How To: Simple Wrap Blouse with Gathered Cuffs

Really into mustard these days. I had 5 meters of this fabric and started making a dress, but at some point had a meltdown, cut it all up, sat among the ruins for a while, and decided something needed to rise from the ashes. 

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TOOLS:

Fabric (I used a silk crepe, cotton or linen would work too or even a knit), 1.5-2 m  |  Scissors  |  Thread & Sewing machine  |  Pins  |  Fabric marker  | Not in image but elastic to go around your wrist twice

I. My cut pieces to start with (I'm a US4/EU36).

II. Started with shoulder seams, here's more detail on the steps.

III. Then cut out my sleeves. I wanted loose boho-ish sleeves, with just a bit of gathering at the wrists, hence the weird shape.

IV. To make things easier, I first folded guides on the cuffs (fold on the right side). First 1 cm:

.. And then the cuff in half.

V. I then attached the sleeves to the top (see any of my top tutorials for how). When sewing the underseam, I stopped where the more narrow part for the cuff starts, and notched the seam allowance.

.. Then reversed the seam at the notch, so the seam allowance for the cuff was on the right side.

The folds I had pressed made it easier to fold the cuff onto the right side, and add two stitches around. (Remembering to leave a gap in the stitch on the left to insert the elastic). Ignore the crooked stitches...

VI. Next inserted my elastic (measured to a comfortable tightness around my wrist), attached the ends, and closed the gap in the stitch.

Cuff done!

VII. To finish, I first did the side seams. Then pressed a double fold along the diagonal front edges, all around the back of the neck and secured that with a straight stitch. Next I overlapped the front pieces and zig-zagged them at the hem to attach and make it easier to work with. Finished the hem with a double fold.

.. A closer look at the double-fold:

.. And finally, added some darts after trying on and determining how fitted I wanted the blouse to be at the waist. Did just one dart/fold in the front:

.. And two at the back.