A feminine blouse with back buttons and gentle gathers into a waistband.

All seam allowances are 1.5 cm unless stated otherwise and are included in the pattern. Skill level: Intermediate.

Suggested fabrics: Lighter weight woven fabrics such as cotton lawn of voile, cotton poplins, tencel, Indian handlooms, double gauze, choosing something like a cotton poplin that is tightly woven will a more voluminous silhouette.

You will also need:

• Matching thread

• 6 x 15 mm buttons

• 0.6 m interfacing

Merchant & Mills patterns are now printed within Europe, the pattern paper is 70gsm white (FSC-certified) and is made only 180km away from the printers. Instructions now come in booklet format rather than A3 sheets. The paper is PEFC/01-31-126certified.

Carolyn Denham and Roderick Field began Merchant & Mills in 2010 with the intention of bringing style and purpose to the overlooked world of sewing. Merchant & Mills continues to grow steadily, evolving and developing as experience and ideas demand. Carolyn and Roderick now travel the world in search of unique and beautiful fabrics, finding aesthetic and practical inspiration along the way. Merchant & Mills products are stocked in the world’s most respected outlets and the company has successfully collaborated with London’s V&A Museum and Alexander McQueen.