Off-Shoulder Puff Sleeve Bow Blouse
This elegant women's blouse pattern features a sophisticated off-shoulder neckline finished with a band that ties in a front bow, and voluminous puff sleeves gathered into wide cuffs.
When To Wear
This blouse is perfect for a variety of occasions, offering both elegance and comfort:
- Elegant Casual Outings: Ideal for brunch, daytime events, or refined casual gatherings.
- Romantic Evenings: a charming choice for date nights or special occasions where a feminine touch is desired.
- Summer & Spring Events: Its light, airy design makes it suitable for warmer weather, garden parties, or relaxed celebrations.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: a flattering fitted bodice with shaping darts, designed to sit gracefully off the shoulders.
Neckline: An elegant off-shoulder neckline finished with a topstitched band; the front ends of the band extend into ties that knot into a bow at the center front.
Closure: Full-length cut-on button placket at the center front.
Sleeves: Voluminous long sleeves joined to the front and back along the neckline edge, with stitched tucks at the top; gathered at the lower edge into wide buttoned cuffs, with a bound slit.
Back: a clean back design with shaping darts for a refined fit.
Hem: a clean, straight hemline.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Requires accurate gathering techniques, precise placket and cuff construction, and working with delicate fabrics.
Fabric Recommendations
Choose lightweight to medium-weight fabrics with good drape and crispness to achieve the desired silhouette:
- Fabrics made from natural or blended fibers
- Shirting fabrics
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing
- 12 buttons
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Back – 1 piece
- Front – 2 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Back Facing – 2 pieces
- Front Facing – 4 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- Bias strip for the sleeve slits – 2 strips 18 × 3 cm (cut by measurement)
- From fusible interfacing: cut-on placket of the Front, Cuff, 1 Back Facing and 2 Front Facings.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the cut-on plackets of the Fronts, the Cuffs, one Back Facing and two Front Facings.
- Stitch the waist darts on the back and bust darts on the front. Press the waist darts towards the center of the piece, and the bust darts upwards.
- Press the long edge allowance of the cut-on placket to the wrong side. Fold the placket along the front edge line to the right side and stitch the upper and lower corners. Clip the neckline seam allowance at the mark. Overlock the neckline edge from the mark to the edge line. Turn the placket to the wrong side, press, and topstitch onto the front 0.1 cm from the inner folded edge.
- Press the overlocked neckline edge to the wrong side and topstitch 0.1 cm from the edge.
- Stitch the tucks on the sleeve according to the markings. Attach the sleeve to the back, press and overlock the seam allowances. Attach the sleeve to the front, press and overlock the seam allowances. Stitch the underarm sleeve seam and side seam in one continuous seam. Press and overlock the seam allowances.
- Stitch the Front Facings to the Back Facing to make two complete bands. Place the two bands right sides together and stitch all around from mark to mark along the lower edge, ends and upper edge. Clip the seam allowances at curves, trim at corners. Turn the facing to the right side, press.
- Stitch the outer band to the upper edge of the blouse, fold under the open edge of the inner facing and topstitch into the attaching seam. Stitch a decorative topstitch 0.1 cm from the edge along the bottom edge, ends, and top edge of the facing.
- Fold each Cuff right sides together and stitch the short ends and the button extension, trim the seam allowances at the corners and turn to the right side. Press the cuffs.
- Cut a bias strip 18 × 3 cm for each sleeve slit. Mark the slit line on the sleeve and cut along it. Spread the slit into a straight line and bind it with the bias strip, turning under the raw edge. The finished binding is 0.5 – 0.7 cm wide; the seam is 0.5 – 0.7 cm along the slit, narrowing to 0.2 cm at its top. Sew a row of long gathering stitches along the lower edge of the sleeve and gather it to the length of the cuff.
- Attach the cuff with the outer side to the bottom of the sleeve. Fold under the seam allowance of the inner cuff and topstitch into the attaching seam.
- Press the bottom of the garment to the wrong side, fold under and topstitch.
- Make buttonholes on the fronts and cuffs and sew on the buttons.
