When I discovered the patterns from Damn Good Caramel by designer Julie Kansara, I was immediately charmed by their apparent simplicity but always with that little detail that makes all the difference.
For the Frisure blouse, it’s the four ruffles that add this sophisticated touch to a simple and casual blouse.
I had wanted a blouse with beautiful ruffles for a long time but without too much fuss, and I finally found the perfect pattern!
So I bought the pattern right away and started making this lovely blouse.
Follow me on this sewing adventure!
The model
The Frisure blouse is a pretty sleeveless blouse, with vertical ruffle inserts all along the bust, on the front as well as on the back. Several ruffle options are possible: single ruffle or double with a “cascading wave” effect.
You can also make your Frisure blouse with a single ruffle: keep only the small ruffle or the large one to vary the look of your blouse in the way that suits you best!
The armholes and neckline are finished with a sewn-on bias tape. The ruffles themselves are finished with a handkerchief hem, with the different steps detailed in the assembly instructions using clear diagrams.
The bottom of the blouse has a slight rounded shirt-style hem for a little touch of chic. The minimalism of the model highlights this single ruffled detail for a beautiful balance between clean lines and ornamentation.
Practical information for sewing this model
The pattern for the Frisure blouse is available in PDF format on our website.
The PDF file contains:
- printing instructions
- measurement charts
- cutting layouts
- step-by-step photos
- the pattern from size 34 to 48 with included seam allowances, to print on A4 and A0 formats
The Frisure blouse is available from size 34 to 48, which corresponds to a bust measurement between 81 and 110 cm.
The sewing level required for this pattern is intermediate, but a motivated and careful beginner can take on this model.
In the seamstress’s basket
The Frisure blouse is made from woven fabric. It will be perfect in a light cotton such as plumetis, broderie anglaise, and embroidered cottons, ...
If you want a more flowing and drapey result, you can choose tencel or viscose.
It can also be made in double gauze for those looking for lightness and softness.
To complete your supplies, you will need bias tape, which you can buy ready-made for convenience or make yourself from your fabric.
You will also add a spool of thread matching your fabric.
Technical points
As mentioned earlier, the Frisure blouse is recommended for intermediate-level sewers.
The technical points covered are:
- making a handkerchief hem
- attaching a ruffle
- making homemade bias tape (optional)
- attaching sewn-on bias tape
- making hems.
Nothing insurmountable but a nice challenge for those who want to learn handkerchief hems.
Céline’s supplies and sewing experience
For this model, it’s better to choose a lightweight fabric so that the ruffles fall nicely, and that looks good on both sides, because the ruffles are visible on both sides.
I had in my closet for a while a 3-meter coupon of cotton voile with polka dots that I fell for as soon as it arrived in the shop, which was washed, ironed, and ready to be transformed as soon as the “perfect match” fabric/pattern popped into my head — that day had finally come.
I really enjoyed making this blouse; it’s a simple project but requires precision. There is a bit of work on the ruffles. You will need a really good pair of scissors for making the handkerchief hems on the ruffles, otherwise it will be a nightmare to trim the excess fabric when the time comes. For those who want to go faster, it is possible to replace the handkerchief hems with a rolled hem finish on a serger or a bias binding finish (be careful, this last finish will weigh down the ruffles).Another nice little challenge (but not mandatory) is to make your own bias tape from the same fabric. It’s not complicated, but it requires some method to cut at the right angle and join the strips together.
Result: perfectly matching bias tape, and the feeling of having taken the finishing touches one step further.
The Frisure Top is a good model for those who want to improve their technique without getting discouraged by a project that’s too long or complicated. Here we have a bit of technique with a project that remains overall quite simple.
So, ready to take on the challenge of handkerchief hems?
If yes, let’s go!
Find all the patterns by Julie Kansara from the French brand Damn Good Caramel here.
Get your needles ready!
