Cap Sleeve Pleated A-Line Dress
A knee-length women's dress with short cap sleeves, a waist insert and a flared skirt with inverted pleats at the front and back. The cap sleeves are cut in two halves with a shoulder seam, and small pleats on the upper front give fullness over the bust.
When To Wear
- Summer days, with sandals or flat shoes.
- Office wear and daytime events, with a cardigan or a cropped jacket.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted bodice and waist insert, flared pleated skirt.
Length: About knee length.
Neckline: Round neckline finished with bias binding folded to the inside and topstitched.
Sleeves: Cap sleeves of a front and a back part joined at the shoulder, sewn to the bodice front and back before the side seams; sleeve edge turned up 1.5 cm and topstitched, lower armhole bias-bound.
Front: Upper front with pleats turned towards the side seams, joined to a front insert at the waist.
Back: Upper back with darts and a back insert, centre back seam with a concealed zipper.
Skirt: Lower front cut on the fold and lower back in two pieces, both with inverted pleats.
Finishing: Hem overlocked, turned up 2 cm and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Two-part cap sleeves set into the bodice seams, inverted pleats, a concealed zipper and bias-bound edges.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics from natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Concealed zipper
- Bias binding, 4 cm wide (or cut from the main fabric) for the neckline and lower armholes
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Upper back – 2 pieces
- Back insert – 2 pieces
- Lower back — 2 pieces
- Upper front -1 piece
- Front insert — 1 piece
- Lower front — 1 piece on fold
- Back sleeve — 2 pieces
- Front sleeve — 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
- Stitch darts on back pieces, press seam allowances towards the center. Attach the insert to the back, press seam allowances towards the insert and overlock.
- Form and secure inverted pleats on the back skirt. Stitch the upper and lower parts of the skirt, press seam allowances upwards and overlock.
- Overlock the center edges of the back separately. Stitch the center back seam from the zipper mark to the bottom, press seam allowances open. Insert the zipper.
- On the upper front, form and secure pleats (depths directed towards the side edge). Attach the insert to the front, press seam allowances towards the insert and overlock.
- Form and secure inverted pleats on the front skirt. Stitch the upper and lower parts of the skirt, press seam allowances upwards and overlock.
- Stitch shoulder seams of sleeves, press seam allowances towards the back and overlock. Overlock the lower edge of the sleeve, fold inwards and topstitch. Attach sleeves to front and back, press seam allowances towards the sleeve and overlock.
- Stitch side seams, press seam allowances towards the back and overlock.
- Cut (if not ready-made) a bias binding 4 cm wide and a length equal to the length of the lower armhole + 4 cm. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise, right side out, and press. Place the binding with the armhole edge right side together and stitch, clip seam allowances. Fold the binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold onto the main piece. Press the seam.
- Cut (if not ready-made) a bias binding 4 cm wide and a length equal to the neckline length. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise, right side out, and press. Place the binding with the neckline edge right side together and stitch, clip seam allowances. Fold the binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold onto the main piece. Press the seam.
- Overlock the bottom edge of the garment, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
