Easy Peasant Blouse
This simple peasant blouse pattern makes a light and airy shirt perfect for summer or fall.
Servings 1 blouse
Cost 5
Equipment
- Sewing machine
- Sewing scissors
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 yards of fabric
- Elastic
- Coordinating thread
- Pins
- Safety pin
Instructions
- Cut fabric per cut list.
- On the main pieces, fold in half lengthwise and measure 2″ down the fold and 6″ from the corner (with two raw edges). Mark with a little cut by your scissors.
- Cut a slight curve up from the 2″ mark to the 6″ mark.From the outside edge, measure down about 11″ and mark. Cut a curve up to the neck area 6″ from outside.
- Next, fold your other main piece in half lengthwise (same as before) and place your already cut piece on top and use as a pattern piece. Mark and cut out second main piece.
- Fold the sleeve piece in half. Fold your main piece in half (like it was when you cut it out) and place on top of the sleeve piece lining up the raw edges (not the folds). Cut down the curve lines. Repeat with the other sleeve piece.
- Lay the main piece out on your work surface and place one sleeve piece on top, lining up the neck and arm holes, right sides together. Stitch down with a quarter inch seam from the top of the neckline down the sleeve hole, making sure to back and forward stitch at the beginning and the end. Do the same thing with the other sleeve on the other side.
- Now that both sleeves are attached, attach the other main piece to the other side of the sleeves, sewing down the curve with 1/4 inch seam. You are basically creating a circle: sleeve, body piece, sleeve, body piece. Finish off your raw edges with a zig zag stitch or a serger.
- Sew down the raw edges along the sides of the blouse and the sides of the sleeves. Make sure to line up the arms and the armpit seams. Use pins, if needed. Repeat on the other side.
- Next, take the ends of the sleeves and fold it over about 1/4 inch, and then again 1/4 inch. Then, sew all the way around, leaving a little opening at one of the seams to push the elastic through.
- Place one end of the elastic through a safety pin, then push the elastic through that little opening you left in the sleeves. Overlap the elastic and sew back and forth. Close the small opening you created for the elastic by sewing it shut, going back and forth over it.
- Take the bottom raw edge and fold it over 1/4 inch, then 1/4 inch again, and top stitch to create the hem. Turn over the neckline 1/4 inch, then another 1/4 inch and sew near the bottom fold, leaving an opening to place the elastic in.
Notes
- Lightweight fabric, like linen or cotton, works best here. You don’t want to use anything stretchy.
- If you are using a stripe, you will want the lines all going the same way, so you may need a little extra fabric to accommodate for that and any errors.
- If you want to make multiple of these peasant blouses, you could trace your pattern onto an extra piece of fabric.
- For embellishment, you could add buttons down the center or a waistband.