Long Sleeve Crossover Lapel Dress
A sophisticated women's dress pattern featuring a tailored crossover front with elegant lapels, shaped with strategic seams for a flattering silhouette.
When To Wear
This dress is designed for elegant and professional settings, making it a versatile choice for:
- Professional Engagements: Ideal for office wear, business meetings, or formal networking events.
- Special Occasions: Suitable for smart-casual gatherings, dinners, or semi-formal celebrations.
- Polished Everyday Style: A sophisticated option for those who prefer a refined and structured aesthetic in their daily wardrobe.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: A fitted sheath dress, tailored to skim the body and fall to knee length.
Neckline & Lapel: Features a deep V-neckline created by a stylish crossover front, adorned with elegant, wide lapels.
Closure: An invisible zipper is seamlessly integrated into the center back seam for a smooth finish.
Sleeves: Classic long, set-in sleeves extend to the wrist, providing a polished and complete look.
Waist: Defined by a horizontal seam, subtly separating the upper and lower body panels to enhance the dress's structured fit.
Seaming: Intricate panel seaming throughout the front and back, including side and princess-style lines, ensures a tailored and form-fitting shape.
Back: Designed with a clean center back seam, housing the invisible zipper, and vertical style lines for refined shaping.
Hem: A straight hemline that finishes gracefully at knee length.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Requires accurate seam construction, confident lapel formation, precise invisible zipper insertion, and experience working with fusible interfacing.
Fabric Recommendations
Choose medium-weight woven fabrics that hold shape well and have a good drape for a refined finish:
- Suiting fabrics
- Gabardine
- Wool blends
- Crepe
- Stable jacquard
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing
- Invisible zipper
CUTTER'S MUST
- From main fabric:
- Upper center back – 1 piece
- Lower center back – 2 pieces
- Back side panel - 2 pieces
- Lower back side - 2 pieces
- Front side panel - 2 pieces
- Lower front side – 2 pieces
- Right center front – 1 piece
- Left center front – 1 piece
- Lower front – 1 piece
- Left facing – 1 piece
- Right facing – 1 piece
- Back neckline facing – 2 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Back neckline facing – 2 pieces
- Right facing – 1 piece
- Left facing – 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the designated pieces.
- Overlock the outer edges of the facings and the back neckline facings.
- Place the left facing onto the left front piece, right sides together, and stitch along the neckline edge. Turn the facing to the wrong side and press. Overlock the bias edge. Stitch the right side of the front piece with the facing. Trim the seam allowance at the corner. Turn the facing to the wrong side and press. Place the right front piece over the left and topstitch along the marked line. Fold back the lapel.
- Stitch the front side panel to the front piece, overlock the seam allowances and press towards the center. Stitch the lower front pieces. Overlock the seam allowances and press towards the center. Stitch the upper and lower front pieces. Overlock the seam allowance and press upwards.
- Stitch the back side panel to the back piece, overlock the seam allowances and press towards the center. Stitch the lower back pieces. Overlock the seam allowances and press towards the center. Stitch the upper and lower back pieces. Overlock the seam allowances and press upwards.
- Overlock the center back edges separately. Stitch the seam from the zipper mark to the bottom. Press the seam allowances open, and insert the zipper.
- Place the neckline facing onto the back piece, right sides together, and stitch the neckline edge precisely up to the marked shoulder seam line. Clip the seam allowances, turn the facing to the wrong side and press. Secure the facing to the zipper tape.
- Stitch the shoulder seams, inserting the front piece between the back piece and the back facing. Press the seam allowances towards the back and overlock.
- Stitch the sleeve seam, overlock the seam allowance. Set the sleeves into the armholes. Overlock the seam allowances.
- Overlock the hem allowance of the dress and sleeve, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
