Tutorial - Maternity Girl Guide Leader Uniform Blouse

Tutorial:

Maternity Girl Guide Leader Uniform Blouse

We have a Leader who is wants to be in uniform while she is expecting.

In the past, I have altered the striped uniform Alfred Sung design shirt for a mom-to-be and it was successful.  All I needed was the extra matching fabric to insert into the top and I got that from another shirt or a skirt - I forget which.

This time, we want to alter the blue button front blouse that is part of the current (2016) uniform for Girl Guides of Canada.

I envisioned an easy alteration of opening the seams along the sides and adding an insert.

It was almost that easy.

And I started and finished in just a few hours - and that includes carefully ripping out seams.

We had a second blouse that was long sleeved and I was thrilled to find that I would only need to cut off the long sleeves for the inserts.

Then I was able to finish that second blouse off as a newly short-sleeved version.

The second blouse was slightly faded due to washing and wearing so the insert is not quite the same colour as the new blouse, but it's close enough for us.

So, lets get to it!

First we marked where we wanted the insert to start. 

Next, carefully rip out those seams.

I didn't initially rip out the little hemmed tabs but had to later.

Next, on the second blouse, cut off the fabric you'll need for the inserts.

We used the sleeves from a long-sleeved blouse.

Cut 2 pieces approximately the shape below. 

Be sure it's long enough for the insert you need.

I hemmed the insert pieces before sewing them in.

Then I sewed the "side"seams.

This shows the 2 sides of the insert attached with the top part too big for the point.

That's okay.

Here is a close up of the top part that is too big.

We'll get back to that.

You need to make sure the original side seam is reinforced where you ripped up to.

So I sewed this seam and went down about a half inch into the new insert part.

Here I am sewing it.

By the way, I was pretty excited to find that I had the exact right colour of thread in my stash for this project!  ☺

 Okay, now for that top part of the insert that's too big.

I wanted a pleat on the outside once I was finished.

So I did a bit of a fold like you see below and pinned it into place.

I checked the "right" side and it looked okay.

So I sewed it into place, and I zig zagged the top part so it wouldn't fray.

This is what the "wrong" side looks like.

(the inside of the blouse)

And this is was the "right" side looks like.

(the outside of the blouse)

So then I pressed the pleat the way I wanted it.

This shows the pleat open.

And here you can see the pleats in the finished blouse.

You can see we kept the trefoil tab too.

Now our Guider is all set and will be comfy in her uniform.