Sewing instructions - Bianca Blouse by Sue O’Very

• Cut pattern pieces accordingly. Information about how to measure for the correct size can be found in the pattern download on the right or here.
• Transfer front and back darts to fabric with marking pen or transfer paper and tracing wheel.
• Serge with 4-Thread overlock around the outside of the Front, Back, Top Sleeve, and Bottom Sleeve.
• Press the scratchy side of the Fusible Woven Interfacing Front and Back Facings to the wrong side of the Front and Back Facings, follow manufacturers pressing instruction. These are now the Front and Back Facing pieces. Serge each shoulder seam of the Front and Back Facings flat with 4-Thread overlock.

Embroidering

• Depending on the material, use appropriate stabilizer and hooping methods for the materials.
• If using a woven material, fuse the Iron on Tear-Away stabilizer to the wrong side of the fabric, hoop and embroider the two sleeves and the front neck area.
• Use bobbin yarn as bobbin thread when embroidering. 

Darts:

• Fold darts right sides together and stitch with regular sewing machine, back stitch at the beginning and end of each dart.
• Press darts flat with an iron: Press front darts towards the bottom hem and press back darts towards center.

Facings:

• Place the Front and Back Facing pieces right side together and sew the shoulder seams. This is now the Facing. Press the Facing seams flat and then press seams open.
• Serge around the outside of the Facing. Do not serge the neckline of the Facing as this will be stitched and cut down in the next step.

• Place the Front and Back blouse right sides together and sew shoulder seams. Press seams flat and then press seams open.
• Pin Facing right sides together with the Front/Back neckline. Sew Facing to the Front/Back neckline and trim seam to ¼” and clip center “V”.
• Press neckline seam towards the Facing side. Stay stitch Facing to neckline seam allowance.
• Press Facing open, then fold wrong side of Facing to touch wrong side of Front/Back neckline, press flat.
• With “stitch-in-ditch” method, tack Facing at shoulder seams. Give the neckline a finishing press.

Side Slit:

• With Front and Back blouse right sides together, sew side seam from under the armhole to the top “T” notch on side seam pieces. Press side seams flat. This is the top of the side slit.
• Press side seams open from under the armhole to the bottom hem. Top stitch each side slit using 3/8” stitching from the hem to the top of the slit, across, and down to the other side.
• Press hem up 1” towards the wrong side. Hem bottom of blouse on the front and back with ¾” top stitch. When top stitch is finished, press the hem, side seams, and slits flat.

Sleeves:

• With your favorite gathering method, gather the top portion of the Bottom Sleeve at ¼” to fit into the bottom portion of the Top Sleeve. Place right sides together, pin and stitch the two sleeve pieces right side together. Repeat with second sleeve.
• Press each sleeve seam towards the Top Sleeve and top stitch securing the sleeve pieces together so the gathers lay nicely. Press sleeve flat.

• Fold each sleeve right sides together aligning the sleeve inseam. Pin together and sew, notice the notched out portion of the Bottom Sleeve for the hem and follow the seam when stitching.
• Press each sleeve inseam flat and then open, clip into the 1” hem notch as needed. Press up the 1” hem and stitch with ¾” top stitch.
• Sleeves are finished and ready to be set into armhole.

The last steps

• Slightly gather the top portion of the sleeve cap from front “T” notches to back “T” notches to help ease the sleeve cap into the armhole. Pin in place right sides together and sew sleeves into armholes.
• Press sleeve seams with a tailors ham towards the blouse.
• Give final press to the blouse and wear!