Midi Dress With Puff Sleeves And Front Tie

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Hi there, today's post is about a new dress I sewed last month. It's a midi-style dress with puff sleeves and a front tie. I made this dress to wear to a special dinner. For the pattern: I lengthened my selfdrafted v-neck dress into midi length. And for the fabric, I used a linen blend in green color. I bought the fabric in Bangkok during my summer holiday in August. The dress pattern had 6 pieces, front and back darts and I fused the facings with fusible interfacing. As usual, the sewing process was relaxing and it finished faster than I planned. The picture below shows the process of sewing the zipper, I pinned it before sewing it using the zipper foot. To make the puff sleeves, I gathered the sleeves before pinning and sewing them to the armhole.  After attaching the sleeves, I sewed the sleeve allowance 1 cm and the hem allowance 1.5 cm. And then, I pinned the neckline before top-stitching it. I decided

Polka Dot Blouse

Hello...
For September "Snoop Sewing" I decided to copy Lauren Conrad blouse, shown here. My plan was sew a high collar blouse and big chest pockets but things didn't go so well and in the end I have to cut the high collar and make it as a V-neck blouse. I also skip the pockets because they don't look good with V neck.
Here is the final result...

picture from whowhatwear.com
Pattern And Materials:
BurdaStyle Simple Blouse 04/2013 # 104 A  size 36
1.5 yards of small black polka dots over white colour cotton fabric, 8 small dark brown and white gingham buttons, 1/2" bias tape and thread.

Sewing Process:
As usual I sew the front plackets and sew the front and back pieces at the shoulder right sides together, then attached the sleeves on the body.
After that I sew the high collar and attached to the neckline. The result shown in the picture below (first one from the left). My work on the collar was fine but just a little bit tight for my neck and it doesn't look good on me.
So, I cut the high collar and make it as V neck blouse. As shown in the middle and last pictures, I measured 11 cm from the CF down to the chest and cut both sides.

And then I sew 1/2" bias tape right sides together along the neckline. After that, I folded the bias tape to the inner blouse and top stitched.

Here is the result...

After I finished the neckline, I reduced the sleeve length 2 cm and worked on the plackets and cuffs. I was a little confused with the instruction from Burda but lucky I managed to sew the plackets with the video tutorials from Angela Kane here and here.
After I finished the plackets, I sew the blouse side from the sleeve to the hem right sides together ( I did for both sides), then sew the cuffs.
Sew the button holes and buttons. Then the last work was sew the hem. I used narrow hem.

Well, working in this blouse wasn't so easy but at least I learned a new skill on sewing sleeve plackets.
And here are the finished blouse, front and back views following by the closer look of the sleeve placket and cuff. Also the high low hem :)




And the last two pictures of me wearing it, back and front views


MAGAM Facebook Group

Happy Sewing!

Details:
BurdaStyle Simple Blouse 04/2013 #104 A size 36
Sewing a sleeve placket part 1 and part 2

Comments

  1. I love this style better! Dresses up and down easily. What type of cotton did you use? Appears sleek and soft. Beautiful work and looks fabulous on you!

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    1. Thank you, Dodo. I bought the fabric in my local Chinese shop, there is no description about the fabric detail. According to the shop owner is 100 % cotton but I think it has polyester in it :)

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  2. Hana, really cute blouse, I like the V-neck better than the collar version.. Happy sewing.

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    1. Thank you, Judy. I think so about the V-neck, it suits better than the high collar :)

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  3. Beautiful blouse and the V-neck turned out great. It suits you very well.

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  4. I agree with both you and Judy - the collar would have just overwhelmed you. This plain, simple variation suits your petite figure so nicely. The plackets look wonderful.

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    1. Thank you, Sarah Liz. I am so glad that I managed to sew the plackets correctly :)

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  5. Your blouse looks lovely. The V-neck is much nicer. I had trouble with my blouse for September too but I got there in the end. It feels good doesn't it?

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    1. Thank you, Kathy. It feels really good when we can safe the garment :)

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  6. Hana, you look sharp in that blouse and jeans. What a great neckline.

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  7. Dear Hana!
    That's a very nice blouse, you look beautiful!
    Have a happy weekend!
    LG Carolin

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    1. Ahhh... thank you, dear :) Have a happy weekend for you too. Here in Macau is a long weekend, holiday since Thursday :)

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  8. This blouse is lovely, Hana! It is an easy wear and so well made! I have made a similar placket at the Hawthorne dress, there the explanation was quite well. I love your outfit! :)

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    1. Thank you, SaSa. Too bad that Burda didn't explain well about the plackets or maybe I just don't get it :) Anyway, I am still loving Burda patterns and can not wait to sew the October edition.

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  9. A practical blouse but pretty at the same time. You could dress that up or down accordingly. Love your choice of fabric and you suit it so well. Lovely blouse Hana :) x

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  10. Um....this is just perfect Hana! What a great upcycle to you own me-made! Love the polka dots and buttons too!

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    1. Thank you, Sue. I am still have some more different colour gingham buttons in my stash, can not wait to use them all :)

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  11. Cute top! I love polka dots, and this will be so versatile in a wardrobe!

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  12. I think the v-neck looks great! And the fir of this blouse is perfect. You look so cute in it!

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  13. Yes to what everyone else has said -- you saved this one wonderfully. The V neck looks great on you, and the finishing details are so spot on...very cute top!

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  14. I absolutely love this! It is gorgeous.

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  15. You look so comfortable in this perfect top. It looks like such an easy to wear piece.

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