Cap Sleeve Button-Front Midi Dress
A women's dress with cut-on cap sleeves, a split V-neckline and a pieced waistband. The bodice and the full skirt are gathered into the waistband, and the button front runs from the bodice into the upper skirt, where it ends in a pleat.
When To Wear
- Summer days and warm evenings, with sandals or flat shoes.
- Over a thin fitted top or with a cardigan in spring.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted waist with a full gathered skirt.
Length: Just below the knee.
Neckline: V-neckline with a short slit at the centre, faced with the front facings and a back neck facing.
Sleeves: Short cap sleeves cut in one with the bodice; armholes finished with bias binding topstitched along the fold.
Front: Upper front gathered into a waistband of middle and side sections. Separate right and left lower fronts, each gathered; the right front laps over the left and buttons down to the skirt, where a front seam with a pleat is held by a vertical bar tack 1 cm from the start of the pleat.
Back: Upper back with darts and a centre back seam, back waistband in a middle and two side sections, gathered lower back with a centre seam.
Finishing: Hem overlocked, turned up 2 cm and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Asymmetric front construction with a buttoned overlap ending in a pleat, a pieced waistband, gathers, faced neckline and bias-bound armholes.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics from natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (front facings, back neck facing)
- 10 buttons
- Bias binding, 4 cm wide (or cut from the main fabric) for the 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, 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.
- From main fabric:
- Upper back – 2 pieces
- Middle back waistband — 1 piece
- Side back waistband — 2 pieces
- Lower back — 2 pieces
- Upper front — 2 pieces
- Middle front waistband — 2 pieces
- Side front waistband — 2 pieces
- Lower right front — 1 piece
- Lower left front — 1 piece
- Left front facing — 1 piece
- Right front facing — 1 piece
- Back neckline facing – 1 piece
- From fusible interfacing:
- Left front facing — 1 piece
- Right front facing — 1 piece
- Back neckline facing – 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- Fuse interfacing to the designated pieces.
- Stitch darts on the upper back pieces, press allowances towards the center. Stitch the center seam of the upper back, press allowances to the left side and serge.
- Stitch the middle and side back waistband pieces, press allowances towards the center, serge. Attach the back waistband to the upper, press allowances onto the waistband and serge.
- Stitch the center seam of the lower back, press allowances to the left side and serge. Along the upper edge of the lower back, stitch with loosened upper thread and gather. Stitch the upper and lower back parts, press allowances upwards and serge.
- Along the lower edge of the upper front, stitch with loosened upper thread and gather.
- Stitch the middle and side front waistband pieces, press allowances towards the center, serge. Attach the front waistband to the upper, press allowances onto the waistband and serge.
- Right front. Place the front facing with the upper front right sides together and stitch the front edge and neckline edge. Clip allowances at curves, trim at corners. Lay the piece flat. Along the upper edge of the lower right front, stitch with loosened upper thread and gather. Stitch the upper and lower front parts, press allowances upwards and serge. Fold the front facing to the wrong side, press. Serge the inner edge of the front facing. It is better to serge before attaching.
- Left front. Along the upper edge of the lower left front, stitch with loosened upper thread and gather. Stitch the upper and lower front parts, press allowances upwards and serge. Serge the inner edge of the front facing. Place the front facing with the garment right sides together and stitch the front edge and neckline edge. Clip allowances at curves, trim at corners, clip at the lower edge of the front facing. Fold the front facing to the wrong side, press.
- Place the left and right front parts right sides together and stitch the front seam. Press allowances and serge. Overlap the right front over the left, aligning the center lines, smooth out the pleat. Place a vertical bar tack 1 cm from the start of the pleat, securing the right and left front parts.
- Serge the outer edge of the back neckline facing. Place the neckline facing onto the back and stitch the neckline edge exactly to the marked shoulder seam line. Clip allowances, turn the facing to the wrong side and press.
- Stitch shoulder seams, inserting the front between the back and the back neckline facing. Press allowances towards the back and serge.
- Stitch side seams, press allowances towards the back and serge.
- Cut (if not ready-made) bias binding 4 cm wide and length equal to armhole length + 6 cm. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise right side out and press. Place the binding with the armhole edge right side up and stitch. Fold the binding to the wrong side, clip allowances and topstitch along the fold to the main piece. Press the seam.
- Serge the bottom edge of the garment, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Make buttonholes on the right front. Sew buttons on the left front.
