Author Archives: Rotraut

#0314 Shirtwaist Tutorial – Sewing the blouse

Part 1 – Adjusting the pattern

Let´s start to sew the blouse step by step, but not exactly the way I described in the instructions, showing you how to do some things different! This time I decided to make the turn-down collar and make collar and cuffs from the same fabric as the blouse.

First of all is to cut all the pieces from the fashion fabric, transferring all the marks carefully. Working with symmetrically printed fabrics, it´s better to follow the printed pattern than the grainline to make the folds and the button band. Believe me, that print drove me crazy when I started sewing.

On the right side, I cut off the front along the dotted (green) line and made an extra button band – see first post.

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#0314 Shirtwaist Tutorial – Adjusting the pattern

Hi there again! This time I made a tutorial for my Shirtwaist pattern #0314 with folds. Some of my customers reported problems with the narrow collar and how to adjust the neckline if you´d need a lager collar.

First of all, the most important thing is to make a mock-up for the collar. Compared to modern collars, often cut very wide and worn open, this collar has to sit tight around your neck, like a men´s shirt collar.

Making the collar wider, you´d have to widen the neckline accordingly and I think at that point many of you´re having problems, finding the neckline on the pattern because of the folds.

Take the front pattern from paper and make all the folds indicated on the pattern. From that point it will be easy to make all the changes needed.

Using a 5/8” (1,5cm) seam allowance, draw the stitching line and measure.

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Tutorial for a 1890´s day bodice or blouse – Part 3 The sleeves and finishing details

Part 1: Preparing the back and fronts

Part 2: The collar and bottom facing

The bodice is nearly finished, just the sleeves and some details are missing!

Flatline the sleeve with the polished cotton fabric (I did a fast machine basting) and mark the line for the puff sleeve on the right fabric side.

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Tutorial for a 1890´s day bodice or blouse – Part 2 The collar and the bottom edge

Last time, I showed you how to prepare the back and fronts, now it´s time to sew on the collar and neaten the bottom edge.

Part 1: Preparing the back and fronts

Flatline the collar, without basting the layers together because of the different turn of cloth needed for the top and lining layer. Take the interfacing, cut on the bias (accidentally, I cut mine on the straight grain) without any seam allowances, and baste centered to the wrong side of the collar. To remove bulk before, cut off the lining at an angle at the corners. Turn in the seam allowances, first baste, then catch stitch the seam allowances to the interfacing.

Pin the collar to the neckline, right sides together, matching the front edge and shoulder seam carefully. Especially at the right shoulder seam, all layers have to match up exactly for not showing the lining, when finished. First baste, then sew, taking care not catching the plastron and front edges of the fashion fabric while sewing, at the right shoulder point.

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Tutorial for a 1890´s Day Bodice or Blouse – Part 1 Preparing the back and fronts

Many of you asked about the black blouse with the large puff sleeves that I showed underneath the 1890´s vests. I made this blouse from a black cotton fabric years ago and have worn it a lot at customizing events in recent years. After many washes, it looks like an extant piece from the 1890´s with many sings of wear. Time for a new one, and of course a sewing pattern!

This time I chose a mid to heave weight silk/cotton blend with some drape, a contrasting plastron from a soft satin, all mounted on a base of black polished cotton. With this stiffer fabric it turned out more a day bodice than a blouse. The first, made of light to medium-weight cotton, appears more like a blouse than a day bodice. So, depending on the chosen fabric the finished garment will turn out in different ways.

Both are mounted on a firm and tight fitting lining with boned seams as usual at that time. The lining base closes at the center front, edge to edge with hooks and eyes, covered by the plastron. The plastron is sewn on at the right side, with the edge covered by the fashion fabric of the front. The other side is closes layered underneath the fashion fabric with hooks and eyes.

If you´re interested in sewing the bodice together with me, you can buy my pattern here: Sewing pattern #0420

Let´s start! First thing to do is cutting out all the pattern pieces from fashion fabric and lining. I was asked about the fabric in the picture, it´s the polished cotton!

Sew all back pieces from the lining, right sides together and press the seam allowances towards the sides. Trim back if wanted and clip at the waistline before understitching the seam allowances to lay flat.

Place the back from the fashion fabric on top, with wrong sides together. Make a box pleat at the center back and baste the layers together.

To match the peplum at the back, open the box pleat slightly at the bottom edge and slash the fashion fabric, ending about 5/8” (1,5cm) from the waistline. Turn in a narrow seam allowance along the slits and prick stitch to the lining layer.

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