Hello! Hello! Welcome to my spring cleaning extravaganza…well, it’s not spring here. But regardless, I’m certainly in the mood to clean out some of my fabric scraps.
Today I’ve got the perfect eyelet blouse for you. It uses many bigger scrap pieces, combines multiple materials, and gives off elegant vibes without appearing too patchworky. I have a ton of leftover white eyelet and other white fabric materials – two bags full – that I’m determined to clean out. So I’ve got a mini scrap-busting series for you.
In this first post, we’ll make a blouse with ruffles on the sleeve and across the center of the body. My blouse is designed with a shallow square neckline, though you can change this if you prefer a different shape.
I’m excited to show you just how many things we can make out of the biggest, and littlest fabric scraps. I hope this mini-series inspires you and encourages you to think outside the box a little for your scrap fabrics. Please share the finished results with me if you make any of these projects! I’d love to see what you come up with!
On that note, I should point out that you don’t need fabric scraps to make any of these projects. In fact, if you didn’t your results may even turn out a bit better than mine. But use and make whatever works best for you! I’m just here to give you ideas and cheer you on.
While you’re here, check out the other scrap fabric projects form this mini scrap-busting series:
- How To Make An Eyelet Top Out Of Scrap Fabrics: Design #2
- How To Make A Kids Scrap Fabric Top: Design #3
Now let’s gooooo!!!
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Approximate time put into this project: 2 days, with 3-4 hours dedicated to it each day. I was super motivated during this project and busted – it – out!
What You’ll Need:
- Scrap fabric materials, approximately 1-1.5 meters, depending on the size and how big you make your sleeves
- Preferably use larger scrap pieces for this project, but you can work with smaller pieces if you patchwork them together first.
- For this project, I’m using some leftover eyelet fabric and thick, cotton material typically used for button-up shirts
- Matching thread
- Sewing machine
- With a button foot and a straight stitch foot
- Sewing pins
- Scissors
- Fabric tape measure
- Fabric chalk
- A reference shirt that fits comfortably, not a baggy fit
- If you use a baggy shirt when cutting, you’ll need to add less seam allowance
- Buttons and a needle to sew them on
- Iron and ironing board
Disclaimer: I am trying to teach myself the Metric System. I will try to always include both measurements in my tutorials, i.e. centimeters and inches, meters, and yards. I have been using them interchangeably in my everyday sewing life lately, sorry if I switch between the two too often or forget to include them both. Thanks for understanding!
Cutting Your Pieces
The top half of the blouse:
- Start by measuring from your shoulder down to where you’d like your ruffle to start. For me this was 8″ (20cm). Remember to add seam allowance in addition to your desired length.
- Next, lay your reference shirt on top of your fabric and cut around your top with 1″ (3cm) seam allowance on all sides. You can trace this with your fabric chalk if you’d like. Make sure you’re not cutting a full front piece, only the neckline and armpit curve, with the length stopping where you want the ruffle to start.
- I chose to change my neckline to a square shape instead of curved, to do this you’ll want to measure on yourself how wide you want the opening to be, mine was maybe 6″ or 7″ (15cm or 18cm). I recommend starting smaller and cutting larger if you don’t like it.
- Then, fold your front top piece in half. Measuring from the folded edge you’ll want to find half the width that you want the neck to be. Then basically just cut out a square. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about this.
- If you want to copy my design, you’ll want to cut your back piece with the normal curved neckline.
- Cut your back piece using the same method, using your reference shirt to cut around the neckline and armpit curves, stopping where you want the ruffle to start.
Facing:
- Next, cut your facing. You’ll want to cut a piece that is at least 3″ (8cm) wide around the neckline and part of the shoulder. Just use your first pattern piece as a reference and cut 3″ (8cm) around the neckline for this. Repeat for the back piece as well.
The bottom of the eyelet blouse:
- Next, cut the bottom half of the eyelet blouse. Depending on how far down you cut your top half, you may need to cut the bottom half of your sleeve curve into this piece. My sleeve curve was entirely part of the top half of my blouse. Match the sleeve curve if you need to, if not cut a rectangle that is the desired length of your top, from where the ruffle is, to the end of the blouse, plus hem allowance.
- For the width, match the same width you cut for the top part of your blouse. Cut an identical piece for the back of your eyelet blouse.
The center front ruffle:
- Cut two strips of fabric that are 2″ (5cm) by at least twice the width of the piece of fabric you just cut for the body of your top. You can make this piece taller if you want more volume to the ruffle in the center of your top.
For the sleeves:
- Measure your arm from your shoulder to your wrist (or wherever you want your sleeve to end).
- For me, this was 23.50″ (60cm).
- Now measure from your wrist to where you want your ruffle to sit. For me, this is 6″ (15cm) up from my wrist.
- Now subtract the second measurement from the first measurement. This gives me 17.50″.(44.50cm)
- For the top half of my sleeve, I cut two pieces on fold that were 17.50″ (44.50cm), plus seam allowance, essentially an 18″ sleeve. Remember to add the armpit curve when you cut. Other than that I just cut wide rectangles because I wanted a lot of gather in my sleeve.
- For the bottom half of my sleeve, I cut two pieces on fold that were 8″ (20cm) tall (6″ (15cm) is my desired height + 2″ (5cm) which will create the ruffle), and two times the width of the top half of my sleeve.
- My fabric scraps were not enough to be a complete two times the width of the top half, so my ruffle was a little sad.
- You will, of course, need to match this to your arm length and placement of your ruffle.
By the way, you can put this ruffle anywhere you want. Get creative and play with the placement. Consider putting it mid bicep or even closer to your wrist. Whatever matches your vibe.
For the sleeve cuffs:
- Cut two strips of fabric that are 1″ (3cm), tall on fold. The length needs to be the width of your arm/wrist (at wherever the cuff is going to sit) plus 1″ (3cm). You can make this taller if you desire, but you may want to adjust the length of your sleeve if you change it too much.
- You will also need to cut two small strips of fabric to create a matching bias tape to your sleeve. The length will be about 8″ – 10″ (20cm – 26cm) and 1.50″ (4cm) tall.
Sewing the Body
Start by pinning the shoulder seams of your facing together, doing the same with the shoulder seams of your top pieces. Sew and zig-zag stitch or overlock the raw edges.
Press both pieces with your iron, and zig-zag or overlock the raw outer edges of the facing, but not the neckline.
Open the facing and the top eyelet blouse and lay them flat together, good sides facing. Pin along the neckline, starting with the shoulder seams. Sew around the neckline. Snip the curves of the seams, but don’t cut through the stitches.
Then turn it right side out, pushing the facing to the inside of the top. Press with your iron to make sure everything lays flat. Pin your facing so it doesn’t move on the underside and stitch around the edge of the facing to hold it in place.
Next, for the bottom half of the eyelet blouse. Iron your 2″ (5cm) strips, folding them in half, with good sides facing out. Sew two gathering stitches along the bottom raw edge, and gather each strip until they’re the same width as the top half of your blouse.
Sandwich the raw edge of the ruffle between the top piece and the bottom half of your blouse and pin it in place. Then sew and zig-zag stitch or overlock the raw edge, repeat this step with the back of your blouse.
Press the seam with your iron and fold your ruffle in your desired direction, remember to iron the ruffles as well. Pin the seam from the ruffle in place and top stitch to keep it from flopping around.
Sewing the Sleeves
Start by taking the bottom half of your sleeve and grabbing your iron. Fold and iron the top edge down .25″ (.50cm), folding to the inside of the sleeve. Then fold this edge another 1″ (3cm) and press with your iron. Create two gathered stitches along the bottom folded edge to secure the fold in place so there are no raw edges showing. Gather this to the same width as the top half of your sleeve.
On the good side of the fabric for the top half of the sleeve, where the two pieces meet, fold and iron .50″ (1cm). Pin the top sleeve at the folded edge to the gathered bottom half of the sleeve. Sew them together directly on top of the two gathering stitches which should perfectly align with the folded edge of the top half of the sleeve.
To be honest, there is probably a way easier way to sew the two sleeves together, this is just how I did it, i.e. how my brain first figured out how to do it.
The method I used in the Upcycled Puffy Sleeve Blouse when attaching the two sleeves may be applicable here.
Find the center of the shoulder and pin it good sides facing to the shoulders on your top. If your sleeve is way bigger than the shoulder on your blouse, just gather the sleeve at the shoulder before you pin it in place. Sew these together and finish the raw edge with a zig-zag stitch or by overlocking it
Next, pin your top together along the sleeves and side seams. Make sure to line up the armpits and ruffles before sewing. Sew this together and finish by zig-zag stitching or overlocking the raw edge.
Finally, create a double-rolled hem on the bottom edge of the top and sew it in place.
Sewing the Cuffs
Moving to the bottom of your sleeve, find the edge that points toward the back of the top. Measure 2.5″ (6cm) in from the edge and cut a straight line into your top that is 2.75″ (7cm) long.
Sew two rows of gathering stitches around the sleeve edge and gather to your desired width.
Take the small piece of bias tape you cut out of your sleeve fabric and fold it in half with wrong sides facing. Then fold the raw edges to the inside, fold the strip in half, and press. Pin the small bias tape piece around the opening, sandwiching the raw edge inside. Sew a straight stitch to secure it, straighten the fabric as you cross over the tip of the V, then continue your stitch. Trim your piece to fit.
To finish, on the inside of the sleeve, fold the tip of the V together and sew a little straight stitch at the tip. This will help the opening to sit nicer. You can see this in the photo on the right.
Iron the cuff pieces similar to how you did the bias tape pieces for the sleeve opening, only don’t fold the outer edges in till they touch. I folded them in by .50″ (1cm) instead, which left a gap in the center.
On the wrong side of the fabric, pin the cuff around the sleeve opening. Remember to open the ironed edge so you can stitch in the crease, and fold in the outer side edges before sewing. Finish the raw edge with a zig-zag stitch or by overlocking. Fold the cuff over to the right side of the fabric and pin it in place, making sure the folded edge is tucked under. Sew two straight stitch lines or stitch in the ditch to secure the cuff in place.
Finally, sew a buttonhole on each cuff and hand-stitch your buttons in place.
Finished Results
With that, your eyelet blouse is finished! What do you think?
What color eyelet would you use to make this blouse? Do you think you’d mix and match materials like I did?
If you make this project, tag and DM me on Instagram @doorsandfloorsblog so I can see what you make! Remember to use the hashtag #DoorsAndFloorsBlog
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P.S. Looking for a fun activity you can do with a friend while working on tedious crafty tasks, download our free trivia here.
Playing trivia is a great way to keep your mind active and have fun with your crafty friends and family while busting out those seam ripping, crocheting, and other time-consuming, but necessary, crafty tasks.
