Sleeveless Bow Dress
A sleeveless women's dress with a fitted darted bodice, a waist seam and a pleated skirt. Two yoke pieces laid diagonally across the front bodice form a bow below the neckline on one side, held in the centre by a narrow bridge piece.
When To Wear
- Daytime events and family celebrations in spring and summer.
- With a cardigan or a short jacket in cooler weather.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted bodice with a seam at the waist and a flared pleated skirt.
Length: Midi, below the knee.
Neckline: Round neckline finished with bias binding folded to the inside and topstitched.
Sleeves: Sleeveless; armholes finished with bias binding.
Front: Bust and waist darts on the upper front. Two faced yokes are stitched to the front along marked lines, folded up and joined at their ends; a bridge piece wraps the yokes at the neckline, and pleats laid in the yokes set the width of the bow knot.
Back: Darts on the upper back and a centre back seam with a concealed zipper.
Skirt: Lower front cut on the fold and lower back in two pieces, both with pleats turned towards the centre.
Finishing: Hem overlocked, turned up 2 cm and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Faced yoke pieces set onto the bodice along marked lines, a bow knot formed with a bridge piece, a concealed zipper, pleats and bias-bound edges.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics from natural or blended fibres with added elastane.
Additional Supplies
- Concealed zipper
- Bias binding, 4 cm wide (or cut from the main fabric) for the neckline and armholes
Cutter's Must
If the patterns have a double contour, seam allowances are included. If the contour is single, seam allowances are not included. Seam allowances: Hem allowance – 2.0 cm, all other seams – 1 cm. Attention! First, print out the paper patterns and lay them out on the fabric width (fabric width can be from 90 cm to 150 cm) to determine how much material you will need (do not forget to account for paired and symmetrical pieces).
- From main fabric:
- Upper Back – 2 pieces
- Upper Front – 1 piece
- Yoke 1 – 1 piece
- Yoke 2 – 1 piece
- Lower Back – 2 pieces
- Lower Front – 1 piece on fold
- Yoke Facing 1 – 1 piece
- Yoke Facing 2 – 1 piece
- Strap – 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match! Note: Markings on patterns are on the right side.
- Stitch the darts on the Upper Back. Press the darts towards the center back seam.
- Fold and secure the pleats on the Lower Back, with the pleat folds turned towards the center. Stitch the Upper Back and Lower Back together, overlock the seam allowances and press them upwards. Overlock the center back edges separately. Stitch the center back seam from the zipper mark downwards and press the seam allowances open. Insert the concealed zipper.
- Stitch the bust and waist darts on the Upper Front. Press the bust dart intakes upwards and the waist dart intakes towards the center.
- Overlock the vertical edges of Yoke Facing 1. Place Yoke Facing 1 and Yoke 1 right sides together and stitch the upper and lower edges. Clip the seam allowances at the mark and turn right side out. Overlock the vertical edges of Yoke Facing 2. Place Yoke Facing 2 and Yoke 2 right sides together and stitch the upper and lower edges. Clip the seam allowances at the mark and turn right side out.
- Place Yoke 1 on the Upper Front, right sides together (shoulder edge of the yoke pointing down), and stitch along the marked line. Fold the yoke up and baste it to the front along the open edges; from now on treat them as one piece. Place Yoke 2 on the Upper Front in the same way, right sides together (shoulder edge of the yoke pointing down), and stitch along the marked line. Fold the yoke up and baste it to the front along the open edges; from now on treat them as one piece. Stitch the ends of the yokes together, press the seam allowances open and overlock.
- Fold the Strap in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch. Turn it right side out and press with the seam in the middle of the piece. Place the Strap on the front and stitch it to the neckline edge (it lies under the yokes).
- Stitch the right shoulder seam, press the seam allowances towards the back and overlock. Cut (if not using ready-made binding) a bias strip 4 cm wide for the neckline. Fold it in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press. Place it on the right side of the neckline, raw edges matching, and stitch; turn the binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold onto the dress. Stitch the left shoulder seam, press the seam allowances towards the back and overlock.
- Fold the Strap up around the yokes, adjust the width of the knot by laying pleats in the yokes, and sew the Strap to the neckline from the wrong side.
- Fold and secure the pleats on the Lower Front, with the pleat folds turned towards the center. Stitch the Upper Front and Lower Front together, overlock the seam allowances and press them upwards.
- Cut (if not using ready-made binding) a bias strip 4 cm wide for the armholes. Fold it in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press. Place it on the right side of the armhole, raw edges matching, and stitch; turn the binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold onto the dress.
- Stitch the side seams, press the seam allowances towards the back and overlock.
- Overlock the lower edge of the dress, press it to the wrong side and topstitch.
