Clara Blouse

A staple that will never go out of style, this floaty garment from Amanda Walker is the perfect addition to your spring wardrobe. It features a stunning watercolour fabric with a classic round neckline, three-quarter sleeves and delicate drape to flatter any figure. You can fashion it from a plain lawn material or statement print. Why not make a whole clothes rail full of them? It’s a classic, after all!

Essentials

Fabric, 2.5m (150cm)

Suggested fabrics

Lightweight woven fabrics, such as cotton lawn, challis, voile or batiste

Sizes

8-20

Cutting guide

Front: cut one on the fold
Back: cut one on the fold
Upper sleeve: cut one pair
Lower sleeve: cut two
Neck band: cut a bias strip, 4.5cm x 75cm
Cuff bands: cut two bias strips, 4.5cm x 28cm
1.5cm seam allowance used throughout, except for the neckline and cuffs where a 1cm seam allowance is used.

Download and print the template from sewmag.co.uk and follow the cutting guide. Set your machine to the largest stitch and sew two parallel rows within the seam allowance between the two notches marked on the front neckline. Gather to measure 8cm and neaten the shoulder seam edges on the back and front. With right sides together, match both across the shoulder edges and pin, then stitch one of the shoulder seams and press open.
Press 1cm on either side of the strip or use a bias binding folder. Open one side and position it around the neckline from each end of the open shoulder. Pin, then sew along the line pressed into the strip. Fold onto the wrong side of the neckline and position the remaining folded edge over the stitching line. Pin and edgestitch in place, sandwiching the raw edge inside the bias binding. Trim away any excess.
Sew the remaining shoulder edges, then press the seam open. Fold the two ends of the binding under into an arrow head shape and stitch in place. Match the side seams, right sides together. Pin and stitch, then neaten the seam allowances and press towards the back of the top.
Adjust the stitch length to number 5, then sew a line around the head of the upper sleeves, starting from the front notch and finishing at the back notches indicated. Make two parallel rows of stitching within the seam allowance between the two notches marked on the lower sleeves, at both the top and base.
Pull up the threads on the top edge of the lower sleeve to match the base of the upper one. Distribute the gathers evenly, then set the machine back to its normal stitch length. Sew the lower sleeve to the upper, then neaten and press the seam towards the top. Pull the threads at the base of the sleeves to fit the 28cm cuff bias strips.
Open one side of the strips and position along the gathered base edge. Pin in place, then stitch along the fold line pressed into the bias strip. Turn the strip onto the wrong side of the sleeves and position the remaining folded edge over the stitching line, then edgestitch in place. Neaten the edges, then pin and sew the two edges on both sleeves. Fold the ends of the cuff bindings under into an arrow head shape and stitch in place. Pull the threads up around the head of the sleeve and place into the armholes, matching the notches. Position the side and underarm seams of the sleeves, then sew in place. Neaten around the seam allowances of the armholes. Fold and press 1cm around the base, then another 1cm, before edgestitching the hem in place.