Lace yoke Blouse with cap sleeves – Free Sewing Pattern & tutorial

This is a simple top with a lace yoke and cap sleeves . Simply follow the tutorial below and you can sew this top by drafting a pattern according to your body measurements. Checkout the post on sewing lace for some tips.

 Measurements needed to sew this  easy blouse.

• Bust round 
• Front neck depth 
• Measure between your shoulder tips ( where the sleeve starts)

How to sew the lace yoke blouse 

Make the pattern as per the diagrams given below and cut out the pattern pieces for front yoke, back yoke, front bodice, back bodice, and sleeves . You also need long lengths of bias tapes to bind the neckline the armhole and sleeves. You can  add lace trims as I have done or skip it altogether. Checkout the 20 different types of lace fabric and  trims you can add to clothes. 

This is the back yoke pattern. Mark the back yoke and front yoke on folded lace fabric piece of about 10 inch height and 18 inch wide. Fold by half. 

and the front yoke pattern 

On the back pattern you need to make a 2 inch cut along the enter fold for the back opening

To make the bodice pattern, you need to take two fabric pieces of width 1/2 of your bust round + 5″ and length = length from your bust line to the length you need+ 5.5  inch

Fold this fabric pieces by half

Mark lines 3.5 inch from top ( A-B) ; 1.5 inch from the fold (A-C); 1/2 of the measure from your shoulder tip to shoulder tip minus 1″ ( A-D); 1/4 of your bust round + 1.5 inch (A-E)

Make the Sleeve pattern for a cap sleeve which is gathered

Step 2   

Join the bodice and the yoke.

We have about 3 inches extra in the bodice top edge which has to be gathered slightly, to fit the yoke edge. 

Make long basting stitches along the top edge to gather. 

Sew the yoke and bodice together ( right sides together). Press the seam allowance down 

Step 3

Back opening 

You need a 3/4 inch bias tape of 5 inches length to bind the opening

Stitch it along the edge as in the picture below, from the face of the fabric

Turn it to the back and stitch in place. 

Step 4 

Join the front and back bodice shoulder seams 

Step 5

Attach the trim and neckline binding 

Turn the bias binding tape short edge to the inside. Press. Keep the trim along the neck line edge. Keep the bias binding on top of the trim. Pin in place. If you are a beginner at sewing you can make basting stitches with a hand sewing needle and thread to be sue that they will stay in place when you stitch them. 

The trim is sandwiched between the neckline edge and the tape.

Turn the binding to the back .

Turn under the tape and hand sew in place. You can also machine stitch but hand stitching works best.

Step 6

Finish the sleeves

Take each sleeve. Keep a bias tape of 1″ along the bottom edge. Stitch in place, right sides together. 

Turn the binding tape to the back and stitch in place. 

Step 6

Bias bind the armhole of left and right sides. 

Step 7

Attach sleeve to the bodice

Gather the sleeve head slightly with basting stitches along the top edge. Just pull the bobbin thread slightly to gather.

You need the sleeve to stay within the yoke portion in the bodice. You can keep the sleeve on the bodice and see that it matches and gather to match this. 

Keep the sleeve under the armhole and top stitch in place. Ensure that the sleeve ends in line with the lace yoke, as you stitch. If they are over extending beyond the yoke, gather the sleeve head more and try. 

Step 8

Attach a button and a thread loop for the button on the back bodice opening. You can find the instructions to sew the thread loop in the post on sewing hooks 

Step 9 

Last step is to hem the bodice bottom edge and stitch the side seams 

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