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Making the 149 Norwegian Busserull

June 02, 2026

white pattern piece on a roll of red and white striped fabric on a table

by Molly Hamilton

This tutorial will show you how to make our newest pattern, the 149 Norwegian Busserull. I am breaking it down into two parts: part 1 includes the preliminary steps through sewing the front placket; part 2 will be sewing the rest of the shirt.

This folk work shirt is boxy, comfortable, and easy to sew. It has underarm gussets, a front placket, and short cuffs and collar. If you want to learn more about folk work shirts, read our blog post about them here.

The busserull is a traditional Norwegian work shirt, often made of striped red or blue fabric, but also made with solid linens or even plaids. Over time, this shirt took on meaning as an identifying symbol of Norwegian identity, and eventually became commonly worn in festivals as well as for everyday wear.

Suggested Fabrics

We suggest using a medium to light weight cotton, linen, hemp, or wool (or blends). But you could also do this in a lightweight denim. A chambray or linen would be elegant. Traditionally this shirt is made in a blue or red fabric (same color as Norwegian flag) with small white stripes. Our yardage charts show yardages for 45" or 60" fabric, so if you get a narrower fabric (as I did with this tutorial), know that you will need more fabric.

I used a red handloomed cotton with white stripes that was medium weight. This is a traditional color and type of fabric for this shirt. My fabric was only 30" wide, so I used an extra yard of fabric.

Notions

You will need thread to match your fabric and six 1/2" (13mm) buttons. If you are adding the back belt, you also need two 1" (2.5cm) D-rings or one 1" waistcoat buckle.

Sizing and Yardage

You can see the sizing and yardage chart here. If you are between sizes, you can grade between the sizes -- going from size LG at waist to size XL at hips for instance. Just make a smooth line between the sizes. The shirt, similar most folk work shirts, has a boxy fit and is meant to have a bit of ease. There is also extra room at the chest from the underarm gussets. If you are very small or don't need or want extra room in the chest, you can make the shirt without the underarm gussets (the last page of instructions in the pattern explains how to do this).

You can lengthen or shorten the body of the shirt at the hem. The front and back are cut as one piece so you need to lengthen or shorten the same amount at each end. If you adjust the length be sure to transfer the squares at the side seams to a new location (based on how much you lengthened or shortened). The squares mark where the shirt is left open below for "tails". You can lengthen or shorten the sleeve right in the middle of the sleeve, or at the hem. If you adjust at the hem, again move the pleat markings and squares.

You can also lengthen or shorten the front yoke. Again, transfer markings if doing so.

If you lengthened or shorten any pattern pieces, you may need to adjust the fabric requirements.

I made a size Small for this tutorial. And as I mentioned above, I had to use extra fabric to cut out my pattern because my fabric was 30" wide. I used 3.25 yards of fabric.

Seam Finishes

You can finish your seams in several ways. Turning the edges under and stitching is an option. Bound edges would be ok if using thick fabric, but is probably not likely for this pattern. You can even flat fell, or faux flat fell your seams. The easiest thing to do is to zigzag or serge your seam edges. I serged most seams.

Cutting

Use the cutting guide and layouts in the pattern, but also know that you can change it up as you see fit. The cuff, collar, and belt pieces can be cut on the cross grain if desired. And the placket pieces could as well, if needed. The sleeves are cut on the fold. And the front and back of the shirt, as well as the yoke, are cut as one piece with a hole cut for the head opening. Don't cut the front slash for the placket yet, but do cut the hole for the head. I like to trace the hole first and then remove the pattern piece and cut the fabric.

Red and white striped fabric with a pattern piece on a table

red and white striped fabric with a paper pattern on top

For the belt, you should add at least 3 inches to the Left and Right Belt pieces if you are cutting a XL to 3XL size. However, you may want to adjust the length later -- when you are putting the belt on the shirt. The belt is optional, so you can leave it off all together if you want.

Be sure to add markings to all your pattern pieces. I find that I like to mark the notches, circles, stars, etc. on the right side of the fabric (though for this one, I started with marks on the wrong side and transferred to the right side).

red and white striped fabric with a white pattern piece on top

Sewing the Busserull

YOKE

Press under the 1/2" seam allowance on long un-notched edges of the Yoke Lining.

Then place the Yoke Lining on top of the right side of the Front/Back, with the wrong side of the Yoke Lining to the right side of the Front/Back. Line up the center back notch, shoulder lines, and front neck slash marks.

red and white striped fabric- yoke on shirt front/back

Baste within the seam allowance on the sleeve sides of the Yoke Lining and Front/Back. And edge stitch at the pressed under edges of the Yoke Lining. Then, stay stitch about 3/8" (9.5mm) from the neck edge. This helps keep the neck from distorting before the collar is attached.

red and white striped fabric with the neck opening cut open and stitched

Cut along the center front opening on the Front and Yoke Lining, from the neck edge to the center of the box. Cut through all layers. I like to mark a line from the neck to the square so insure that I cut the slash accurately.

red and white striped fabric with a clear ruler and hand marking a link on the fabric

red and white striped fabric with scissors

red and white striped fabric with a cut down the front

PLACKETS

Place the long edge of the Underplacket (D) over the righthand edge of the center front opening with the wrong side of the the Front to the right side of the Underplacket. Match the small dots. Stitch from the neck edge to the small dot. This is a 3/4" (19mm) seam allowance.

Now move on to the Placket Piece. With right sides together, fold Placket E on fold line. Stitch around the lower edge, from the fold to the star. Clip off points to reduce bulk and then clip to the star. Turn right side out and press.

red and white striped pattern piece sewn at the bottom

red and white striped pattern piece sewn at the bottom with corners clipped

Corners clipped on the Placket.

Place Placket to the left of the center front opening with right side of the Placket to the wrong side of Front. Match the raw edges. Pin and stitch the the raw edge of the Placket to the Front along the stitching line, from neck edge to star. This is also a 3/4" (1.9cm) seam.

red and white striped fabric with plackets attached

This shows the underplacket on the right, stitched down to the small dot, and the placket on the left pinned the front.

Now, clip from the box at end of center front opening to the star on one side and the dot on the other on the Front/Yoke only. Do not cut the Placket or Underplacket. This makes an inverted V.

red and white striped fabric cut in a pattern

Now, bring the Underplacket through the center front opening to the right side of the front. Press the seam allowance toward the Underplacket. And, turn under the 3/4” (19mm) seam allowance on the remaining raw edge and press. Place this folded edge over the previous seamline, just coving the seamline. Pin and topstitch close to folded edge from the neck to the dot. Backstitch at the dot.

Red and White striped fabric in a shirt construction of a top.

Underplacket turned to right side of shirt.

Red and white fabric on shirt placket front construction.

Underplacket on right side of shirt, being folded down.

red and white fabric on shirt front construction

Underplacket on right side of shirt. Topstitched from neck to dot. Note below dot, fabric is not stitched.

Pull the inverted V (that was clipped earlier) to the right side of the shirt. Stitch it to the bottom end of the Underplacket -- from dot to star. This requires folding the rest of the shirt out of the way and holding the end of the Underplacket with the V. Then, press both toward the bottom of the Shirt.

red and white striped fabric of a shirt front under construction

I've folded the rest of the shirt away from the bottom of the Underplacket and V and pinned them together.

This shows a close up of the underside of the V and Underplacket end pinned together. From here just stitch from the star to the dot -- or across the wide part of the V.

Now, bring Placket E to the right side of front through the center front opening. Press the seam toward the Placket. And, turn under 3/4” (19mm) seam allowance on the remaining raw edge and press. Place this folded edge over the previous seamline. Adjust as needed to get a smooth lay. I like to press everything well here too. Pin and topstitch close to the folded edge beginning at the neck. At the star, pull the inverted V and rest of shirt front to your right and continue stitching to bottom end of the Placket, around the bottom and up the other side of the placket to the neck edge. You are basically topstitching along all sides of the Placket (except the neck edge).

red and white striped fabric of a shirt under construction

The Placket pulled to right side of shirt with the seam not yet pressed.

Red and white striped fabric in a shirt construction

Placket pressed well to the right side of the shirt -- over the seamline.

stitching along a fabric edge of a red and white striped fabric

This shows how the rest of the shirt is pulled to the right (and out of the way) of the bottom of the Placket while the bottom of the Placket is topstitched.

Now, carefully place the Placket over the Underplacket and line up neck edges. Pin the bottom tab of Placket over the front of the Underplacket and triangle, hiding them. Stitch over topstitching, beginning at the star, down around the square bottom, up to the dot, and across to the star -- stitching a box. Stitch back again across from the dot to start to reinforce the hold.

Placket pressed down over the Underplacket. Note where your star and dot are -- but you will stitch around the bottom of the Placket to secure it in place, and then across the top of the Placket tab - from the dot to the star to keep everything in place.