My tutorial... the pretty autumn blouse

The Autumn Blouse has been in stores for two weeks. You can find the pattern here: Autumn Blouse pattern.

I've prepared a photo tutorial for you that complements the instructions with diagrams provided with the pattern. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need further explanations.

STEP 1 - THE BLOUSE FRONT

The collar

The collar is optional. It's a half-Claudine collar that is caught in the shoulder seams. You can add piping to highlight its curve, as I do here:

Start by stitching the piping to one right collar and one left collar, observing the specified seam allowances: as the piping is about 2 mm wide, I sew it 1.2 cm from the edge.

Assemble the collars and their facings right sides together. If, like me, you've added piping, stitch along the previously made seam.

Trim the seams to 5 mm, make notches to create a nice curve, and turn right side out.

Press and admire. It's off to a good start!

Then place the collars on the right side of the front top pieces, aligning the shoulder and neckline lines. Baste with a seam 5 mm from the edge.

The pockets

Start by assembling the pockets and their facings right sides together, leaving a 4 cm opening at the bottom of the pockets.

Trim the seams, cut the top corners, and make notches at the rounded bottom corners of the pockets.

Turn right side out and press, carefully bringing out the corners. Close the opening with small, invisible hand stitches.

Placement marks are indicated on the pattern to show you where to place the pockets. To place them correctly, I cut the line indicated on the paper pattern and fold up each side by about 1 cm. I place the pattern on my fabric piece. I use pins to mark the placement and then directly place the pocket in the correct spot.

Remember to backstitch a few times at the pocket opening to reinforce the seam, which prevents it from coming undone with use.

Assembling the front

The bottom front pieces of the blouse should be gathered. If you're not used to gathers, check out this tutorial: lovely gathers, it should help you.

Gather the front bottom pieces between the F lines indicated on the pattern until they match the width of the front top pieces.

Assemble the right top and right bottom, and the left top with the left bottom, right sides together.

Press the seams upwards.

Now the front pieces are ready!

STEP 2 - THE BLOUSE BACK

Form the box pleat of the blouse's back bottom by placing lines A-B on the center back line of the blouse. Secure with pins, press to mark the pleat well, and baste with a seam 5 mm from the top.

I advise you to leave the pins for the next seam so that the pleat stays in place.

Assemble the back top and back bottom right sides together.

Press the seams upwards.

STEP 3 - ASSEMBLING THE BLOUSE

Assemble the front and back, right sides together, at the shoulder seams, and press the seams open.

Assemble the front top facings and the back top facing right sides together at the shoulder seams and press the seams open.

Place the facing on the blouse right sides together, carefully aligning the neckline and shoulder seams.

Sew all around the neckline.

For a nice curve, make notches along the seam before turning the facing inside the blouse and pressing it.

Then press a 1 cm fold at the bottom of the facings.

I advise you to baste the armholes of the facing and the blouse together. This will make sewing the sleeves easier.

Then assemble the front and back of the blouse, right sides together, at the side seams.

STEP 4 - THE SLEEVES

Close the sleeves along their entire length, right sides together.

Press them towards the back.

Assemble the sleeves and armholes right sides together: there is little ease planned at the sleeve heads, but you can run a gathering stitch to make it easier to ease it in.

Be careful to join the right sleeve to the right side and the left sleeve to the left side.

Start by pinning the side seam of the blouse and the seam line of the sleeve. To make sewing easier, I advise you to turn the sleeve right side out and slip it into the blouse. Pin the armhole opening, working up from each side, easing in any fullness, and finish placing the pins.
I recommend placing the pins on the sleeve side (not the blouse side) for easier stitching.
Stitch all around the armhole.

To finish the sleeves, press a first fold of 3 cm towards the inside at the end of the sleeves, then a second fold of 3 cm.

(September 2024 edit: the new pattern version (2024 version) provides for a first fold of 1 cm and a second of 3 cm)

Secure with a seam 2.8 cm from the edge.

STEP 5 - THE HEM

Press a first 2 cm fold at the bottom of the blouse, then a second 2 cm fold. Check that the two front pieces have the same height by placing them side by side.

Secure the hem with a machine stitch 1.8 cm from the edge or with small, invisible hand stitches.

STEP 6 - THE BUTTON PLACKETS

I recommend adding a thin woven fusible interfacing to the wrong side of the button plackets to reinforce them. Leave 1 cm on each side without interfacing (equivalent to seam allowances).

Place the button plackets on each front of the blouse, right sides together. The plackets extend beyond the top and bottom of the blouse (they are longer than necessary).
Sew along the entire height 1 cm from the edge.

Press, pulling out the plackets and pressing the seam towards the plackets, along their entire height.

Press a 1 cm fold towards the wrong side along the heights of the second button plackets.

Position these second plackets on the first, right sides together.

Join the plackets along their width 1 mm from the top and bottom edges and along the entire height 1 cm from the edge.

Trim the seam allowances to 5 mm and cut the top and bottom corners at an angle.
Turn right side out and press.

Close the height of the placket with small invisible hand stitches.

STEP 7 - BUTTONS AND BUTTONHOLES

Sew 6 buttonholes (for the short blouse version) or 7 buttonholes (for the long blouse version) on the right front: place the first buttonhole 1 cm from the top, the second at the top/bottom seam of the blouse, then distribute the remaining ones at the same distance from each other down to the bottom.

Sew the 6/7 buttons opposite them on the left front.

I hope this photo tutorial is clear. If not, please send me a message (contact@louandmecouture.fr)!

Happy sewing

Lydie