Gathered Sweetheart Neck Cap Sleeve Dress

Name: Gathered Sweetheart Neck Cap Sleeve Dress
Brand: Minerva Patterns
SKU: 2173
Price: 5.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

Pattern #2173

A women's below-knee dress with a fitted bodice, a sweetheart-shaped neckline edged with a double neckline band, gathers along the centre front seam, cap sleeves, a waist seam and a flared skirt. Invisible zip in the centre back. Drafted to your own measurements. Recommended fabric: dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres that drape well.

Tech. Description

Sweetheart Neck Gathered Bodice Dress

When To Wear

In summer for parties, weddings as a guest and other daytime events.
With a short cardigan or jacket on cooler days.

Key Design Features

Silhouette: Fitted bodice with darts in the front and back, waist seam and a flared skirt.

Length: Below the knee.

Neckline: Wide neckline with a dip at the centre front, edged with a band made of two layers of interfaced facing, stitched to the neckline and stitched in the ditch on the inside.

Front: Centre front seam in the upper front, gathered from a mark up to the neckline to the length of a control template supplied with the pattern; lower front cut in one piece on the fold.

Sleeves: Short cap sleeves covering the top of the armhole, hemmed and set in; the lower part of the armhole is finished with a 4 cm bias strip.

Back: Upper and lower back joined at the waist, centre back seam with an invisible zip.

Skirt: Flared skirt with soft folds, cut as one front piece and two back pieces.

Finishing: Hem turned up 2 cm and topstitched; sleeve hems 1.2 cm.

Level Of Difficulty

Intermediate. Controlled gathers on a centre front seam, a double neckline band, cap sleeves with bias-bound underarms and an invisible zip.

Fabric Recommendations

Dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres that drape well.

Additional Supplies

Invisible zip
Fusible interfacing (neckline band)

Cutter's Must

If the patterns have a double contour, seam allowances are included. If the contour is single, the patterns are without seam allowances. Seam allowances: All seams – 1.0 cm; hem allowance – 2.0 cm; sleeve hem allowance – 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 (don't forget to account for paired and symmetrical pieces).

From main fabric:
- Upper Back – 2 pieces
- Upper Front – 2 pieces
- Lower Back – 2 pieces
- Lower Front – 1 piece on fold
- Neckline Facing – 4 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
From fusible interfacing:
- Neckline Facing – 2 pieces

Control Pattern Block – not cut; used as a template to gather the center front seam to the correct length.

Sewing Instructions

When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match! Try to observe the grain line direction.

Fuse interfacing to the facings.
Stitch darts on the front and back. Trim dart allowances with an overlocker and press towards the center.
Stitch the Upper Back to the Lower Back. Press the allowance upwards and overlock.
Overlock the center front edges. Sew gathering stitches along the center front edges from the mark to the top and gather them to the length of the Control Pattern Block. Stitch the center front seam, ending the stitching exactly at the marked neckline band seam line. Press the allowance open.
Stitch the Upper Front to the Lower Front. Overlock the allowance and press upwards.
Stitch shoulder and side seams. Overlock allowances and press towards the back.
Place the Neckline Facing pieces right sides together in pairs and stitch the outer edge. Clip allowances on curves, turn right side out and press. Stitch the outer layer of the band to the neckline. Press the allowance towards the band. Turn under the allowance of the inner layer and stitch it in the ditch of the band seam.
Overlock the center back edges separately. Stitch the center back seam from the zipper mark to the hem. Insert the invisible zipper.
Overlock the lower edge of the sleeve, fold the allowance inwards and topstitch. Set sleeves into armholes, press allowances and overlock.
Cut a bias strip 4 cm wide and as long as the lower (underarm) part of the armhole + 6 cm. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise, right side out, and press. Place the binding on the right side of the armhole, raw edges together and with tails extending at both ends, and stitch. Fold the binding to the wrong side, clip the seams, and topstitch along the fold onto the main piece. Press the seam.
Overlock the hem allowance, press inwards and topstitch.