. Turn right side out, press, place on the left front with the fold facing away from the edge, and baste. Fold the Right Placket with both long edges to the center and stitch the short top edges. Turn right side out and press. Make buttonholes on the inner layer of the placket. Secure the layers together at the top with a machine stitch, place on the right front with the folds facing away from the edge, buttonholes up, and baste.
- Serge the inner edges of the Center Front Facings. Place the facings on the Fronts right sides together (plackets in between) and stitch along the front edges. Turn the facings to the wrong side and press.
- Stitch the center back seam of the Collar. Fold the collar in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch the lower edge and ends, working from the notches outwards in both directions. Trim the seam allowances at the corners, turn the collar right side out and press.
- Stitch the shoulder and side seams of the blouse. Press seams towards the back and serge.
- Stitch the outer layer of the collar to the neckline between the notches, turn under the open edge of the inner layer and topstitch it into the seam.
- Stitch the sleeve seam, press, and serge. Sew a row of long gathering stitches along the lower edge of the sleeve and gather it to the length of the cuff.
- Stitch each Cuff into a ring and press it in half lengthwise, wrong sides together. Unfold the cuff and stitch its outer half to the lower edge of the sleeve. Turn under the seam allowance of the inner half and topstitch it into the seam.
- Set sleeves into armholes, easing the sleeve cap. Serge seams.
- Press the hem allowance of the blouse to the wrong side, turn under and topstitch.
- Sew buttons onto the left placket.
