Philadelphia — Women’s Dress – sewing tutorial

Philadelphia

A buttoned shirt dress with a double back yoke, a centre back pleat, in-seam side pockets, placketed sleeves with buttoned tabs and a self-fabric belt. Ten sizes, sixty-three steps.

Get the pattern Follow @fabrico.design

XXS–5XL Sizes included

1.65–2.20 m Main fabric, by size

14 Pattern pieces

63 Steps to sew it

A buttoned shirt dress

The back carries a pleat folded to the centre and a double yoke that encloses the shoulder seams from both sides. Pockets are set into the side seams and the side seams end in slits finished with bar tacks.

The sleeve has a faced slit with a placket and a buttoned tab, pleated into a two-part cuff. A collar on a stand finishes the neckline, the dress closes with twelve buttons, and a self-fabric belt ties at the waist.

What you'll need

Fabric recommendations

• Thin and medium density dress fabrics
• Cotton, linen, light denim, viscose
• Fabric width used throughout this tutorial — 1.80 m (70.9″)

Supplies

• Main fabric
• Interfacing — 0.5 m (19.7″)
• Buttons — 12 pcs.
• Threads

Fabric consumption by size (m / in), with a fabric width of 1.8 m (70.9″)

When buying fabric, keep in mind that the material can shrink, so take with a margin of 5–10%.

T-shirt dress measurements (cm)

Specification

Layout of parts on fabric

Main fabric, width 1.8 m (70.9″)

Size XXS

Size 5XL

Attention! All our patterns already contain 1 cm / 0.39 in seam allowances.

Description of tailoring

63 steps in five stages, from the back yoke to the buttons.

Yokes and pockets

1. 1

   Before you start sewing, iron the interfacing to the pieces of the collar and collar stand, the plackets of the fronts and the plackets of the sleeve slit. If needed, fuse the interfacing to the cuffs.

2. 2

   Fold the pleat on the back panel to the center. Pin it.

3. 3

   Pin the right side of one yoke to the right side of the back. Pin the right side of another yoke to the wrong side of the back.

4. 4

   Stitch it. Press the allowances to the yoke.

5. 5

   Top stitch the allowances to the upper yoke.

6. 6

   Pocket. Pin the pocket detail to the front panel along the notches of the pocket entrance with the right sides together. Stitch from the notch to the notch. Press.

7. 7

   Top stitch the allowances to the pocket piece. Press.

8. 8

   Clip the allowances to the stitch line at notches (at both sides of the pocket opening).

9. 9

   Pin another pocket detail to the stitched pocket detail with the wrong sides together. Stitch 0,5 cm (0,2″) from the edge. Press the pocket pieces.

10. 10

    Cut off 0,2 cm (0,08″) of the allowances along the pocket edge.

11. 11

    Turn the pocket to the wrong side, press the pocket piece.

Shoulders and side seams

1. 12

   Stitch 0,5 cm (0,2″) from the edge. Press.

2. 13

   Pin the fronts and the upper yoke of the back along the shoulder edges right sides together. Roll up the fronts and the back. Cover the resulting roller with the bottom yoke and pin the shoulder edges.

3. 14

   Stitch them. Turn to the right side and press. Top stitch the yoke along the shoulder stitch.

4. 15

   Pin the front and back panels together with the right sides along the side edges, align the notches. Pull the pocket aside and pin the pocket entrance so it won't be stitched. Stitch the side edges. Press allowances to the back.

5. 16

   Serge the side allowances from up to down. Bend the front panel at the side slit while serging. Then serge it separately.

6. 17

   Sew bar-tacks at the pocket edge. Use zigzag stitch.

Sleeve plackets, tabs and cuffs

1. 18

   Cuffs. Chalk the cut line and the stitching line of the placket and the edging.

2. 19

   Pin the edging to the sleeve with the right sides together. Stitch along the chalk line.

3. 20

   Pin the placket to the sleeve with the right sides together. Stitch along the chalk line.

4. 21

   Make sure details are stitched straight. Slash along the line, not reaching 1.5 cm (0,59″) to the edge. Then cut towards the corners of the frame.

5. 22

   Turn the edging to the wrong side and press allowances to the edging. Fold the side allowances and press. Fold the edging in half and press.

6. 23

   Baste the edging. Sew in place 0.1 cm from the edge. Press.

7. 24

   Turn the edging to the right side, pin the triangle to the edging and stitch.

8. 25

   Press the placket allowances to the wrong side. Fold the placket in half and pin.

9. 26

   Baste it. Sew in place by 0,1 cm from the edge. Press it.

10. 27

    Fold the pleat on the sleeve bottom hem. Fix with stitching line 0,5 cm (0,2″) from the edge.

11. 28

    Iron the interfacing to the place of the buttonhole on the wrong side of the sleeve tag.

12. 29

    Fold the sleeve tag in half and pin the short and the long edges. Stitch it.

13. 30

    Turn the sleeve tag to the right side. Press.

14. 31

    Fold the allowances inside and top stitch.

15. 32

    Pin the sleeve tag to the wrong side of the sleeve along the markings. Sew in place. Press.

16. 33

    Fold the sleeve in half and pin the side edges. Serge it. Press.

17. 34

    Pin the upper and bottom cuffs together with the right sides along the upper edge and stitch. Put allowances open and press.

18. 35

    Fold the allowances of the bottom cuff inward and press.

19. 36

    Turn the cuffs to the right side and press. Press so, that the upper cuff is 0,1 cm over the bottom cuff.

20. 37

    Pin the upper cuff to the sleeve bottom hem with the right sides together. Stitch it. Press allowances to the cuff.

21. 38

    Pin the upper and bottom cuffs along the side edges with the right sides together. Stitch it. To make a curved edge stitch diagonally at the upper edge.

22. 39

    Clip the corners and turn the cuffs to the right side. Press.

23. 40

    Pin the bottom cuff to the sleeve hem, overlapping the stitching line by 0.1 cm (0,04″). Baste it. Sew in place 0.1 cm from the edge. Press.

24. 41

    Pin the sleeve into the armhole with the right sides together, aligning the notches. Sew in place.

25. 42

    Serge the allowances and press to the sleeve.

Front placket and collar

1. 43

   Fold the front panel's side edge along the notches. Press. Fold one more time and press. Topstitch the placket with 2 parallel stitches.

2. 44

   Collar. Pin the collar details together with the right sides along the upper edge. Stitch it. Press allowances open.

3. 45

   Fold the collar details together with the wrong sides and press so, that the upper collar is 0.1 cm (0,04″) over the bottom collar.

4. 46

   Pin the collar details with the right sides together along the short edges. Make sure to keep the overlapping of the upper collar.

5. 47

   Clip the corners, press.

6. 48

   Turn the collar to the right side. Press.

7. 49

   Pin the collar stand to the collar with the right sides together, aligning the notches. Stitch.

8. 50

   Clip the curved edge of the collar stand. Press.

9. 51

   Turn the collar stand to the right side and press.

10. 52

    Pin the finished collar to the neckline of the garment with the right sides together, aligning the notches. Start pinning from the center of the back.

11. 53

    Sew the collar in place. Start sewing from the center of the back. Press the allowances to the collar stand.

12. 54

    Press the raw edge of the collar stand inward.

13. 55

    Pin the pressed edge to the neckline, overlapping the stitching line by 0.1 cm (0,04″). Baste it.

14. 56

    Stitch it from the right side straight to the stitching line.

15. 57

    Make sure the collar stand is stitched correctly. Delete the basting line.

Hem, belt and buttons

1. 58

   Press the side slit allowances to the wrong side. Stitch it. Sew bar tacks at the slit.

2. 59

   Fold the bottom hem twice and press. Sew in place. Press.

3. 60

   Fold the belt in half with the right side along the short and long edges. Stitch it.

4. 61

   Turn the belt to the right side. Whip stitch the hole. Press.

5. 62

   Sew buttonholes on the front placket, sleeve placket, collar stand and sleeve tab. Use any wash-away stabilizer for embroidery to sew a buttonhole.

6. 63

   Sew buttons in places.

Finishing The t-shirt dress is ready!

Drag to explore the full layout