Tutorial: make the Carme blouse

The carme blouse pattern is a perfect casual, yet put together, shirt for the summer. Make it in linen for a cool look and the cute details (pin tucks, rolled up sleeves, small stand up collar) will allow you to wear it anywhere and with everything.

Here’s a photo tutorial (and if you need a little extra help, watch the video tutorial here).

Difficulty: intermediate seamstress

Time: 5/6 hours

Material: 2 yd of IS003 MIX NATURAL (57″³ wide)

Carme blouse Pattern (get it here)

Notions: scissors, pins, 10 small buttons

Sewing machine

Note: seam allowances are included in the pattern and are 5/8″.

LET’S START!!!

1.Cut your fabric according to the Carme blouse pattern cutting plan.

PIN TUCKS

2.Cut the pin tucks template and fold them one by one. Stitch the fold 3/8″ from the edge. Press the fold toward the exterior.

3.When all the pin tucks are stitched, place the yoke pattern piece over the pin tucks and cut it out.

YOKE

4.Staystitch all around the yoke piece 5/8″ from the edge.

5.Stitch the bust darts and press them down.

6.Staystitch around the neckline of the front piece, clip the seam allowances and press them to the inside.

7.Place the front piece over the yoke, matching the edge to the staystithing line. Pin together and edgestitch. Finish the seam allowances with a serger, a zig zag stitch or bias binding.

PLACKET

8.With wrong sides up, place the placket over the front piece, matching the center lines.

9.Stitch around the cutting line and then clip inside the corners as close as possible to the stitching line.

10.Turn the placket on the right side and fold along the lines. Form the triangle at the bottom and press it. Edgestitch.

STITCH FRONT AND BACK

11.Stitch front and back pieces together at the side seams and shoulder seams using a french seam to prevent fraying.

SLEEVE VENT

12.Cut the vent on the grain: 1″ x 8 1/2″. Cut the vent opening on the sleeve.

13.With right sides up and the vent at the bottom, stitch the pieces together very close to the edge. Fold the vent twice on itself and edgestitch to close the sleeve vent opening.

SLEEVE TAB

14.With right sides together, stitch the tabs together and leave one small side open. Trim the seam allowances and turn it inside out. Fold the raw edges inside.

15.Place the tab on the square mark on the wrong side of the sleeve and stitch following the lines.

CUFFS

16.Stitch the sleeve sides together using a french seam.

17.Gather the sleeve bottom with 2 rows of gathering stitches.

18.With right sides together, stitch the sides of the cuff piece. Trim the seam allowances and turn inside out. Fold the seam allowances inside.

19.Sandwich the sleeve between the cuff layers and pin into place. Edgestitch.

SET THE SLEEVE

20.Baste the sleeve head between the small circle and ease slightly.

21.Set the sleeve into the armhole, matching the marks. Stitch and finish the seam allowances.

COLLAR

22.Staystitch around the neckline and clip the seam allowances.

23.Place one collar piece with wrong side facing up on the inside on the neckline. Match the extremities and center according to the marks and stitch.

24.Fold the bottom of the other collar piece to the inside. Place it over the first collar piece, rigth sides together and stitch the outer edges together. Trim the seam allowances.

25.Turn inside out and edgestitch to close the collar.

HEM

26.Baste the hem 3/16″ from the edge and turn over twice to the inside. Stitch.

BUTTONS AND BUTTONHOLES

27.Stitch the buttonholes and corresponding buttons:

-4 buttons and buttonholes on the front placket (on this version I used only 1)

-1 button and buttonhole on the collar

-1 button on the tip (triangle) of the placket

-1 button and buttonhole at the cuff opening

-1 button on the square mark on the sleeve

-1 buttonhole at the end of the sleeve tab

There you go! A pretty casual blouse for the summer!

You can get Mix Natural’ fabric to create this project with by clicking here!

And if you want to make a dress variation with this pattern, check out this very easy tutorial. Here is the Saharienne inspired shirt dress I made: