How to make a blouse

1. Materials & tools

Materials (size M)

• Main fabric (shirting, double gauze, linen) — about 110 cm wide × 200 cm (43 × 79 in)
• Lightweight fusible interfacing — about 20 × 70 cm (8 × 28 in) for the front facings
• Buttons, 1–1.3 cm — 6 (5 for S, 7 for LL)

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Adult clothes” → “Blouse” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter bust, shoulder width, length, sleeve length, cuff circumference, neckline width, ease and overlap width. Presets cover S to LL. The sleeve length is measured from the shoulder point to the cuff.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Trace the pattern
   Trace the back (on the fold), the fronts, the sleeves, the front facings and the neckline bias. Transfer the underarm, sleeve-head and button notches.
2. Cut
   Cut one back on the fold, two fronts, two sleeves, two front facings and one neckline bias strip at 45° to the grain.
3. Interfacing
   Fuse lightweight interfacing to the wrong side of the front facings. The buttonholes go through the facing and the front together.
4. Finish the edges
   Serge or zigzag the shoulder, side and underarm allowances and the inner edge of the front facings.

4. Sewing

Sewing steps in pictures 9 steps, one at a time

4-1. Sew the shoulders

1. Place the fronts and back right sides together and sew both shoulders.
   See it in pictures
2. Finish both allowances together and press them toward the back.
   See it in pictures

4-2. Set the sleeves

1. Match the center notch of the sleeve head to the shoulder seam and the ends of the sleeve to the underarm, right sides together, and pin. The sleeve head is almost the same length as the armhole, so set it in without easing.
   See it in pictures
2. Sew the armhole from end to end, finish both allowances together and press them toward the sleeve.
   See it in pictures

4-3. Sew the sides and underarms

1. Place front and back right sides together and sew from the cuff to the hem in one run, matching the armhole seams.
   See it in pictures
2. Finish both allowances together and press them toward the back.
   See it in pictures

4-4. Attach the front facings

1. Place each facing on its front right sides together and sew the front edge from the neckline to the hem line.
   See it in pictures
2. Turn the facing to the inside and press, rolling the edge about 1 mm to the inside so the facing does not show from the front.
   See it in pictures
3. At the neckline, baste the facing and front together inside the seam allowance.
   See it in pictures

4-5. Bind the neckline

1. Fold 1 cm under at each end of the bias strip and bind the neckline from front edge to front edge, enclosing the facings.
   See it in pictures
2. Ease the bias slightly round the curve so the neckline lies flat.
   See it in pictures

4-6. Finish the hem and cuffs

1. Turn up the hem and cuffs 1 cm and then 1 cm again (a double fold) and stitch close to the fold.
   See it in pictures
2. Fold the bottom of the front facings into the double-fold hem and stitch them in with it.
   See it in pictures

4-7. Buttons

1. On the upper front, work vertical buttonholes at the center-front notches.
   See it in pictures
2. Sew the buttons on the center front of the other front, and the blouse is done.
   See it in pictures

✏️ A shirt sleeve has a low head that is almost the same length as the armhole. Setting it in flat, before the sleeve is sewn into a tube, makes it easy to machine.

5. Tips & variations

• Pre-wash: double gauze and linen shrink when washed, so wash the fabric before cutting.
• Want a collar? In place of the bias binding you can add a shirt collar with a stand. Check the neckline length in the pattern note.
• Vertical buttonholes: a blouse has a narrow overlap, so work the buttonholes vertically along the center front.
• Trim allowances on fine fabric: on lawn or gauze, trim the allowances to about 5 mm before finishing so they don't show through.