May 17, 2017
Keats blouse: the tutorial!
Hello everyone! As promised, here is the Keats blouse assembly tutorial, I hope it will help you to take the drama out of sewing the blouse. You won't see anything terrible, the only really tricky point is making the tear-proof slit (don't hesitate to practice on scraps, you'll see that you quickly get the hang of it). You can find my different versions of the blouse here . Happy reading! As with every discovery of a new pattern, I would recommend that you make a toile before starting on your precious fabric. 1/The bust: Gather the top of your front bust pieces: stitch your gathering threads between the 2 notches of markers. To sew your gathers: release the thread tension, change the color of your bobbin thread and stitch with a wide stitch without making a backstitch along the entire length of your strip. You pull on the bobbin thread to gather the fabric, distributing your gathers evenly. Then pin right sides together your front yoke on your front bust, starting with the ends, then with your notches as markers, this will help you distribute your gathers. Sew, overlock, and iron your seam allowances upwards. 
The back: assemble your back yoke right side against right side on your back bust. 
Place your front and back pieces right side to right side, and assemble at the shoulders and sides. Press your seams open with an iron and overlock. 
Assemble your back and front facing pieces right sides together. Overlock your seams and the edge of your assembled facing. 
Pin your facing right side to right side on your bust, matching the shoulder seams, the center backs, and the neckline assembly notches. Trim your corners, notch your curves, turn your facing to the inside of your garment and iron well. Make your 7 buttonholes on the right side of your bust in front. 
2/ the sleeves: Make the ease fold at the bottom of your sleeve. Fold one notch over the other following the direction of the arrow (the excess fabric is on the inside of your garment). 
On the back sleeve piece (6) you will make your tear-proof slit: after having traced the mark of your future slit, come and make a reinforcement stitch along it, and cut between your reinforcement seams. 
On the right side of the sleeve, pin your bias strip right sides together along your reinforcement seam, and open your slit as much as possible to pin along the entire length. Sew. 
Turn your bias strip over and fold it over to obtain your folded edge on the wrong side. Use the iron to help you shape and flatten your folded bias as best as possible. Pin and sew. Be careful, your bias strip must perfectly cover your first assembly seam. 
The end of your slit therefore includes the bias fold: reinforce this area with a double stitch. Finish the edges of your flounces which will remain free: you can make a rolled hem if you have the right foot, or an overlocker. But you can also make a handkerchief hem, being very meticulous on your rounded areas to limit small folds as much as possible. To do this, make a first fold on the wrong side at 0.5 cm, and sew close to the edge, iron well. Make a new fold at 0.5 cm on the wrong side and sew this time on the right side (seam which will be much neater). Iron well. Shaping the flounce: your pattern piece has marks in order to make very regular folds, which will correspond to marks on your sleeve pieces. For a more blurred and crazy fall, you can also come and gather your flounce freely with a gathering thread. You will distribute them by hand along your sleeves. Pin your prepared ruffles on your front sleeve and back sleeve portions, right side against right side. 
Then come and pin your front and back sleeve portions right sides together. Overlock the seam as well as all around your sleeve. Open your ruffles in order to deploy along your sleeve head and your cuffs (they will thus be caught in the assembly seams). Overlock the round of your sleeve, then come and close it. 
Making the cuff: If your fabric requires the use of iron-on, iron on the upper portion of your cuff (refer to the fold line). Fold right side against right side along your fold line and iron firmly. Pin the ends of your cuffs and sew 1 cm apart. Trim your corners and turn your cuff over, iron well. On your open portion, fold inward 1 cm and iron to secure it. 
Cuff assembly: pin your sleeve by tucking it into your wrist: your piece has notches to help you position it: your buttonhole therefore goes beyond your sleeve (the longest part will be the one that will support your buttonhole, so it is positioned above the area in continuity with your wrist slit when you close). Pin well and sew then turn your wrist over. Fold your seam allowance inside your wrist, and secure with a seam that will be visible along your wrist. Make your buttonhole and sew your button. 
You will come to mount your sleeve on your garment by pinning right side against right side (use your mounting notches well, 2 in front, 1 in the back which corresponds to the yoke seam, and 1 notch for the sleeve head which corresponds to the shoulder seam). 
The final touches: You finish with your hem at the bottom of your blouse: fold once over 1 cm, mark with an iron, fold again and pin and sew at 1 cm. Come and sew your buttons. I wish you a wind of madness blows in your pretty ruffles so that you can fully enjoy your blouse! 
The back: assemble your back yoke right side against right side on your back bust. Place your front and back pieces right side to right side, and assemble at the shoulders and sides. Press your seams open with an iron and overlock. Assemble your back and front facing pieces right sides together. Overlock your seams and the edge of your assembled facing. Pin your facing right side to right side on your bust, matching the shoulder seams, the center backs, and the neckline assembly notches. Trim your corners, notch your curves, turn your facing to the inside of your garment and iron well. Make your 7 buttonholes on the right side of your bust in front. 2/ the sleeves: Make the ease fold at the bottom of your sleeve. Fold one notch over the other following the direction of the arrow (the excess fabric is on the inside of your garment). On the back sleeve piece (6) you will make your tear-proof slit: after having traced the mark of your future slit, come and make a reinforcement stitch along it, and cut between your reinforcement seams. On the right side of the sleeve, pin your bias strip right sides together along your reinforcement seam, and open your slit as much as possible to pin along the entire length. Sew. Turn your bias strip over and fold it over to obtain your folded edge on the wrong side. Use the iron to help you shape and flatten your folded bias as best as possible. Pin and sew. Be careful, your bias strip must perfectly cover your first assembly seam. The end of your slit therefore includes the bias fold: reinforce this area with a double stitch. Finish the edges of your flounces which will remain free: you can make a rolled hem if you have the right foot, or an overlocker. But you can also make a handkerchief hem, being very meticulous on your rounded areas to limit small folds as much as possible. To do this, make a first fold on the wrong side at 0.5 cm, and sew close to the edge, iron well. Make a new fold at 0.5 cm on the wrong side and sew this time on the right side (seam which will be much neater). Iron well. Shaping the flounce: your pattern piece has marks in order to make very regular folds, which will correspond to marks on your sleeve pieces. For a more blurred and crazy fall, you can also come and gather your flounce freely with a gathering thread. You will distribute them by hand along your sleeves. Pin your prepared ruffles on your front sleeve and back sleeve portions, right side against right side. Then come and pin your front and back sleeve portions right sides together. Overlock the seam as well as all around your sleeve. Open your ruffles in order to deploy along your sleeve head and your cuffs (they will thus be caught in the assembly seams). Overlock the round of your sleeve, then come and close it. Making the cuff: If your fabric requires the use of iron-on, iron on the upper portion of your cuff (refer to the fold line). Fold right side against right side along your fold line and iron firmly. Pin the ends of your cuffs and sew 1 cm apart. Trim your corners and turn your cuff over, iron well. On your open portion, fold inward 1 cm and iron to secure it. Cuff assembly: pin your sleeve by tucking it into your wrist: your piece has notches to help you position it: your buttonhole therefore goes beyond your sleeve (the longest part will be the one that will support your buttonhole, so it is positioned above the area in continuity with your wrist slit when you close). Pin well and sew then turn your wrist over. Fold your seam allowance inside your wrist, and secure with a seam that will be visible along your wrist. Make your buttonhole and sew your button. You will come to mount your sleeve on your garment by pinning right side against right side (use your mounting notches well, 2 in front, 1 in the back which corresponds to the yoke seam, and 1 notch for the sleeve head which corresponds to the shoulder seam). The final touches: You finish with your hem at the bottom of your blouse: fold once over 1 cm, mark with an iron, fold again and pin and sew at 1 cm. Come and sew your buttons. I wish you a wind of madness blows in your pretty ruffles so that you can fully enjoy your blouse!
