Button Down the Front V-Neck Blouse

I decided once again to hack the pullover top with a back slit opening made from Simplicity 8061.  I wanted to use that pattern to make a button down the front v-neck blouse.  A picture of the completed blouse is shown below.

 

I fitted the original pattern (Simplicity 8061) last December and blogged about the process.  Since that time I have done pattern hacks to it to make other styles without having to fit a new pattern each time.   A picture of Simplicity 8061 is shown below.

To make this hack, I needed to make changes to the front pattern piece and to the front neck facing.  I could make a separate sew-on facing or add one onto the front pattern piece.  I decided to add the facing to the front.  The front neck facing would need to cover the v-neck front opening and extend down to the hemline of the blouse.  I began by tracing the front pattern piece from the Simplicity 8061.  I measured down on the center front and marked where I thought I wanted the low point of the v-neck to be.  I measured 5/8 inch up from that point for the seam allowance.  I took a ruler and tried to draw the sides of the v-neck, but I did not like the results.  Instead, I used a French curve and drew a gentle curve up from the v-point to the shoulder line.    

Next, I needed to add some space to the center front to accommodate the buttons and buttonholes.  This space would become the overlap of the front.  I drew a line 3/4 inch from the center front that ran from the neckline down through the hem.  The picture below shows the front pattern piece after making adjustments for the new neckline and front opening.

The next step was to draw the front facing.  I taped another piece of paper to the pattern because there was not enough room to draw the extension for the front facing.  I folded the paper on the line I drew for the overlap space for the buttons and buttonholes.  After I folded the paper, I could still see the new line for the neck opening.  I traced the neck opening and also along the shoulder line for 2 ½ inches.  I measured out 4 inches from the beginning of the overlap line at the V-point and marked the spot.  Then I measured out 2 1/4 inches from the overlap line at the hem and made a mark.  I made another mark  two and one-quarter inches from the overlap line directly across from the bust dart.  I drew a line from the mark at the hem up to the mark across from the bust.    I drew a curved line from there up to the mark at the center of the neckline.  I used a French curve to draw a line from there up to the mark on the shoulder line.  My front neck facing pattern was complete.  

The first picture below shows the pattern paper folded over the front piece and the lines drawn for the facing.  The second picture shows the entire front piece after the addition of front facing.   

 

 The next picture shows the pattern piece for the interfacing.  As you can see, I just placed pattern paper over the pattern and drew the facing beginning at the center front line of the pattern.  I could have started at the overlap line, but by starting at the center front, it will give the button hole and buttons area a little extra support.  

 

I found a piece of fabric in my stash that was 54 inches wide.  It is a “linen-look” fabric that I like because it does not wrinkly easily.  Also, I was able to fold the fabric lengthwise and it was wide enough to cut the two front pieces.  I found that if I folded 45-inch wide fabric lengthwise, it was not wide enough to accommodate both fronts.  If I use the pattern with 45 inch wide fabric, I will have to lay the fabric in a single layer and cut each front individually.  Of course, the other option would be to cut the facing separately from the front piece with the addition of a seam allowance on both pieces.

This was an easy pattern hack to make.  It was just a matter of thinking through the process of making the front facing and allowing room for the buttons and buttonholes.  After I cut out the blouse, I put it together as I would any other blouse.  After I sewed the back facing together, I attached it to the front facing and then sewed both facings to the neck edge.  After adding the sleeves, it was simply a matter of hemming the blouse to complete it. 

After you have a pattern that fits, it is so much easier to hack that pattern to make different styles rather than keep fitting a new pattern each time.  So far, I have made four tops from this pattern.  They are shown below.

I hope you have fitted a pattern for yourself and are busy doing pattern hacks to make a complete summer wardrobe.  Have fun sewing!  I appreciate your comments or questions.  If you have either, please let me know.

Judy