Gathered Raglan Sleeve High-Low Dress
A long women's dress with raglan sleeves, a front gathered into the neckline and a high-low hem that is shorter at the front than at the back. The long sleeves are gathered into buttoned cuffs, and a separate self-fabric tie belt marks the waist.
When To Wear
- In spring and autumn, or on cool summer evenings, thanks to the long sleeves.
- For daytime events and dinners, with the belt tied at the front.
- With ankle boots or flat sandals that show off the shorter front hem.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Loose through the body and flaring towards the hem; the waist is shaped only by the tie belt, with no waist seam.
Length: High-low hem, below the knee at the front and longer at the back.
Neckline: Round neckline finished with a fused facing; the front is cut in one piece on the fold and gathered along its upper edge.
Sleeves: Long raglan sleeves, gathered at the lower edge into a narrow cuff; the sleeve opening is bound with a 4 cm bias strip.
Closure: Centre back slit at the neck, topstitched 0.1–0.2 cm from the edge, fastened with one button and a rouleau loop; one button on each cuff.
Back: Two back pieces with a centre back seam from the slit to the hem.
Waist: Separate tie belt, sewn and turned, tied at the front.
Finishing: Raglan and side seams pressed and overlocked; hem folded and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Gathering the front and sleeve edges, binding a sleeve opening with bias strip, making a rouleau loop and setting it into a faced neckline, attaching cuffs.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics made from natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (cuffs, neckline facing)
- 3 buttons
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Back - 2 pieces
- Front - 1 piece with a fold
- Sleeve - 2 pieces
- Cuff - 2 pieces
- Neckline facing - 2 pieces
- Belt - 1 piece
- From fusible interfacing:
- Cuff - 2 pieces
- Neckline facing - 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- Fuse interfacing to the designated pieces.
- Finish the raw edges of the center back separately. Stitch the center back seam from the slit mark to the bottom. Press the seam allowances open. Topstitch along the slit at 0.1-0.2 cm from the edge.
- Along the upper edge of the front, stitch with a loosened upper thread and gather.
- Make a slit on the sleeve along the marked line. Cut a bias strip from the main fabric 4 cm wide and a length equal to twice the slit length +4 cm. Fold the bias strip in half lengthwise, right sides together, and press. Press the outer seam allowances towards the center. Finish the sleeve slit with the bias strip.
- Attach the sleeves to the back, press seam allowances towards the back and finish the edges. Attach the sleeves to the front, press seam allowances towards the front and finish the edges.
- Stitch the side seams simultaneously with the sleeve seam, press seam allowances and finish the edges.
- Cut a bias strip 2.5 cm wide and 5 cm long for the rouleau loop. Fold the strip in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch at 0.3 cm from the fold. Trim seam allowances close to the stitching, turn the strip right side out and shape the rouleau. Adjust the loop length.
- Place the neckline facing pieces right sides together and stitch along the neckline edge and the center back seam, inserting the rouleau loop. Clip seam allowances at curves, turn right side out and press. Stitch the outer side of the facing to the neckline, press the seam allowance towards the facing. Fold the seam allowance of the inner side inwards by 1 cm and topstitch into the attachment seam.
- Place the cuff pieces right sides together and stitch the side edges. Start and end the stitching precisely at the marked line of the cuff attachment seam. Turn the piece right side out and press. Along the lower edge of the sleeve, stitch with a loosened thread and gather. Attach the outer side of the cuff to the sleeve, fold the seam allowance of the inner side of the cuff inwards and topstitch into the attachment seam of the outer cuff.
- Finish the lower edge of the garment. Press seam allowances to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Make buttonholes on the cuffs, sew on buttons. Sew a button on the left side of the facing.
- Fold the belt piece in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and stitch along the edges, leaving an opening for turning. Turn the belt right side out and press. Close the opening.
