A pleated blouse: I sew Roséa from Atelier Brizane

When the Roséa blouse from Atelier Brizane joined our beautiful pattern collection upon its release; I knew I would sew it!

I saw all the potential of this little pleated blouse that could be transformed into a very chic all-white "shirt blouse," a fun blouse with pretty little prints, or even a dancing and swirling blouse if made in viscose!

In short, I was looking for a model to remake a pretty white blouse in the "modern shirt spirit" by twisting the codes... so I got to work! And since I can't stop and the first one pleased me so much... I immediately made another one that I let you discover below 😊

Let's go, let's dive into the discovery of Roséa!

The model

The sewing pattern ROSÉA is a model of elegant and structured blouse, ideal for sewing a feminine and modern garment. Its design is distinguished by a pretty play of pleats on the front, which brings originality and comfort to this model. You feel comfortable in it. Plus, if you work with a slightly transparent fabric, the pleats will elegantly hide the chest!

The gathered short sleeves, tightened by a cuff, bring balance and refinement to the whole.

The designer thought to leave enough ease... let's admit it, we hate when the sleeve cuff cuts into our biceps!

At the back, a delicate slit closed by a bow adds a touch of charm and femininity to this timeless piece.

ROSÉA is a versatile pattern that adapts to all seasons: to be worn just as well with high-waisted pants in autumn as with light shorts in summer. Whether you are a motivated beginner or an experienced seamstress, this pattern will accompany you in creating a chic, comfortable top that is easy to pair with your wardrobe.

Practical information to sew this pattern

Roséa is available from size 32 to 56 in PDF version in our shop. No worries: the digital pattern is available in A4, A0, and projector formats with layers by size. It's very easy to use!

For my part, I printed in A4 and the assembly was very quick.

The explanatory and illustrated booklet is very detailed and allows beginners to sew this pattern.

In the seamstress's basket

To sew the Roséa pattern, the recommended fabrics are woven fabrics. Depending on the desired drape, you can opt for a fluid fabric such as viscose or tencel. For a version with more structure, you can choose linen-viscose, linen, cotton poplin, voile, broderie anglaise, cotton lawn, seersucker, gingham, chambray...

The recommended weight is between 105 (cotton poplin) and 230 g/m².

To sew Roséa you will need:
- Fabrics: sizes 32 to 38: 1.70 m; sizes 40 to 46: 1.90 m; sizes 48 to 56: 2.10 m
- 50 cm of thin fusible interfacing suitable for your fabric
- Coordinated thread
- Optional but recommended: marking tool for pleat markings.

My supplies

For my first version

I chose a simple white cotton poplin because I wanted to use decorative stitches to add a touch of originality to my blouse. I wanted a blouse with the idea of a fake shirt to wear over jeans this autumn.

I opted for a white H200 fusible interfacing.

For marking tools, I took a chalk pen, an essential in my sewing kit, and my Japanese ruler that I never part with! With that, no problem marking the pleats!

For my second version

Yes, I gave in after making the first one. I felt so good in my first version that I wanted to make a second. I went to look in my stash for a small piece of cotton lawn with polka dots of which I had 1.2m in 110cm... not enough to make a whole roséa... but by adding 50cm of plain cotton satin coordinated with my fabric; I had enough to make the sleeves and facings! Ta-da, off we went for the second version.

Technical points

Roséa is aimed at intermediate or motivated/begun supervised sewers in a workshop.

There are quite a few technical points that require precision:
- Making stitched pleats
- Setting a facing
- Back slit with tied cord closure
- Gathers for the sleeves
- Setting sleeve cuffs
- Hem

Nothing insurmountable in itself but to be satisfied with your finishes, you need a bit of sewing practice 😊.

Clémentine, the creator of Atelier Brizane, made a video tutorial to help us.

My sewing experience

You always learn when you test brands and I must say I saved time with Clémentine's method for marking pleats.

Usually, I do it with thread and it takes a bit of time. Clémentine suggests marking them with chalk after cutting on the markings... and well, it saved me a ton of time!

I must say all the markings line up perfectly at the pleats, it's simple and effective just the way I like it!

This won't of course save you from carefully pinning all your pleats but it's already something gained.

I chose to make decorative stitches on the center of the yoke, on the sleeve cuffs, and for the hem of my first version.

It creates an "embroidery" effect that I really like. Be sure to have a well-filled bobbin when you choose fancy stitches that require a lot of thread.

After sewing this first version and trying it on; I was so satisfied that for fun I sewed another one right after.

I am delighted to have been able to use my precious little coupon of cotton lawn that was patiently waiting for the right project. Since I didn't have enough, I completed the yardage with a piece of plain cotton satin to make the sleeves and facings. I used the cotton lawn scrap to make the sleeve cuffs and to echo the bodice.

I think it's quite successful.