Square neck blouse measurements to take
Take every neck figure on the wearer. A square neck has no curve to hide a wrong number. You need four measurements:
- Neck width: the distance across the front between the two points on the shoulder line where you want the sides of the square to start.
- Front neck depth: from the shoulder line, at the side of the neck, straight down to where the bottom edge of the square should sit.
- Back neck depth: measured the same way on the back, from the shoulder line down to the bottom of the back neck.
- Shoulder length: from the side of the neck to the shoulder point. Whatever the square does not take of it is the strap that holds the blouse up.
Before you cut, cut a paper square to the width and depth you noted and pin it on the wearer over a fitted blouse. Check that a strap is left on each shoulder, the bottom edge sits where she wants it, and the corners are level. Your tailor sets the final depth.
The rest of the blouse is measured as usual. The blouse fabric measurement guide covers bust, waist, length and sleeve; the blouse fabric calculator turns bust size and sleeve length into the metres to buy, using StitchMagic calculator defaults.
How to cut a square neck blouse
Cut the blouse front and back from your usual pattern first and leave the neck uncut. Use a ruler and a set square, or any card with a true right angle; drawn freehand, the corners never come out square.
- 1
Fold the front at the centre
Fold the front piece in half along the centre front, right sides together, with the shoulder edges and side seams lying exactly on top of each other. If the blouse opens at the front with hooks, do not fold: mark one front piece along its centre-front line and copy the marks to the other.You should see: One folded half-front, with the fold as the centre-front line and the shoulder line at the top.
- 2
Mark half the neck width on the shoulder line
From the fold, measure along the shoulder line half of the neck width you took on the wearer and mark that point. This is the top of one side of the square.You should see: One chalk mark on the shoulder line, between the fold and the shoulder point, with shoulder strap left beyond it.
- 3
Draw the side line straight down
From the mark, draw a straight line down, parallel to the fold, for the front neck depth. Measure the depth from the shoulder line, the same way you measured it on the body.You should see: A straight vertical side line, parallel to the centre front.
- 4
Square across to the fold
At the bottom of the side line, set the set square on the side line and draw the bottom line across to the fold at a right angle. The point where the two lines meet is the corner. Opened out, this one corner becomes the two bottom corners of the square, mirrored exactly.You should see: An L shape: one side and one bottom line meeting at a right-angled corner, with the bottom line ending on the fold.
- 5
Stay-stitch on the line, then cut
The line you drew is the finished edge. Leave your tailor’s usual seam allowance on the opening side of the line, so the cut opening is a little smaller than the finished square. Open the piece and machine a line of small stitches along the finished line on both halves, stopping with the needle down at each corner to turn. Then cut the opening through both layers along the allowance line.You should see: An opened front with a square opening, a line of stay-stitching around it, and two matching bottom corners.
- 6
Clip each corner
Snip diagonally into each bottom corner, from the cut edge towards the corner of the stitching. Stop just short of the stay-stitching. Without the clip the corner puckers; through the stitching, it frays.You should see: One diagonal clip in each corner, ending at the stitching.
- 7
Mark and cut the back neck
Fold the back piece at the centre back the same way. Use the same half neck width on the shoulder line, so the sides of the square meet the back neck at the same point on the shoulder seam. Draw the back line down for the back depth and finish the shape you chose: a matching square, or a deep V, U or dori back. Stay-stitch and cut as on the front. For back shapes, see the back neck blouse designs.You should see: Front and back neck edges that meet at the same point when the shoulder seams are pinned together.
- 8
Face or pipe the neck edge
Join the shoulder seams first. For a facing, lay the cut front and back on the facing fabric, trace the neck shape, cut it a little wider than the allowance, and back it with fusible interfacing. Stitch it to the neck right sides together along the stay-stitching, pivoting at each corner, clip the corners again, turn it inside and press. For piping, use bias strips and fold a small mitre at each corner so the piping turns a sharp angle instead of a curve.You should see: A finished square neck with flat, sharp corners and no facing showing from the front.
Square neck blouse cutting mistakes
Most square necks go wrong at the corners or at the width. These are the usual problems and what prevents each one.
| Mistake | What you see | How to prevent it |
|---|---|---|
| Corners stretching | Corners turn round or wavy after the first wear or wash | Stay-stitch before cutting, never pull the edge while sewing, interface the facing |
| Neck gaping | The bottom edge stands away from the chest when she bends | Check the depth with a paper square first; ask the tailor to take in a small dart at each corner if it still lifts |
| Square too wide | The blouse slips off the shoulder and shows the bra strap | Mark the width on the body and leave a strap beyond each side; a cut neck cannot be made narrower |
| Corners not square | One side leans in, or the bottom line slopes | Draw the side parallel to the fold and the bottom with a set square; cut on the fold so both halves match |
| Wrong number of corners | Sides slant or meet in a point because the shoulder-line marks were treated as corners | Mark only the side and the bottom; the top of the square is the shoulder line, and the front has two corners |
| Front and back not meeting | A step in the neckline at the shoulder seam | Use the same half neck width on front and back |
When to use lining or interfacing
Use fusible interfacing on the facing of every square neck; it is the most reliable way to keep the corners sharp. Add a full lining for soft fabrics such as georgette, net and chiffon, which cannot hold a straight edge on their own, and for blouses with heavy zari, stone or maggam work on the neck border, where the weight drags the corners down. Firm cotton, raw silk, brocade and velvet usually hold the shape with an interfaced facing alone.
For square neck styles by fabric and occasion, see the square neck blouse designs; for other front shapes, the blouse neck designs and the design galleries and tailoring tools.
Square neck blouse kaise kaate
Blouse ke front ko beech se fold karein. Shoulder line par fold se neck width ka aadha naap mark karein, wahan se fold ke parallel seedhi line front depth tak neeche kheenchein, phir set square se fold tak seedhi line le jaayein. Line par stay-stitch karke kaatein, dono kono mein kat lagayein aur facing ya piping lagayein. Gehrai aur chaudai pehnne wali ke naap se tay karein; kandhe par patti zaroor chhodein.