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Debbie Shore's Dressmaking Studio: Summer Blouse
Easy |
Quick Links: What you'll need Project steps
This quick and easy blouse has a loose fit with slightly puffed sleeves, elasticated cuffs and a V-shaped opening on the front neckline. It is a simple sew and a great everyday blouse.
About the project
This is the kind of blouse you can make repeatedly in different fabrics – it’s simple to sew and comfortable to wear. The V-shaped slit at the front makes it easy to get on and off and helps keep you cool in hot weather, as do the ¾-length sleeves. It’s a simple design and we’ve broken the construction down into lots of steps to make it even easier. Before sewing your final garment, it’s always recommended that you make a toile – a sample in inexpensive fabric that’s as close as possible in weight and drape to your final fabric. This allows you to test the sizing and make sure the finished garment fits exactly how you want it to. You can try on your sample and make any necessary alterations to the pattern before cutting into your final fabric. (Some adjustments need to be made to the pattern itself and can’t be fixed once the garment is finished.)Suitable fabrics
This pattern is designed for light- to medium-weight woven fabrics with little to no stretch. Fabrics with a soft drape will give the best result. Lightweight cottons, cotton lawn, cotton chambray, lighter-weight linen and linen blends, Tencel™, viscose/rayon and viscose blends are all excellent choices. The more fluid types of silk would also work really well. Different fabrics will give slightly different results: crisp cotton will create a more structured silhouette, while softer fabrics such as viscose will drape beautifully.Choosing your size
Always choose the pattern size according to your measurements rather than simply opting for your usual dress size as different companies use different body sizing for their patterns. The patterns come in two size sets. The first one, for sizes 4–18, is designed for a B cup while the second, for sizes 16–32 is designed for a D cup and has the addition of bust darts. This means that for sizes 16 and 18 you can choose which cup size is best for you and select from the appropriate set. In terms of dressmaking, a B cup means that the high bust (your body circumference just under your armpits) is 2in (5cm) smaller than your bust measurement (measured around the fullest part of the bust) and a D cup means that the high bust is 4in (10cm) smaller than your bust measurement.Make it your own!
- Omit the elastic in the sleeves for less puff.
- Turn the sleeves into short puff sleeves or long, romantic ones – because the sleeves are so straight, you can simply fold up the bottom of the sleeve pattern to make shorter sleeves or add to the bottom edge for longer ones.
- Lengthen the body a tunic-style version.
- Add beads or embroidery to the neckline.
By the end of this project, you’ll have:
- Gained confidence with your sewing.
- Learned how to attach a neck facing to a neckline with a front slit.
- Made sleeves with an elasticated hem.
The Templates
Size charts are included on the template pages. There are six options to choose from:
- Click here to download the A0 pdf pattern for sizes 4–18 (B cup)
- Click here to download the A0 pdf pattern for sizes 16–32 (D cup)
- Click here to download the A4 size pdf pattern for sizes 4–18 (B cup)
- Click here to download the A4 size pdf pattern for sizes 16–32 (D cup)
- Click here to download the US Letter size pdf pattern for sizes 4–18 (B cup)
- Click here to download the US Letter size pdf pattern for sizes 16–32 (D cup)
Check out the blouses that other members have made for inspiration (see right) and, if you have any questions about making this pattern, you can always refer to the forum. You can also chat to other members via the Half Yard Sewing Club Facebook page!
Note: use a ⅜in (1cm) seam allowance unless otherwise stated.
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You will need:
Equipment
- Sewing machine with a standard foot
- Fabric scissors
- Dressmaking pins
- Erasable fabric pen to transfer the dart markings, if applicable
- Safety pin or bodkin for threading the elastic
- Optional: dressmaking ruler or seam gauge
Materials
- 59in (150cm) wide fabric: 1½yd (1.3m) for sizes 4–18 (B cup), 2½yd (2m) for sizes 16–22 (D cup) or 2.6yd (2.4m) for sizes 24–32 (D cup) OR for 54in (137cm) wide fabric: 2yd (1.9m) for sizes 4–18 (B cup), 2½yd (2.3m) for sizes 16-22 (D cup) or 3¼yd (3m) for size 24–32 (D cup)
- Small amount of lightweight fusible interfacing for the neck-facing pieces
- 3/8in (1cm) elastic for the sleeves – 1yd (1m) is plenty
- Matching thread
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Project steps:
Step 1
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Step 2
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