Introducing... the Mathilde Blouse Sewing Pattern!

Readers, I’m soooooo excited to share this with you! You can now make your own version of my button-back blouse – aka the Mathilde Blouse!

After numerous requests – and months of resizing, tweaking, testing and writing the most comprehensive instructions you've ever seen – I’ve finally finished perfecting a multisized digital version of the pattern for you to print and sew at home. The pattern costs is available RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!

The Mathilde Blouse is a cute and versatile garment with an understated elegance. Loose fitting with vertical tucks, gently puffed sleeves and button-back opening, it works well in lightweight drapey fabrics – from cottons to rayons to silks (if you’re game!). Team with bright buttons to create a surprise when you turn around! Dress me up with a pencil skirt or dress me down with skinny jeans. Check out some Mathilde Blouses already made – both by me and by my wonderful testers (thanks you guys!) – in the Maker Gallery.

The pattern comes with not one but TWO versions of the instructions:

1) Simplified paper instructions
If you’re an experienced stitcher and just want to crack on with it, you can print out a simplified, text-only summary of the instructions. Complete with handy tickboxes to celebrate your progress!

2) Detailed digital instructions
If you haven’t sewn many things before, or if you are a visual learner, or if you would just like some guidance with a particular technique, the digital version of the instructions will hold your hand at each stage with step-by-step photo tutorials. Over the next few weeks, a new post will be added to the How to Make a Mathilde Blouse web page almost daily, building up to form a sewing workshop in everything you need to know to create your own version. We will cover various topics and techniques along the way, from understanding interfacing to fashioning beautiful tucks, from setting in a sleeve to stitching French seams. You can sew along as the posts go live, or you can bookmark the page and revisit any page you need whenever you need it. Check out everything we’ll be covering.

Get your Mathilde Blouse sewing pattern here!

Thank you soooo much to everyone who has helped me with this - Mel, Claire, Suzy, Sarah, Lauren, Sarah, Zoe, Marie, Mai, Helene, Jaimie... and last but not least James and Sara R xxx

[Soundtrack: ‘Mathilde’ by Scott Walker]

Sewing Construction: The Basics

This post is part of Learn to Sew, aimed at beginners.

When I first started sewing, the biggest head-scratching moment for me was when it came to putting my first garment together. I wore clothes every day (you’ll be pleased to hear) – but I’d never considered how the pieces of fabric had been put together to create the garments in the first place. I have a distinct memory of day one of my sewing class, pinning together my first dress and very nearly sewing the armholes up - simply because I hadn’t got my head around what I was doing, nor why I was doing it.

So I want to make an attempt at answering some of the questions my brain was screaming at me when I first set fabric to machine. Hopefully the answers may help novice stitchers understand some of the basics of sewing construction.

You’ve prepared your fabric. You’ve cut your fabric to your pattern. You've threaded your machine. Now we’re going to turn those flat pieces of fabric into a 3D form that you can hang on your body. This is where magic happens!

Okay so I’ve cut my fabric… now what?

Now you need to put the pieces of fabric together. Your pattern instructions will tell you which bits need to be sewn to each other.

The pattern is telling me to place them “right sides together”. What does this mean, please?

When you join two or more pieces of fabric together, the line of stitching usually goes on the inside so that it’s hidden when the garment is worn. So when you’re pinning fabric together ready to stitch it, you need the sides of the fabric that will form the inside of the garment to be facing outwards, and the sides of the fabric that will be on show to be facing each other. The inside is referred to in sewing terminology as the “wrong” side, the outside as the “right” side.

So an expression you’ll come across a lot in sewing instructions is “right sides together”. If it’s not written, it’s usually assumed. (An example of when you would sew “wrong” sides together would be when you’re making French seams, but don’t worry about that for now.)

Do I just put the pieces on top of each other?

If you’ve got two pieces of fabric that need to be sewn together along a certain seam, say the side seam, place the edges of that seam together exactly. Sometimes they’ll match up easily with your fabric pieces staying nice and flat against each other. Other times it may look at first glance that the edges won’t align - for example, if you’re attaching a convex curve to a concave curve - so you’ll need to mould the fabric in such a way that the seams do match.

Most patterns include notches on the side seams, marked by either a tiny triangle or a little perpendicular line. These serve as little markers to help you align your pieces of fabric together. Snip these marks into your fabric when you cut it out. A single snip is a better idea than cutting the whole triangle, IMHO – firstly, it’s quicker, and secondly, it’ll make your fabric less likely to tear or distort out of shape. Make sure they’re shorter than your seam allowance so they won’t show on the outside of your garment. These little snips will help you align your pieces accurately when it comes to assembling your fabric pieces.

Now keep it all in place with some pins.

Which way do I stick the pins in?

If you’ve got nimble fingers, pinning perpendicular to the edge of the fabric with the heads sticking towards outwards will allow you to whip out those bad boys while you’re stitching. Okay, so this will only really save you a few seconds per seam, possibly an hour or two over the course of your lifetime – so not essential. But it looks really cool if you can do it!!

No one’s going to judge you on the angle you put your pins in though. Personally I chop and change between parallel and perpendicular to the seam line – sometimes diagonal if I’m feeling particularly wild - depending on what I’m stitching.

What is essential is to remove the pins before they reach the sewing machine needle. Sometimes you can get away with sewing over pins, but there’s always a chance the needle could snap and fly in your face – not a good look!

Professional stitchers often avoid using pins altogether unless absolutely necessary. But as far as I’m concerned, pins are my friends, and if you’re new to sewing you should make friends with them too!

What’s a “seam allowance”?

You probably know what a seam is - the extra space on the other side of the stitching line, which ends up on the inside of the garment. The seam allowance is the amount of extra space allowed on a pattern - and thus on the pieces of fabric that you cut - for the seam. Your sewing pattern should tell you what seam allowance has been added. A standard seam allowance for sewing patterns is 5/8” or 15mm (often ½” in the fashion industry - saves fabric!). When you take your fabric to the machine, keep the edge aligned with the 5/8” or 15mm mark to stitch at the correct seam allowance.

Which bits am I actually sewing together?

To avoid repeating the Tilly mistake of nearly sewing up your dress’s armpits, before you sew, stop and think for a second (or a few minutes!) about which part of the garment the seam line corresponds to, and thus what it’s going to look like on the outside once it’s sewn together. I know this can be tricky when you’re not used to thinking about how clothing is made. What really helps is taking an active interest in the clothing in your wardrobe – turn some garments inside out and notice how the pieces have been attached to create the final shape. It’ll make a lot more sense once you’ve sewn a few projects, I promise!

I hope this helps explain some of the things that can throw you as a novice stitcher. If something still doesn’t make sense, do leave a comment and I’ll try to explain. Equally, if you’re an experienced stitcher and have a brilliant analogy for explaining construction concepts to a novice, do share!

Like this? Read more Learn to Sew.

The Mathilde Blouse in Chambray

*Update: Due to popular demand, the sewing pattern for this blouse is now available to buy*

You know the button-back blouse that I keep making? Well, I've finally given it a name! It's now called the Mathilde Blouse. (Long story. Short version here.) This is my latest iteration - this time in Chambray. I'm so glad the pattern works in a casual cotton as well as elegant silk... or cheapo poly, in my case (ssshh!).

Mmm... lovely wooden buttons to go with the Chambray. I love look of the linear tucks juxtaposed with the gentle puff of the sleeves (does that sound really pretentious?!). Plus I sewed French seams on all but the armholes, so the blouse looks as pretty on the inside as it does on the outside.

I think I was about to topple over in this one...

Oh my goodness, I love this blouse so much! I just can't stop making it!

[Soundtrack: 'Matilda' by alt-J]

Marking and Cutting Fabric

The other day a good friend who is learning to sew asked me how to go about transferring sewing pattern markings onto fabric. There are loads of different ways of doing it, and everyone has their favourite method. Let's talk through some of the options...

Marking tools

Test out a few different marking tools to see which ones you prefer. Test them out on your fabric too - different fabrics will respond differently to different markers, so try them out on a small scrap of whichever fabric you're using to check that 1) it shows up enough for you to see it, but 2) it won’t stain the fabric permanently!

Washable pens → These pens are cheap and widely available in multi-coloured packs (check the children’s department in stationery shops). They show up well on lots of fabrics and will come out in the first wash (though do check first!).

Tracing wheel → Place dressmaker's carbon faced down on your fabric, lay the pattern on top, then use a tracing wheel to trace the lines onto the fabric. Nifty!

Hera marker → This little gadget, used a lot in quilting, scratches a little groove into fabric fibres, which will come out in the wash.

Chalk pencil → Usually available in white, blue and pink, chalk pencils are easy to use, and they rub off fairly easily - which is both a pro and a con, depending on which way you look at it.

Tailor’s chalk → These chalk triangles have slim edges and are useful for making quick, smooth lines onto fabric and pretending you work on Saville Row.

Other options for marking include tailor’s tacks and disappearing ink.

Cutting tools

I’m a big advocate of making do, but if you want to get yourself a proper cutting arsenal, this is what you’ll need:

Dressmaking scissors → Invest in a nice, sharp pair of dressmaking scissors which will glide through fabric easily. Keep them away from paper to keep them sharper for longer.

Rotary cutter → Optional and a matter of personal preference. A rotary cutter is useful for speedy cutting and for fabric that slips and slides around easily. Watch out for that blade though – ouch! Keep fingers and toes away and keep it closed when not in use.

Embroidery scissors or thread snippers → Keep these handy for snipping your threads.

Paper scissors → To keep your dressmaking scissors sharp, have some dedicated paper scissors for cutting out your patterns.

Pinking shears → Not shown here as I don’t have any, but some people like using pinking shears to cut a zigzag edge on seams for a speedy finish.

Cutting mat → A seriously good idea if you don’t want to scratch your kitchen table!

Cutting methods

Righto, so now let's talk about how to use these tools to cut out your fabric.

The key to accurate cutting is to keep your fabric as flat as possible against the table. Take your time when cutting and use the hand you’re not cutting with to gently hold your fabric in place.

Option 1) Pins + Dressmaking Scissors

Cut the pattern pieces out with paper scissors – either exactly on (or just within) the lines, or leaving some extra paper around the lines. Pin the pattern pieces to the fabric – use enough pins to hold the pattern in place, but not so many that the pins distort the pattern or fabric.

Now cut the fabric with dressmaking scissors. If you’ve cut the pattern pieces out roughly, cut directly on the lines through both pattern and fabric. This can dull your fabric scissors though; but on the other hand, it can be more accurate than cutting around a pre-cut pattern.



Option 2) Pattern Weights + Chalk/Pen + Dressmaking Scissors/Rotary Cutter

Cut the pattern pieces out with paper scissors precisely on (or just within) the lines. Instead of pinning the pattern pieces in place, this time use weights to hold them in place. The idea is that weights keep the pattern and fabric flatter than the pinning method. You don't have to buy specialist pattern weights - you can use whatever you have around the house, such as food tins.

Draw around the pieces with a sharp chalk pencil or washable pen. Remove the pattern and use dressmaking scissors or a rotary cutter to cut the fabric just within the pattern lines you've just drawn.

Option 3) Pattern Weights + Dressmaker's Carbon + Tracing Wheel + Dressmaking Scissors

This is my favourite way of marking and cutting fabric, particularly when I don't want to cut into my pattern. Hold the pattern pieces down on the fabric with weights. Slip a piece of dressmaker's carbon between the pattern and fabric, face down against the fabric. Trace over the pattern lines using a blunt tracing wheel moving the dressmaker's carbon as you need to.

Remove the pattern. Cut out the fabric directly on the traced lines using dressmaking scissors.

As well as marking the cutting lines of the pattern, don't forget to mark in the other bits and bobs such as darts, buttonholes and gather points.

What's your favourite method of marking and cutting fabric?

If you'd like some more help getting started with sewing patterns - from cutting through basic clothing construction - try our online video workshop, Learn to Sew Skirts.

Before You Cut Your Fabric...

You've got your pattern and your fabric to make your first sewing project. How do you go about cutting it out? Well, before we get to wield the scissors, there are a few little things to do first...

Pre-wash your fabric

I know you’re desperate to get cracking and this is a really boring step, but it’s a reeeeeally good idea to pre-wash your fabric before you cut it out (or steam/dry clean, depending on your fabric choice). It may well shrink a little, or change other properties such as the drape, resulting in a garment that’s too tight for you if you don't wash it first. Just get into the habit of whacking it in the wash as soon as you get home from fabric shopping and you’ll save a lot of frustration later.

Press your fabric

Once it's washed and dry, get your iron out and press out any creases in your fabric. You'll want to get it nice and smooth to help ensure the shapes and sizes you cut are accurate. Test out the iron on a small patch first to check that the temperature and steam/non-steam setting you use is suitable for your fabric and won’t leave a mark.

Prepare your pattern

Patterns usually come on a massive sheet of paper and need dividing up into different pieces. Cut around each piece using paper scissors. In the next post I'll outline different methods of cutting the fabric - depending on which option you choose, you may want to cut the pattern roughly or accurately. For now, a good option is to cut around each piece leaving a bit of extra space outside the lines.

Give your pattern a press if it’s folded or crumpled, again to help with accurate cutting. Most pattern paper will be fine with a low, dry iron – although do test a small patch first as the ink on some patterns can smudge.

Lay out your fabric

Find as long a table as you can get, clear everything off it and give it a wipe down. If you don’t have a table at all, you can get a large fold-out cutting mat for the floor.

Fold your fabric in half lengthways, right sides together, matching up the two selvedges. Okay, so there's a lot of information in that sentence, so let's break it down:

- Folding the fabric in half makes it easier to cut two of the same piece at once - for example, sleeves or half a bodice when there's an opening in the middle. Folding also allows you to cut single symmetrical pieces - notice that some pattern pieces correspond to half of a fabric piece only, and will say "place on fold" if they're to be cut like this.

- The “right” side is the front of the fabric if it has a print or slightly different weave on one side - it's the side you want to show on the outside of your finished garment. Take a close look – it’s not always obvious if they're different at first glance! The opposite of the right side in this context is the "wrong" side, rather than left side. You'll hear the expression "right sides together" a lot in sewing instructions.

- The "selvedges" (or selvages in US English) are the woven edges of the fabric running lengthways.

Smooth the fabric out to make both sides as flat as possible. If your fabric is longer than your table, lay out as much as you can and keep one end rolled up neatly. That way you can cut a few pieces at a time and unroll more when you free up some space. Just check that all the pattern pieces fit on the fabric before you start cutting.

Lay out your pattern

Place your pattern pieces on top of your fabric. This part is a bit like a puzzle. If you’re feeling thrifty, the aim of the game is to fit all the pattern pieces on as short a piece of fabric as you can manage. Your pattern instructions will include a suggested layout, or you can play around to see what works best for the width of fabric you have and the size you're mkaing. You can also rearrange the fabric fold if it saves fabric – for example, folding one third over two thirds – as long as the selvedges remain exactly parallel to each other.

Each pattern piece will give you some instructions as to how to position them:

- “Place on fold” or “Cut 1 on fold” → Line up the fold edge indicated on the pattern with the fold of the fabric. You'll end up cutting one symmetrical piece of fabric from a pattern piece which corresponds to half.

- “Cut 1” or “Cut 2” → Cut out one piece on a single layer of fabric or matching pairs on a double layer of fabric.

- “Cut 2 + 2” → On Tilly and the Buttons patterns we say "Cut 2 + 2 interfacing", but if you're using another brand of pattern the second number refers to the interfacing. So in this example, you’d cut two pieces in fabric and two matching pieces in interfacing.

- Most pieces are laid out face up, unless they’re shaded on the pattern layout diagram, in which case they go face down.

- A long double-pointed arrow across a pattern piece indicates the grainline. The grainline arrow shows you how to position your pieces in relation to the direction of threads which make up the fabric. Line up the arrow parallel to the selvedge or fold, ie. running lengthwise down the fabric. An easy way to do this is to start by sticking a pin in one end of the grainline arrow. Measure the distance from the arrow to the selvedge. Now pivot the piece so that the other end of the arrow is the same distance away from the selvedge. Once you’re happy with the positioning, pin the other end of the arrow to hold it in place.

So that's what to do just before you cut your fabric!

If you'd like some more help getting started with sewing patterns - from cutting through basic clothing construction - try our online video workshop, Learn to Sew Skirts.

Demystifying Sewing Patterns

Update: This post was written in early 2013 to help makers decipher the information on the envelopes of sewing patterns by the largest brands (Simplicity, McCalls, Vogue, Butterick, Burda...). Since then, many independent pattern companies - including my own! - have come onto the market offering more beginner-friendly patterns. Depending on the brand, some of this post will also be relevant to indie patterns, while some of it will only be relevant to the bigger companies.

So - you’ve got your first sewing pattern and are ready to make that garment. But what on Earth does all that stuff on the envelope mean?! Navigating and deciphering the text on a sewing pattern cover for the first time can make your eyes glaze over and your brain ache. A whole load of information is crammed into a small space, numbers jumping all over the place. 

No need to fear though! It's easy to understand sewing pattern envelopes once you get to grips with them. Let's break it down…

Front cover

Pattern number → Most patterns have numbers which act as a product identification code to help you find a particular pattern. Smaller indie companies often give their patterns names too.

Size → While vintage patterns are often one size only, modern patterns tend to come nested in multiple sizes, allowing you to mix and match your measurements. Do still pay attention to this part though, as some companies sell two or more versions of a pattern in different size brackets.

Design variations → While some patterns are for one fixed design only, many offer a few different style options. The pattern illustrated above, for example, includes different necklines, hem length, sleeves, waistline tabs, and even a jacket.

Pattern envelopes also include photos, graphic illustrations, or sometimes both, for each design. Use your imagination here to picture the garment on your own body in a fabric of your choosing.

Back cover

Fabric suggestions → This will give you an idea of the kinds of fabrics that will suit the garment. It isn't a definitive list - go ahead and pick something off list which is similar in weight, drape etc to the fabrics listed. Just beware using knit fabrics (eg. jersey) for patterns suggesting only woven fabrics (eg. cotton, wool etc) and vice versa, as stretch can alter the shape and size of the garment.

Notions will be listed here too - the additional bits and bobs to put on your shopping list, such as the number and size of any buttons, the length of zipper etc. (Don’t forget to buy thread too!)

Body measurements → These numbers refer to the size of the body that the pattern is to fit, in inches (see below for cm). The measurements included are usually bust (around the fullest part), waist, hip and length of torso. Does your bust, hip and waist ratio match one of these columns exactly? Lucky you! Most of us, however, have larger bits and smaller bits, so will need to combine different sizes (eg. size 12 bust and waist with size 14 hip, or whatever). (We’ll look at fitting in more detail in a separate post.)

Pattern size → The pattern size is usually listed either in numbers which are supposed to correspond to ready-to-wear dress sizes (8/10/12 etc) or sometimes in S/M/L. Personally I consider these a red herring, as those sizes mean totally different things to different people. I prefer to pay close attention to body measurements (above) to pick out the pattern (or combination) that fits me.

Fabric requirements → This refers to the length of fabric that you need, in yards, to make the garment (see below for metres). Once you've picked your pattern size (based on your body measurements), follow the column down to the corresponding fabric requirement listing. Often the pattern will give you a couple of different fabric widths (eg. 45" / 60"), as the size of fabric rolls varies. If a pattern includes design variations, it may list different requirements for those two. The lengths given are often generous (sometimes ridiculously so), so sometimes you can get away with less – but do check the pattern layout first.

Sometimes a pattern will list a different yardage for fabrics with nap. Fabrics with “nap” are types such as corduroy and velvet - they have pile lying in a particular direction which looks slightly different from different angles. They often require more fabric to make sure the lay of the pile is all going in the same direction when you stitch the garment together. The same applies to fabrics with snazzy designs going in one direction only.

If you need interfacing and/or lining fabric, the pattern will list these too.

Garment measurements → These numbers refer to measurements of parts of the finished garment. These are sometimes printed in more detail on the pattern pieces too. Garment measurements are usually bigger than body measurements, even if it's a fitted garment, to account for "ease" to allow you to move around in it. It’s useful to compare the two, as ease varies between different pattern companies - subtract the body measurements from the garment measurements to work out the ease allowance. You may want to change the ease allowance for a closer or looser fit, depending on your preference. (We'll look at ease in more detail in a separate post.)

Metric version → Many sewing patterns present all this information in French as well as English. This is actually really useful for anglophones who uses the metric system of measurements. Body measurements are presented in cm and fabric requirements in metres, rather than inches and yards. (Some indie pattern companies helpfully list both.)

See? That wasn't so bad after all!

Although it is a LOT of information to digest, so I'll go into the inside of a pattern in another post if you would find that helpful.

Liked this? Read other posts in the Learn to Sew series.