Sewing instructions blouse Svenja

Blouses or shirts, which is your favorite? Blouses are ideal companions in the warmer months; depending on the fabric, they can feel cooling against the skin. The only downside: cotton and viscose, in particular, tend to wrinkle, so they should be ironed after washing. Svenja's design, apart from the wide, pleated sleeves, is simple and clean-lined. The flattering boat neckline and the strongly rounded hem complement the wide sleeves, which are gathered at the cuffs with elastic.

Length at back center = 65 - 71 cm

→ To the sewing pattern “Svenja”

Svenja was sewn from a woven fabric in this tutorial.

Materials needed:

We recommend a light cotton or silk.

Sizes 34-42

• Outer fabric 1.30 m (140 cm wide)

Sizes 44-50

• Outer fabric 1.60 m (140 cm wide)

Sizes 34-50

• Elastic band 0.50 m (1 cm wide)

Cut:

Seam allowances are included - 1cm wide or as indicated by the marking notches!

Cut out the pattern pieces from your outer fabric. Place the fabric right side up. Align the selvedges parallel to the center so you can lay out the front, back, and back yoke pieces on the fold. All pattern pieces should be laid with the printed side facing up. Always align the grainline arrow in the same direction on all pieces, parallel to the selvedge of the fabric. Transfer all notches from the pattern by making a 3mm snip with scissors or using chalk, and mark the dart ends. Clip the seam allowance on the fold, as this is always the center point. Markings define the positions of dart ends, pocket positions, and more. Transfer these either with chalk or pins.

You will need the following fabric:

• 1x front part in breakage
• 1x back piece in half
• 1x Passe rear in break
• 1x neckline stripe at the front in slanted FDL
• 2x sleeves, mirrored

Sewing instructions:

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

The colored lines in the pictures show you, in addition to the description, where to sew a seam or glue something.
When sewing, pay attention to the seam allowance included in the pattern. Seam allowances not specifically marked are 1 cm wide!
Have fun sewing!

We begin by sewing the bust darts. A simple, straight dart is sewn on the wrong side of the fabric, following the exact transfer of the pattern and paying close attention to the markings. Sew the darts from the widest point to the point, tapering them neatly (so the dart doesn't bunch up), and then sewn in place. Before you begin, draw a line with tailor's chalk to ensure you sew correctly and that the side seam finishes straight.
To avoid having to lock the stitching at the top, you can sew the last centimeter with a very small stitch.

You iron the dart filling upwards.

You then place the box pleat in the back piece according to the pattern in the back center and stitch it in place with a basting stitch one presser foot width away.

Now you can sew the yoke to the back piece, right sides together, and finish the seam allowances together. If desired, you can press the finished seam allowances upwards and topstitch them.

As a little trick to make the hem much easier to work with later, prepare the hem of the back and front pieces as follows: Stitch a 0.5cm wide auxiliary seam, as shown by the yellow line in the photo.

The front and back pieces are perfectly prepared and can be sewn together at the shoulders, right sides facing. The seam allowances are finished together and pressed to the back.

The side seam and the hem of the front piece are finished all around,…

…as well as the side seams and hem of the back piece.

Here we'll show you how to slightly gather the previously sewn guide seam to maintain the curve. This is then pressed flat, making it easier to iron the hem upwards later.

Next, iron the hem 1.5cm from the first notch to the opposite notch on the front piece, and…

… in the back section.

Sew both side seams right sides together of the front and back pieces up to the notch and press the seam allowances open.

The hem is stitched all around with a 1cm seam allowance.

Here you can see a detailed photo of how we finished the hem at the side seam.

Now let's move on to the neckline strip. Place it right sides together and sew it. Press the seam allowances open…

… and the neckline stripe on the left side, folded over.

The neckline strip is then sewn together with a guide stitch a presser foot's width apart.

Let us now turn our attention to the sleeves of the blouse and begin with the pleating as indicated in the pattern, securing them with a basting stitch the width of a presser foot.

Here you can see a detailed photo of the folds in the armhole.

The hem of the sleeves is prepared by ironing according to the pattern.

Next, sew the inner arm seam right sides together and finish the seam allowances. Press the seam allowances towards the back.

The hem is now folded over twice, stitched through, and a small hole is left open for inserting the elastic.

Cut the elastic to the appropriate length for your upper arm circumference and attach it to a safety pin. Push the pin into the open hole and along the tunnel.

The elastic is sewn together…

… and the opening was closed.

The sleeve is finished and can be inserted right sides together into the armhole and sewn. Pay attention to the notches in the pattern and the double notch, which defines the back position of the sleeve. The seam allowances are finished together and pressed towards the sleeve.

Now all that's missing is the neckband, which is inserted right sides together into the neckline and sewn in place. Pay attention to the notches in the pattern. On our model, the seam lies on the left shoulder seam.

Next, the seam allowances are topstitched flat. This method not only makes the final pressing easier but also ensures that the neckline strip automatically folds inwards and doesn't roll out. Only the neckline strip is topstitched close to the edge of the seam allowances. The topstitching line is then only visible from the wrong side of the fabric, not from the right side.

As a final step, the neckline strip is folded inwards and stitched from the right.

Your SVENJA is finished ! 

If you get stuck or have any questions, please feel free to contact us by email at info@schnittmuster-berlin.de. We will reply as soon as possible. 

Have lots of fun with your new designer piece! 

Sincerely, your Schnittmuster-Berlin team.