Wrap Dress with Cascading Front Flounce
A women's midi wrap dress with a V-neck, a bodice gathered at the shoulders and waist, a curved flounce along the wrap edge of the skirt and long gathered sleeves with buttoned cuffs. A separate belt ties at the side.
When To Wear
- Spring and early autumn, with heeled sandals or ankle boots.
- Daytime celebrations, dinners and office days with a jacket or cardigan.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted at the waist seam, with a flared wrap skirt.
Length: Midi, below the knee.
Neckline: V-neck formed by the crossover fronts; the upper fronts have a cut-on facing, the back neckline is bound with bias binding.
Front: Upper fronts gathered at the shoulder seam and at the waist seam. The wrap is held by an outer and an inner button with buttonholes on the fronts, and by a tie belt.
Sleeves: Long set-in sleeves, gathered at the cap and at the wrist; a slit finished with bias binding and a buttoned cuff.
Back: Upper back cut on the fold and gathered into a waist seam; lower back cut on the fold with a gathered flounce tier at the hem.
Skirt: Lower fronts with a flounce sewn along the curved wrap edge, running down to the hem.
Waist: Horizontal waist seam; belt cut as one piece, stitched and turned, opening closed by hand.
Finishing: 1.2 cm hem, overlocked, turned and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Gathering in several seams, bias-bound neckline and sleeve slits, gathered sleeve caps, cuffs, a wrap closure with an inner button.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics with good drape, made from natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (cuffs, front facings)
- 4 buttons (outer and inner wrap buttons, cuffs)
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: all seams 1 cm; hem allowance for the dress bottom – 1.2 cm. Attention! First, print out the paper patterns and lay them out on the fabric width (fabric width can be from 90cm to 150cm) to determine how much material you will need (do not forget to account for paired and symmetrical pieces).
- From main fabric:
- Upper back – 1 piece on fold
- Lower back – 1 piece on fold
- Back ruffle – 1 piece on fold
- Upper front – 2 pieces
- Lower front – 2 pieces
- Front ruffle – 2 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- Belt – 1 piece
- From fusible interfacing:
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- Cut-on front facing of the upper front – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- Interface the cuffs and the one-piece front facing of the upper front with fusible interfacing.
- Cut a bias binding strip 4 cm wide and a length equal to the back neckline length + 4 cm. Fold the bias binding strip in half lengthwise, right side out, and press. Place the binding strip along the back neckline edge, right side, extending the ends, and stitch. Fold the binding strip to the wrong side, clip the seams, and topstitch along the fold onto the main piece. Press the seam.
- Serge the edge of the one-piece front facing of the upper front. Along the upper edge of the upper front, stitch with loosened upper thread and gather. Stitch shoulder seams, placing the back between the front and the facing. Press seam allowances towards the back and serge. Turn the facing to the wrong side, straighten, and press. Secure to the main piece along the lower edge.
- Along the lower edge of the upper back, stitch with loosened upper thread and gather. Stitch the upper and lower back parts, press seam allowances upwards and serge. Attach the back ruffle to the lower back, press seam allowances upwards and serge.
- Along the lower edge of the upper front, stitch with loosened upper thread and gather. Stitch the upper and lower front parts, press seam allowances upwards and serge. Attach the front ruffle to the lower front, press seam allowances upwards and serge.
- Make a slit on the sleeve along the marked line. Cut a bias binding strip from the main fabric 4 cm wide and a length equal to twice the slit length + 4 cm. Fold the binding strip in half lengthwise and press. Press outer seam allowances towards the center. Finish the sleeve slit with bias binding.
- Along the sleeve cap, stitch with loosened upper thread and gather. Set the sleeve into the open armhole, press seam allowances and serge.
- Stitch side seams, simultaneously with the sleeve seam, press seam allowances towards the back and serge.
- Along the lower edge of the sleeve, stitch with loosened upper thread and gather. Fold the cuff in half lengthwise, right side in, and stitch the short sides. Start stitching strictly at the marked line for attaching the cuff to the sleeve. Turn the cuff right side out and press. Attach the outer side of the cuff to the bottom of the sleeve, turn under the inner side of the cuff and topstitch into the attachment seam.
- Serge the hem allowance of the garment bottom, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Make buttonholes on the front. Sew on the outer and inner buttons. Make buttonholes and sew on buttons on the cuffs.
- Fold the belt in half lengthwise, right side in, and stitch, leaving an opening on the long side for turning. Turn the belt right side out, straighten, and press. Hand-stitch the opening closed.
