SEWING INSTRUCTIONS BLOUSE “JOINA”

The Joina blouse was created in collaboration with Johanna alias joina215 . Johanna has been a member of our design sewing group for a long time and always inspires us with her great sewing examples. Some time ago she went public with a remarkable contribution. In this she reports on her serious, still little-researched illness, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, or ME/CFS for short. We spontaneously decided to start this blouse project with her.

Johanna has created a romantic blouse with ruffle details on the collar and sleeves. The torso is loosely cut and has a straight hem. The wide puffed sleeves are 3/4 length, the narrow cuff and the front edge are closed with loops and buttons. This takes some practice, but it fits the style of the blouse perfectly.

Length at center back = 62 – 68 cm

→ To the pattern “Joina”

In this pattern, Joina was sewn from a light cotton fabric.

Required material:

We recommend a flowing silk, viscose or thin cotton fabric.

Sizes 34-42	Outer fabric	1.60 m	140cm wide
Sizes 44-50	Outer fabric	2.10 m	140cm wide
Sizes 34-50	inlay	0.30m	90cm wide

Cutting:

Cut the pattern pieces from your outer fabric and interlining . Place the selvedges parallel to the center so that you can place the back piece, yoke, neck ruffle and sleeve ruffle in the fold. The pattern pieces should all lie face up. Always align the thread arrow in the same direction on all pieces and parallel to the selvedge of the fabric. Transfer all the clips from the pattern through a 3mm long incision with scissors or chalk and mark the ends of the darts. Clip the seam allowance in the fabric fold because this is always a center. It is best to roughly cut all outer fabric parts that will be completely covered with inserts first. After you have fixed the insert, cut it out exactly. There is also a video about gluing and fixing cut parts here.

What you need from fabric:

• 1x back part in the break
• 2x back yoke in the break
• 1x neck ruffle in the break
• 2x sleeve ruffles in the break
• 2x front part opposite
• 2x tape front edge/bezel
• 2x sleeves opposite
• 2x slit strips
• 1x strip for eyelets

also with insert:

• 1x receipt at the back of the break
• 2x receipt at the front
• 2x cuff

Sewing instructions:

To sew this blouse you will need a sewing machine and an overlock sewing machine, or alternatively the zigzag stitch on your sewing machine to neaten the cut edges.

In addition to the description, the colorful lines in the pictures show you where a seam needs to be sewn or something needs to be glued.
When sewing, pay attention to the seam allowance included in the pattern. Seam allowances that are not specifically marked are 1cm wide!
Have fun sewing!

There are two ways to close the center front of the blouse. On the one hand, by a button strip, shown in the shooting photo. In the second variant, the seam is sewn up to the top button clip. In the lower part of the article we will explain in more detail and with additional photos how the second variant works.

There are two ways to process the hem of the sleeves. Either with a classic cuff and slit or a drawstring and elastic. Choose one and you're good to go. I will describe and present both variants.

Variant 1: Cuff with slit

Begin with the slit processing by placing the slit strip on the right side of the fabric of the sleeve on the right side of the fabric on the strip. Place both under your sewing machine and start with a 0.7 topstitch that tapers to the top point of the cut slit (see photo).

The slit strip is ironed over, folded in twice and stitched through just under the edge from the right side.

The upper corner of the slit is fixed with a seam running diagonally upwards.

Now the slit can be finished and ironed towards the correct side. The photo above is of the right arm, for orientation, a slit can always be opened backwards. The ironed edge can be stitched to the hem to help.

Place the folds in the upper sleeve area as marked on the pattern. Make sure you take the right snaps.

Now close the sleeve seam and finish the seam allowances together. These are then ironed backwards.

The cuff is attached to the hem of the sleeve. To do this, iron an open edge (on the side of which the eyelet will also be attached) by 1cm.

The strip for the eyelet on the cuff, cut at an angle, is placed in a fold, right sides together. Starting at the top with the seam and leaving a wider opening (school cone), allow it to shrink and topstitch to the fold at the width of a quilting foot. The roll can be pulled through with a thick thread and a large needle. Push the blunt side of the needle into the opening and pull the seam allowances through.

For the eyelets, you can also watch our sewing video for the continuous roll.

Attach an eyelet to the cuff. Pay attention to the clips in the cut. The top photo shows the cuff of the left sleeve. The cuff is then ironed inside out (i.e. in the middle), left sides together.

The gathering folds on the sleeve can be created with a large stitch. Pay attention to the length of the cut cuff minus 2 cm. In this video we show you how we make ruffles or, for this blouse, ruffles.

Now the cuff, with the unironed edge, right sides together, can be stitched 1cm to the hem of the sleeve. There is 1cm left at both ends so that the slit edges can be aligned together (see next photo). Now carefully iron the cuff down.

Wrap the ends or the top and bottom of the cuff together, right sides together, and fold the wrap together.

Sew the cuff from the outside (right side of the fabric) close to the edge of the sleeve and close everything.

This is what the finished sewn cuff looks like from the inside and outside of a right sleeve.

Place your button so that the slit is nicely on top of each other and the cuff is overlapping slightly.

Variant 2: Drawstring with elastic

If you prefer the sleeve with elastic, you must not cut the slit as marked in the pattern!

Place the folds in the upper sleeve area as marked on the pattern. Make sure you take the right snaps.

Now close the sleeve seam and finish the seam allowances together. These are then ironed backwards.

The hem of the sleeve is ironed twice. First iron 0.5cm around, then 1cm and just under the edge to form a tunnel. Make sure to leave a small opening so that the rubber can be pulled through there. Pull the elastic through and sew the ends together. Then close the opening again.

Here you can see what the sleeve looks like with the elastic in the drawstring at the end.

We continue with sewing off the bust darts. After transferring the pattern exactly and paying close attention to the marking, a simple, straight dart is closed and sewn on the left side of the fabric, clip by clip, tapering nicely from the widest point to the tip (so that the dart doesn't bag). Draw a line with tailor's chalk beforehand so that you don't sew too much or too little and the side seam is nice and straight.
So that you don't have to lock at the tip, you can sew the last centimeter with a very small stitch. Iron the dart contents upwards.

Now let's move on to the back part. Sew a seam from clip to clip using a long stitch length. This will allow you to create wrinkles in this area. To define the total route, use the length of the pass as a guide.

The pattern part for the upper back is called the yoke. The yoke often ends at the shoulder seam, but can also be brought forward slightly.

Fits can be straight, slanted or pointed. If you look at a garment from the inside, you will notice that the yoke is doubled, i.e. a yoke is counter-sewn from the inside. So the seams are nicely hidden and clean.

First, pin the yoke pieces to the back piece with pins. The back part is enclosed by the yoke. Place the yoke that will be on the outside, right sides together. Place the inner yoke with the right side on the left side of the back piece.

The clip in the middle back allows you to easily place all the pattern pieces on top of each other. Starting from the center back, pin left and right to the end of the seam.

These three layers are now sewn together with a 1cm seam allowance, so the first seam is covered.

Then it's time to connect the yoke to the front in the shoulder area. First, sew the inner yoke together with the respective front pieces, right sides together, and press the seam allowances to the back. The outer yoke is folded to the shoulder seam. Then you crawl from the open neck hole into the shoulder seam and grab the 3 seam allowances. You sew these three layers together. The outer yoke, right to right, is on the front piece and the inner yoke, right to left, is on the front piece.

Then you can simply pull out the contents and your yoke is beautifully finished. The seam allowances point towards the back, i.e. into the yoke, and lie neatly between the inside and outside yoke.

Iron the whole thing flat, being careful not to flatten the gathers.

To continue working, we pinned the layers at the neck and armholes together with a large stitch. So nothing shifts anymore.

A little tip: You can topstitch the yokes close to the edge or the width of a quilting foot from the seam.

The strip cut in the diagonal direction of the thread is laid, right sides together, in a fold. Starting at the top with the seam and leaving a wider opening (school cone), allow it to shrink and topstitch to the fold at the width of a quilting foot. The roll can be pulled through with a thick thread and a large needle. Push the blunt side of the needle into the opening and pull the seam allowance through.

For the eyelets to close the blouse, you can also watch our sewing video for the continuous roll.

Divide the entire long band into 10 smaller parts for the entire eyelets on the cuff (2 pieces) and front fastening edge (8 pieces). When determining the length of an eyelet, pay attention to the size of your buttons.

Here you now have to decide on how to process the front center. If you want to stick with the button placket, just read on, but if you want to close the blouse with a seam, skip this sewing step and other photos that explain how to work the button placket. You can find the photos at the end of the instructions.

Eight of the cut rolls are now placed on the front edge and stitched in place with an auxiliary seam the width of the quilting foot. Pay attention to the clips marked in the section for the position of the eyelets. The other two eyelets have already been incorporated into the sleeves.

Now let's move on to the ruffles on the sleeves. To do this, the outer side of the ruffle is ironed in and around twice by 0.5cm and the edge is stitched.

Here you can see the stitched seam marked in yellow. Additionally, we sewed the inside with a large stitch and made the gathering pleats. To define the total length of the ruffle, measure the length of the section marked in the pattern.

The finished ruffle can now be placed on the armhole, right sides together, and secured with an auxiliary seam. Pay attention to the clips marked in the section.

The neck ruffle is made like the armhole ruffle. To do this, the outer side of the ruffle is ironed twice by 0.5cm and the edge is stitched. Additionally, we sewed the inside with a large stitch and made the gathering pleats.

The finished ruffle can now be placed on the neck hole, right sides together, and secured with an auxiliary seam the width of a quilting foot. Make sure to leave an inch seam allowance on both ends for the front edge.

Here you can see a detailed photo of how the ruffle looks sewn in.

Now let's move on to the facing of the front and back sections, fixed with inserts. Close the shoulder seams, right sides together, with 1cm seam allowance and iron them apart. The outer edge is ironed 0.5cm and the edge is stitched so that everything is neatly finished.

Place the facing, right sides together, on the neck hole made with the ruffle and use pins for the shoulder seams, center back and front edge to secure it. Stitch everything securely with 1cm. So that the facing can be placed easily on the inside of the blouse, clip the curves of the neck hole. Then carefully iron the receipt, left sides together, on the inside.

The covering is then attached to the fuselage with a seam stitched close to the edge. Sew from the right side of the fabric. This way the neck ruffle stands up nicely when you have the blouse on.

The facing is then dotted through from the outside at the shoulder seams. Sew in the shadow of the shoulder seam so it isn't as visible.

Skip the next 4 photos if you want to close the center front with a seam and scroll all the way down to finish the center front before closing your side seams, finishing the hem and putting in the sleeves.

Now let's move on to the strip for the front edge, a so-called panel. This is ironed inside out, left to left…

... and sewn to the front edge, right sides together, up to the hem with a quilting foot width. The fixed eyelets are located between the front part and the strip of the panel.

The panel is ironed inwards and folded over so that the eyelets become visible. Now it is stitched to the front piece at 1cm from the front edge.

A detailed photo shows how the panel looks sewn in and the front part is neatly processed.

Now the side seams of the front and back pieces can be closed, right sides together, and the seam allowances can be neatened together. Iron these backwards.

The hem is folded in and folded twice and the edge is stitched. Pay attention to the clips in the cut.

Now let's move on to inserting the sleeves. Place the correct sleeve, right sides together, into the correct armhole, paying attention to the clips marked in the pattern. Finish the seam allowances together.

Finally, the sleeve ruffles are neatly fixed so that they stand well on the outside. To do this, the seam allowance on the sleeve points into the body, so the seam (shown in yellow) is stitched up just from the edge at the beginning of the ruffle to the end of the ruffle.

Skip this photo if you want to close the center front with a seam.

Finally, the buttons are sewn on according to the loops. When sewing on the buttons, make sure that they are positioned within the band (1cm wide).

Here I start with the detailed processing of the front center with seam: Please make sure that this is a minimized sample piece and therefore only the bare essentials (VT, neck facing and panel) have been cut so that we can explain this variant to you quickly and afterwards can.

The top head clip is the only clip made in the front center. This determines your neckline length. Then overcast the seam allowance in the center front up to your marked clip.

Both front pieces are now connected to each other, right sides together, with a seam up to the snap and 1cm seam allowance.

The seam allowance can now be ironed apart.

The aperture is shortened. First I transferred the length of the clips from the front part to my visor. We then decided on a distance of 6cm from the snap and cut the panel. You can also choose a shorter route.

Both strips are ironed inside out, left to left.

The trim is placed with the open edge, right sides together, on the neckline and stitched down to the snap. Make sure that the neck hole is already closed and the panel needs 1cm seam allowance at the top to be neatly finished. Edit both sides of the cutout like this.

The seam allowances are then stitched flat as far as you can get them. This method not only makes the final ironing out easier, but also means that the receipt, if it is not stitched, automatically folds inwards and does not roll out. Only the facing is stitched close to the edge on the seam allowances. The stitching line can then only be seen from the left inside of the fabric, but not from the right side.

The panel can now be folded inwards and then ironed smooth. The upper seam allowance is previously folded under the panel and pushed into the seam. The seam, see photo, is stitched through from the outside to the width of a quilting foot and the panel is thus sewn in place.

The end of the panel also needs to be neatly cleaned up. To do this, we ironed both lower edges with 1cm...

... and stitched from the inside at the respective seam allowance.

Your JOINA is ready !

If you don't know what to do next or if you have any questions, please contact us by email at info@schnittmuster-berlin.de. We will respond to you as quickly as possible. 

Have a lot of fun with your new designer piece! 

Warmest regards, Dagmar and Ellen.