Phoebe has a striking V-shaped yoke at the front, that flows over into a back yoke, and can be easily elevated with some contrasting piping. Phoebe features a wide placket, with the pattern including options for either a single or hidden placket, giving you the possibility to work with snap or regular buttons. The true standout details are the sleeves, with two pleats, a large cuff and gathering at the delicate trim.
A fun sewing project and striking result is just what Phoebe has in store this winter!
Make the pleats in the sleeves. Mark the pleat lines with a few basting stitches. Fold the fabric along each pleat line, wrong sides together. Stitch 2 cm from the folded edge. Repeat for the second pleat. Press the pleats downwards.
Pin the top of the lower sleeve to the sleeve hem, right sides together and stitch at 1,5 cm seam allowance. To avoid catching the lower pleat in the seam, pin it out of the way first. Finish the seam allowances together with an overlock or by zigzagging and press them towards the sleeve.
Finish the shoulder seams of the front and back yokes with an overlock or by zigzagging. Pin the shoulder seams, right sides together, and stitch. Press the seams open.
Would you like to add piping? Pin the piping all around the front and back yokes at the right side of the fabric. Start at the center front and align the raw edge of the piping with the raw edge of the fabric. Position the stitching line of the piping, where you will stitch along, at 1,5 cm from the edge. At the corners of the back yoke, clip into the piping up to, but not through, the cord so the piping can turn the corner neatly. Pin or baste all around, then stitch directly beside the piping cord. Remove the basting stitches.
Gather the upper edge (the long, diagonal seam) of each front, stopping a few centimetres from the sides. Using the longest stitch on your sewing machine and without backstitching, sew one row of gathering stitches 1,5 cm from the edge and a second row 1 cm from the edge. Also, gather the section between the two markings at the center back of the back.
Pin a sleeve to each front, right sides together, and stitch the armhole seam. Finish the seam allowances together with an overlock or by zigzagging and press towards the front.
Pin both sleeves to the back, right sides together. Stitch the armhole seams. Finish the seam allowances together with an overlock or by zigzagging and press them towards the back.
To stitch the bodice to the front and back yokes, you will need to clip into the seam at two points, at the corners of the back yoke, while the needle remains in the fabric. We find it easiest to pin the entire seam beforehand, leaving approximately 5 cm unpinned after each corner. This means you will have less pinning to do while the blouse is under the machine.
Pin the front and back yokes to the rest of the blouse, right sides together. Start by matching the fronts to the front yokes. Align the basting marks precisely at the center front. Adjust the gathers so each front fi ts its front yoke neatly. Match the marking on the front yoke to the seam between the front and sleeve.
Continue pinning the remaining front yoke to the sleeve on the left side of the blouse, left when wearing the blouse. Match the marking at the sleeve cap to the shoulder seam. Continue pinning the back yoke to the sleeve up to the corner where the back begins.
Resume pinning approximately 5 cm beyond this point and pin the back to the back yoke up to the next corner. Distribute the gathers evenly across the center back so the back fits the yoke neatly.
Leave another section of approximately 5 cm unpinned after the corner, then pin the remaining sections together.
Begin stitching at the left side of the blouse and stitch to the first corner of the back yoke, work with the front and back yokes on top. If you added piping, stitch exactly in the seam used to attach the piping. Leave the needle in the fabric and raise the presser foot. Clip into the corner of the back up to just before the needle (just next to the seam) so you can make a neat corner.
Pivot the fabric under the machine and pin the previously unpinned 5 cm section. Make sure there are no tucks in front of the needle. Continue stitching across the back to the next corner. Repeat the same method to stitch the remaining sections. Finish the seams together with an overlock or by zigzagging and press upwards.
Pin and stitch the side seams of the fronts and back and the seams of the sleeves. Finish the seam allowances together with an overlock or by zigzagging and press them towards the front.
The sleeve trim:
Gather the hem of the lower sleeves as described above. Pin and stitch the short ends of each sleeve trim, right sides together. Press the seam open. Fold the sleeve trim in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press. Unfold and press one long edge 1 cm to the wrong side.
Adjust the gathers until the lower sleeve fi ts the sleeve trim. Pin the unpressed edge of the sleeve trim to the lower sleeve, right sides together, matching the markings. Stitch all around. Remove the gathering threads.
Press the seam allowances towards the sleeve trim. Now fold the sleeve trim to the inside at the foldline, enclosing all seam allowances, and pin. Stitch the sleeve trim in place by stitching exactly in the ditch of sleeve trim and lower sleeve. Work on the right side of the blouse.
The standard button placket:
Fold the button placket in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press. Unfold and press one of the long sides 1,5 cm to the wrong side.
Pin the unpressed long side of the button placket to the front, right sides together, and stitch. Press the seam allowances towards the button placket.
Press the blouse hem 3 cm to the wrong side. Then press 1 cm of this allowance also the wrong side. Unfold.
Fold the button placket in half lengthwise along the pressed foldline, right sides together. At the bottom, stitch in the pre-pressed fold of the hem, parallel to the hem. Make sure the pre-pressed seam allowance of the button placket remains in place. Carefully trim the corner. 
Press one of the long sides of the neck bias tape 1 cm to the wrong side.
Fold the button placket in half lengthwise along the fold, right sides together. The pre- pressed seam allowance has to stay in place, just beyond the placket attachment seam. Pin the unpressed side of the bias tape to the neckline. Position the end of the bias tape just beyond the seam of the button placket and front, on top of both placket layers. Stitch the neckline and button placket at 1 cm seam allowance. Trim the corner and grade the seam allowance of the neckline.
Turn the button placket to the right side, the bias tape folds to the wrong side. Push out the upper and lower corners neatly. Fold the bias tape around the neckline seam allowance and pin it to the wrong side. Pin the pre-pressed side of the button placket to the inside of the front.
At the hem, the hem allowance will turn to the wrong side. First fold 1 cm to the wrong side and then the remaining 2 cm, along the pre- pressed fold lines. Pin the hem all around. Pin the entire button placket in place as well.
To stitch the button plackets and neck bias tape, begin at the bottom of the left front, left when wearing the blouse. Stitch in the ditch of front and button placket, all the way to the top. Stitch back a few stitches until you reach the lower edge of the neck bias, just under 1 cm. Leave the needle in the fabric and pivot the blouse so you can stitch the neck bias in place up to the other button placket. Pivot again and stitch the short section to the neckline. Continue down the button placket attachment seam to the hem. Press neatly.
Stitch the hem of the blouse close to the edge, starting and finishing next to the button plackets.
The hidden button placket:
The hidden button placket is stitched to the right front. The standard button placket is stitched to the left front, following the instructions above. Do not stitch the hem until both button plackets are complete.
Interface the hidden button placket with a 10 cm wide strip of iron-on interfacing, without interfacing the neckline or hem seam allowances. Position the strip directly beside the seam allowance, on the side with the buttonhole markings. Mark the first and third fold line along the length of the button placket with basting stitches.
Fold the placket in half lengthwise, along the center fold line, with right sides together and press. Then fold each side of the placket along the basted fold lines, wrong sides together. Make sure the outer section extends approximately 2 mm beyond the inner section, which is the side with the markings. The placket now forms a small accordion. Press slightly more than 1 cm of the long edge on the side with the markings to the wrong side.
Mark the remaining three buttonholes, spacing them at the same distance as the first two. Sew the buttonholes through the doublefolded placket. This section will form the inside of the hidden button placket.
Pin the unpressed edge, the outer section, of the button placket to the right front, right sides together, and stitch. Press the seam allowance towards the button placket.
Fold the button placket so that the inner strip with the pre-pressed seam allowance lies on the outer strip, right sides together. The outer strip is the section visible when wearing the blouse. The two inner strips lay on top of this. Position the pre-pressed seam allowance and center fold of the button placket just beyond the seam of the blouse and placket.
Stitch the bottom at 3 cm parallel to the hem. Trim the corner.
Press one of the long sides of the neck bias tape 1 cm to the wrong side.
Pin the unpressed side of the bias tape to the neckline. Position the end of the bias tape just beyond the seam of the button placket and front, on top of all placket layers. Stitch the neckline and button placket at 1 cm seam allowance. Trim the corner and grade the seam allowance of the neckline. Turn the button placket to the right side, the bias tape folds to the wrong side. Push out the upper and lower corners neatly.
At the hem, the hem allowance folds to the wrong side. First fold 1 cm, then another 2 cm and press. Pin the hem, hidden button placket and neck bias to the blouse. Make sure the pre- pressed seam allowance of the placket and the center fold line extend just beyond the seam of the front and placket. Baste in place so the center fold line cannot shift.
Stitch the hidden and standard button plackets as described above. Press neatly.
The buttons:
Standard button placket: Mark the remaining three button positions, spacing them at the same distance as the fi rst two. Sew the snap fasteners at the marked positions. On the right button placket, sew them to the inner layer only so the stitching is not visible from the outside. If you would like to wear the blouse with the top button open, then secure the right button placket to the blouse with a small stitch at the second button. This will help keep the placket in place.
Hidden button placket: Sew the buttons to the left button placket at the same places as the buttonholes. Carefully open the buttonholes.
We wish you a lot of fun with your new blouse! Show your creation on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #atelierjupePhoebe or share it in our Facebook group ‘Atelier Jupe - Create & Share’.