Pussy Bow Blouse with Puffed Sleeves and Flap Pockets
Presenting a chic blouse pattern featuring a distinctive pussy bow neckline, elegant puffed sleeves, and practical chest flap pockets, creating a blend of sophistication and casual charm.
When To Wear
This blouse is a versatile choice for a range of occasions, offering both elegance and comfort, making it suitable for:
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Office & Professional Settings: Its polished design and structured elements make it perfect for a refined work ensemble.
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Smart Casual Gatherings: Easily dressed down with jeans or elevated with a skirt for stylish social occasions.
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Special Daytime Events: The elegant pussy bow and puffed sleeves lend themselves beautifully to brunches or daytime celebrations.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: a comfortable fit through the body, designed to be versatile for tucking or wearing untucked.
Neckline & Collar: a tie collar whose long ends are knotted into a soft pussy bow at the front neckline.
Closure: Full-length front placket with concealed buttons (buttonholes on the inner layer of the right placket).
Sleeves: Short puffed sleeves, gathered at the lower edge into deep cuffs.
Pockets: Two patch chest pockets with shaped buttoned flaps.
Back: Center back seam and vertical waist darts for shaping; the fronts also have waist darts.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Involves techniques such as dart construction, precise placket and collar assembly, creating and attaching pocket flaps, and setting puffed sleeves with cuffs.
Fabric Recommendations
To achieve the desired drape and structure, consider fabrics such as:
- Natural or blended fiber fabrics (e.g., cotton, linen, rayon blends)
- Shirting fabrics (e.g., poplin, broadcloth, chambray)
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing
- 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.
