Nice — Women’s Dress – sewing tutorial

Nice

A dress with puff sleeves gathered on elastic, a bias-bound neckline fastened with a loop and button, side pockets and a gathered skirt on an elasticated waist casing.

Get the pattern ▶Watch tutorial Follow @fabrico.design

34–48 Sizes included (XXS–XXXL)

1.20–1.55 m Main fabric, by size

10 Pattern pieces

32 Steps to sew it

A gathered dress with puff sleeves

A fitted bodice with darts joins a gathered skirt at an elasticated waist casing. The neckline and the back opening are finished with bias edging, fastened with a thread loop and a button.

The short puff sleeves are pleated at the cap and gathered on elastic at the hem. There are pockets in the side seams of the skirt.

What you'll need

Suggested materials

• Medium-density dress fabrics that drape well and keep the shape: cotton, light denim or linen
• Fabric width used throughout this tutorial — 1.80 m (70.9″)

Also needed

• Threads to match the fabric
• Button — 1 pc, for the back neckline loop
• Elastic into the sleeve hem
• Elastic into the waist casing

Fabric consumption by size, for fabric width 1.80 m (70.9″)

Required pieces

Layout of parts on fabric

Main fabric, layout width 1.80 m (70.9″), shown for sizes 34 and 44

Layout length 1.18 m (46.5″)

Layout length 1.43 m (56.3″)

Description of tailoring

32 steps in five stages, from the bodice darts to the elasticated waist.

Bodice

1. 1

   Pin and stitch the darts. Press the allowances down.

2. 2

   Overlock the shoulder edges.

3. 3

   Pin the shoulder edges of the front and the back right sides together. Stitch it. Press the allowances open.

4. 4

   Overlock the side edges of the bodice.

5. 5

   Pin the front and back side edges right sides together and sew a straight stitch on a sewing machine. Press the allowances open.

Neckline and loop

1. 6

   Pin the edging piece (bias tape) to the back neckline right sides together. Stitch 0.5 cm (0.2″) from the edge. Press the allowances towards the bias tape.

2. 7

   Fold the loose edge of the bias tape up and around the allowances of the back neckline. Pin and stitch it. Stitch on the right side into the seam.

3. 8

   Press it.

4. 9

   Prepare a loop for the button. Fold the piece in half along the long edge right sides together. Stitch it. Snip off the allowances to 0.3 cm (0.12″).

5. 10

   Turn the loop to the right side and press it.

6. 11

   Pin the neckline edging (bias tape) to the garment along the line of the neck right sides together. Stitch 0.5 cm (0.2″) from the edge.

7. 12

   Press the allowance towards the bias tape.

8. 13

   Fold the short edges of the bias tape, make a loop and pin to the edging.

9. 14

   Fold the loose edge of the bias tape up and around the allowances. Pin and stitch it. Stitch on the right side into the seam. Press it.

10. 15

    Sew the button.

Sleeves

1. 16

   Make two parallel stitches along the round edge of the sleeve and pleat up to 28 cm (11.02″).

2. 17

   Fold sleeve pieces in half along the side edges right sides together. Pin and stitch on a sewing machine. Overlock the allowances and press towards the back.

3. 18

   Attach the sleeve to the armhole right sides together, matching the notches. Pin and stitch on a sewing machine. Overlock the allowances and press onto the sleeve.

4. 19

   Overlock the bottom of the sleeve. Fold and press it. Stitch on a sewing machine, leaving an opening for the elastic.

5. 20

   Insert the elastic into the casing and stitch its ends together. Edgestitch the opening closed.

Skirt and pockets

1. 21

   Overlock the side edges of the skirt pieces.

2. 22

   Overlock stitch around the pocket pieces.

3. 23

   Stitch the pocket pieces to the front and back pieces of the skirt. Press the allowances onto the pocket pieces.

4. 24

   Pin the front and the back right sides together, pin the pocket pieces right sides together.

5. 25

   Stitch from the top edge of the skirt to the pocket entry mark, install a bartack. Next, sew the pocket pieces together to the side edges of the skirt, include the allowances, and then sew a stitch to the mark of the entrance to the pocket. Then stitch the side edges down to the edge of the skirt. Press the allowances open.

6. 26

   Place small zigzag bartacks on the front of the skirt at the top and bottom of the pocket entrance.

7. 27

   Overstitch the bottom edge and fold it over to the allowance distance. Stitch it. Press the allowances.

8. 28

   Along the upper edge, sew two parallel stitches and pleat the skirt. Overlock the edge.

Waist casing

1. 29

   Pin the bodice to the skirt 1.5–2 cm (0.6–0.8″) below the edge right sides together. Stitch it. Press the allowances towards the bodice.

2. 30

   Pin the upper edge of the skirt to the bodice and stitch, leaving room for the elastic.

3. 31

   Insert the elastic and stitch its ends together.

4. 32

   Sew up the opening.

Finishing The dress is ready!

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