Girls Ruffle Sleeve Blouse

After completing my new pattern DIY Lined Kimono last week, I had the push to start another DIY pattern using more of my Blooming and Becoming Fabric Collection. I had been wanting to create a girls ruffle sleeve blouse for my daughter for a while and with three of these coordinating fabrics, my vision came to life.

You might remember these fabrics from the Quilted Table Runner made by Linda Timms of Blue Barn Quilt Co.

If you have the desire to make your own ruffle sleeve blouse for a loved one, it is super easy and I will walk you through it. This DIY pattern can be adjusted for girls ages 12 and under.

Supplies

fabric (3 coordinating cotton pieces). My fabric was purchased through Spoonflower except for the pocket pieces which are a Pure Solid called “Lemonade” from Art Gallery Fabrics, available at Blue Barn Quilt Co.
sewing machine
serger
hook and eye closure
a girl’s sleeveless top in the size that you want to make the blouse in

Tips and Tricks

this DIY pattern is best used with non-stretch fabric such as cotton.
wash and dry your cotton fabric, and press prior to cutting out your pattern pieces
always cut out your pieces with the fabric right sides together
always use 5/8″ seam allowance unless otherwise stated
cut on the straight of grain
back stitch at the start and end of your seams

Cutting out Your Pieces

Use a sleeveless top that fits your model well. **For some of the instructional images, I will be using another top made from navy gingham.

Front and Back Yoke

The front and back yoke and facing fabric from Blooming and Becoming Pattern Collection is called, “Embrace the Journey”.

Fold the chosen top in half lengthwise to use as your template to cut out the front yoke of the blouse.

Allow an extra 5/8″ of seam allowance when cutting around your blouse template. I only made the length of the yoke(s) a couple of inches past the armhole.

On a folded piece of fabric, cut the back yoke using the same outline as the front except cut out the neckline higher and cut two pieces (from the fabric right sides together) instead of one.

Facing

Facing is what is needed to allow the neck opening to be a flat, curved opening. Without the step of doing facing, the neck opening would not lay properly. Facing also gives the neck opening structure. An alternative to facing would be bias tape.

Cut front facing for neck approx 3″ wide following the line of the neck. Cut on the fold. Follow the line of the back of the yoke for the back facing. You will have two pieces for the back facing.

Skirt

The skirt fabric used from Blooming and Becoming Pattern Collection is called, “Behold the Beauty”.

For the bodice/body part of the blouse cut one and a half to two times the width of your template blouse (it is preferable to have a blouse without gathers). The large rectangular pieces pictured below are this “skirt” piece). For the desired length, measure the length you want the blouse to be and add an extra 5/8″ twice for the upper seam allowance as well as the hem.

Sewing the Facing

With right sides together, Sew together the front facing to each of the back facing (right sides together). Press seams open.
Sew front yoke to back yoke pieces and press seams open as well
Sew the facing to neck opening right sides together
Tip – Make sure to line up shoulder seams first and trim if necessary.
Clip all the way around the neck opening on the inside, being careful not to clip into the stitching. Turn the facing toward the inside of the blouse and iron
Top stitch on the inside of the facing as close to the edge of the neck opening as possible

Serge the outer or bottom edge of the facing and along both sides of the back opening.

Adding the bottom skirt pieces to the yoke

First, serge down the sides of both the front and back “skirt” pieces.

For the bottom or “skirt” part of the blouse, sew two gathering seams at the top of the skirt piece. Use a long stitch on your sewing machine so that it is easy to gather. I stitch both of these gathering seams smaller than my regular 5/8″ seam allowance and fairly close together.

Take the yoke piece and skirt piece and place a pin in middle of both. Then find the middle from that pin to the edge of the skirt piece and the edge of the yoke. You will have three pins on each piece that you are stitching together. Once you start gathering, lineup those pins. This is a simple trick to get your gathering as even as possible.

Iron your gathers to help them lay as flat as possible for sewing.

Sew on the non gathered side to get a smooth seam.

Serge this edge.

Adding Pockets

Find a side seam pocket that you like in another garment and trace around the pocket with a 5/8 seam allowance. Or you could trace out your model’s hand as it would sit in a side pocket. Cut four.

Serge around each of the four pocket pieces.

Line up one of the pocket pieces right side together with the front of the blouse. Sew down the side (5/8″ seam allowance).
Fold the pocket piece away from the garment and press along the seam.
With the pocket piece still facing away from the garment, top stitch just a few millimetres next to that first stitch. *The original stitch is pictured in purple and the top stitch is in green. This stitch will help the pocket stay in place and not flip to the outside of the blouse. Repeat for the opposite front pocket. Do the same for both sides of the back of the blouse.
Place the front and back sides of the garment together with the pockets still facing out.
Pin from under the arm and around the outside of the pocket and continue down to the bottom of the garment.
Sew down where the pins are (remember not to sew straight down through the pocket opening). Repeat for the other side of the blouse.

Turn right side out and press.

Sleeve Ruffle

This part was a bit of trial and error. I found that the length of the ruffle needed was the same length as the sleeve opening. My sleeve opening was 16″ and so was the length of the ruffle. Remember, to get the desired flounce, the ruffle does not go all the way around the sleeve opening. I made the width 6″ and then folded lengthwise. Make two of these.

Sew (right sides together) the non folded side of the ruffle piece 5/8″ from one edge, curving up to the top middle and then down (see green line in the first photo).
Clip off the excess fabric leaving about a 1/4″ of fabric from the seam. Turn right side out.
Place a pin in the middle of the ruffle. This is the point where your ruffle with attach to the top of the shoulder. Sew two gathering seams on the non curved side of each ruffle (as you did for the skirt part of this tutorial). Gather the ruffle until it is to your liking.
Serge the sleeve opening. Pin a hem about 1/2″ width of around this armhole.
Place the ruffle along the inside of the blouse and line the shoulder seam with the middle of the ruffle. Pin in place. Hand baste around the entire arm hole. Then sew with the machine.

My daughter’s DIY Cabachon Earrings, “Awaken and Behold” are the same print as the ruffle fabric and are from the Blooming and Becoming Earring Collection, which are still available.

The only steps left are the hem and the hook and eye at the top of the back opening.

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I hope you have enjoyed this step by step diy sewing tutorial that is totally easy without a pattern. My daughter was thrilled with the results and she was very excited about the pocket feature.