Rivi Blouse and Dress Release

THE RIVI SEWING PATTERN IS HERE!

Meet our latest sewing pattern: The Rivi Blouse and Dress! For years, I have wanted to include a button-down blouse in our collection. My goal with the Rivi was to create a well-fitting classic button-down that would feel anything but basic. I love a striped fabric, but I don't love matching stripes. This design allows you to play with the direction of your stripes, giving visual interest without needing to match seams. This is our first pattern using all French seams, giving you a very professional finish with just your straight-stitch machine. It’s already become a staple in my handmade wardrobe, and I hope it will be a favorite in yours too! We’ve got so much to share, including view options, style lines, fabric recommendations, and fitting advice, so let’s get into it!

The Rivi Pattern will be on SALE through
Tuesday, February 24th
No coupon code is needed!

SHOP THE RIVI HERE

Rivi Short Sleeve Blouse || Pomelo 1 3/8" Stripe Cotton Shirting from Surge Fabrics

Rivi Long Sleeve Blouse || Deadstock Stripe Cotton Shirting from Blackbird Fabrics

Rivi Short Sleeve Blouse || Ochre & Ivory Handwoven Lightweight Cotton from Surge Fabrics

PATTERN DETAILS

The Rivi is an oversized woven button-up blouse and dress with a dropped armhole. The garment is finished with French seams. The C/D cup includes a bust dart. 

Rivi Long Sleeve Blouse || Deadstock Stripe Cotton Shirting from Blackbird Fabrics

There are seam lines on the bodice and back yoke that allow you to play with the stripe direction. Or you can use a solid fabric and topstitch the seams for interest. 

Rivi Long Sleeve Dress || Golden Hour Cotton from Salt Lake Sewciety (sold out)

View A is a blouse. View B is a dress. There are two sleeve options: a full-length sleeve with a placket and cuff, and a short sleeve that finishes above the elbow with a fold-back cuff. Both views include optional side slits. The dress includes optional inseam pockets, also finished with French seams.

Rivi Short Sleeve Dress || Soft Cotton Chambray from Stone Mountain Fabrics

The pattern is listed as an INTERMEDIATE sewing level. Sewing the collar stand, long-sleeve plackets, and side slits are the trickiest part. If you are a beginner, I recommend starting with the short-sleeve view and a stable fabric like cotton shirting. Included are detailed, step-by-step illustrated instructions to guide you along the way. If you’d like more help, the Chalk and Notch Patterns Facebook Group is a great place to get support. Many of our testers are members there, so you have great resources if you ever need them.

We’ll have a photo sew-along available soon, along with videos for the collar, slide slits, and sleeve plackets. Whether this is your first pattern or you’re a seasoned professional, we want to provide you with all the resources you need.

Rivi Short Sleeve Blouse || Fableism Stitch Stripe in Lavender from Surge Fabrics

Rivi Size Chart: Available in Sizes 0 – 30, with two bust cup options

This style is intended to fit oversized. Use the high bust and full bust measurements to determine your size. If you have a small bust, use the high bust to ensure enough ease through the upper back. When sewing the dress, if your hips put you in a larger size, consider blending sizes to allow enough room through the hips. It is always recommended to sew a test garment to confirm fit.

Reference the finished garment measurements and ease recommendations for more detailed fit information.

Rivi Long Sleeve Blouse || Pumpkin Spice Grenada Grid Sandwashed Cupro Tencel from Surge Fabrics

Garment Ease & Finished Length

This style is designed to have 8” (20 cm) of ease through the bust. There is 16” (40.5 cm) of ease through the waist and 6” (15 cm) of ease through the hips in the dress view. When sewing the C/D cup, there will be 2” (5 cm) of additional ease through the waist and hips in the front bodice. The blouse length finishes at the high hip. The dress finishes above the knee.

The bicep is measured 1” (2.5 cm) down from the armhole. To find the finished length of the long sleeve, measure from the center back neck to the shoulder point, then to the cuff. To find the finished length of the blouse or dress, measure from the center back neck to the center back hem. Review the finished garment measurements to determine if you would like to adjust the length.

CUSTOM-FITTING ADJUSTMENTS

All our patterns include basic custom fitting adjustments, but you can find more detailed adjustments and fitting advice in our fitting post here. As always, we recommend sewing a muslin or test garment in non-precious fabric first to check the fit before sewing your final version. If you need additional help or have questions, please feel free to email me or join the Chalk and Notch Patterns Facebook Group – I’m always happy to hear from you!

FABRIC & NOTIONS

Main Fabric

This style is designed for light to medium-weight woven shirting fabrics. It can also be sewn in rayon or silk fabrics for a dressy blouse. Or a heavier-weight woven for an oversized shirt jacket. Choosing a fabric with a nice drape will cause the fabric to lay closer to the body, and a thicker fabric will cause the fabric to stand away from the body and feel more boxy. Rotating the pattern pieces as indicated in the cutting layout will add interest when using striped fabric.

Throughout this post, we have linked to all of the fabrics we have used during release, but we also have a blog post with more fabric resources here.

Recommended Main Fabrics

Chambray, Cotton Block Prints, Cotton Lawn, Cotton Shirting, Cotton Voile, Flannel, Linen, Rayon Challis & Rayon Twill

More info on fabric recommendations can be found on our Rivi Pinterest Board here.

Fabric Chart

The chart below accounts for the stripe direction as shown in the pattern listing images. The minimum fabric required is listed. If you think you will need more for shrinkage, directional print, pattern matching or print repeat, please purchase accordingly.

Notions

You will need Tricot Fusible Interfacing and Buttons for sewing the Rivi. 

• 1 yd (1 m) Tricot Fusible Interfacing for the Blouse view
• 1 1/4 yd (1.25 m) Tricot Fusible Interfacing for the Dress view
• 8-12 Buttons, 1/2” size (12.7 mm) for the Blouse view
• 12-18 Buttons, 1/2” size (12.7 mm) for the Dress view

Optional Notions

• Tailor’s Chalk
• Turning Tool
• Pressing Ham
  

TESTER PHOTOS

Testing a pattern and getting feedback from our sewing community members is always a highlight of the development process. The Rivi pattern testers were so kind, thorough, and helpful as we worked through the process. While styled photos are never required in testing, we love sharing any photos submitted. Seeing a pattern on a variety of people and in different fabrics can be a valuable tool. You can find our tester post here.

I’d love to see what you come up with, so if you share your makes, please tag @chalkandnotch and use the hashtags #cnrivi and #chalkandnotchpatterns so I can see your creations.

Thanks for reading all about the Rivi sewing pattern!