How to DIY a Cute High Collar Ruffle Blouse

Tools and materials:

• Antoinette blouse pattern 
• Paper for pattern
• Cotton, poplin or cotton sateen fabric
• Thin woven interfacing
• 3/8" (7 mm) wide bias tape
• 6 buttons
• Pins
• Scissors
• Sewing machine
• Serger (optional)

1. Prepare the fabric pieces

Cut out two fronts, one back on the fold, two sleeves, two cuffs, two collar pieces and one ruffle strip.

Add interfacing to the center front edges and both parts of the collar.

2. Make the collar

Fold the ruffle strip in half lengthways with wrong sides together and press.

Fold it in half widthways and cut a notch in the middle.

Pin it together along the length and gather it.

A quick way to gather is to use the longest straight stitch you have at the highest tension and sew along the gathering line.

Mark the center of both collar pieces with a notch.

Pin the gathered strip to the outer edge of one of the collar pieces, with right sides together. Sew within the seam allowance.

Pin the second piece of the collar over the first, with right sides facing and sandwiching the ruffles between them.

Sew the three layers together, taking a half inch (1 cm) seam allowance.

Turn the collar right side out to check it and trim the seams.

3. Bust darts

Pin and sew the bust darts. 

Press them downwards.

4. Sew the shoulder seams

Join the fronts to the back at the shoulder seams.

Finish the raw edges with a serger or zigzag stitch.

5. Attach the collar

I did try top stitching the edge of the collar, but wasn't happy with the final look and so removed the stitches.

Pin the collar to the neckline, with right sides together. Sew from one end of the ruffle to the other.

6. Add the bias tape

Open out the bias tape.

Pin it to the neckline, with the ends of the tape extending 0.75 inches (2 cm) past the ends of the ruffle and the top fold of the tape directly over the previous stitch line.

To achieve this, push the pin through the fold into the neckline seam. 

Once you've positioned the tape correctly, pin down the lower edge and remove the first set of pins.

Stitch in the fold along the full length of the tape.

Trim the seam allowance. 

Fold the tape to the inside and pin in place. Sew between the ends of the ruffles only so when the collar is down, the seam is hidden.

7. Button plackets

Using the notches as a guide, fold the raw edge over the interfacing, fold both over again and press. 

Pin and sew the top edge on the seam allowance, being careful not to catch the bias tape.

Trim the corner and turn to the right side. Top stitch the length of the placket.

8. Insert the sleeves

Gather the top of the sleeves. Pin and sew them into the armhole, matching the front and back notches, and finish the edges.

Press the seam allowance towards the shoulder and top stitch in place.

9. Side and sleeve seams

Pin and sew the sleeve and side seams and finish the edges.

10. Add the cuffs

Fold the cuffs in half widthways with right sides together and sew the short edges. Press the seams open.

Fold the cuff in half lengthways with wrong sides together. Turn the sleeve right side out.

Slip the cuff over the end of the sleeve and pin in place, matching the cuff seam with the underarm seam.

Sew through all three layers and finish the raw edges.

11. Hem

Finish the raw edge. Turn up a narrow double hem and sew.

12. Buttons and buttonholes

Space the buttonholes evenly down the placket and sew on the buttons.

DIY high collar ruffle blouse

You can make this blouse sewing pattern up in different combinations of three collar and three sleeve styles.

For example, the high collar ruffle blouse version has a formal, almost Victorian look with long sleeves but is cute and cheeky with short puff sleeves. 

If you make this blouse, let me know in the comments and please tag on Instagram - I'd love to see it.

Check out my post on How to Sew a Cute and Sexy Corset Top.