Maxi Shirt Dress
A women's ankle-length shirt dress with a waist seam, a shirt collar on a stand and a six-button placket on the bodice. Below the waist the skirt is open at the centre front and shaped with inverted pleats; ties set into the side seams knot at the back.
When To Wear
- Spring and summer days, with flat sandals or trainers.
- To the office, with a light jacket or cardigan over it.
- Over slim trousers or leggings, which show through the open front of the skirt as you walk.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted bodice with darts at the front and back, joined at the waist to a long skirt with inverted pleats on the front and back.
Length: Maxi, to the ankle.
Collar: Shirt collar on a separate stand; the collar is topstitched along its edge.
Sleeves: Set-in, elbow length, with one underarm seam and a folded band cuff topstitched 0.2–0.5 cm from the edge.
Front: Separate two-layer plackets on the bodice with six buttons and buttonholes, topstitched 0.2–0.5 cm from the edge. Below the waist the centre front edges of the skirt are left open, double-turned by 1 cm and topstitched.
Back: Centre back seam through the bodice and the skirt, darts on the upper back.
Waist: Horizontal waist seam; two ties, stitched and turned, are caught in the side seams and tied at the back.
Finishing: Seams overlocked; hem overlocked, turned up and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A collar on a stand, two-layer plackets that enclose the top of the open skirt at the waist seam, set-in sleeves with band cuffs, inverted pleats.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics made of natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (collar, stand, cuffs, plackets, ties)
- 6 buttons
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; center front edge of the Lower Front – 2 cm; hem allowance – 2 cm. First print the paper patterns and lay them out on the fabric width (90–150 cm) to determine how much fabric you need (remember paired and symmetrical pieces). When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- From main fabric:
- Upper Back – 2 pieces
- Lower Back – 2 pieces
- Upper Front – 2 pieces
- Lower Front – 2 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Stand Collar – 2 pieces
- Placket – 4 pieces
- Waistband (tie) – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Collar – 1 piece
- Stand Collar – 1 piece
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- Placket – 2 pieces
- Waistband (tie) – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
- Interface the pieces with fusible interfacing.
- Fold each Waistband (tie) piece lengthwise with right sides together and stitch the long side and one short side. Trim seam allowances at corners, turn right side out, and press.
- Stitch the darts on the Upper Back pieces. Stitch the center back seam of the upper back, press allowances to the left and serge. Stitch the center back seam of the Lower Back pieces, press allowances to the left and serge.
- Stitch the darts on the Upper Front pieces, trim the depth with an overlock machine and press towards the center.
- Stitch the side and shoulder seams of the upper back and front, inserting the ties into the side seams. Press allowances towards the back and serge.
- Attach the outer Placket to each Upper Front, press allowances towards the placket.
- Fold the center front edge of each Lower Front inwards twice by 1 cm and topstitch. Stitch the side seams of the Lower Back and Lower Front, press allowances towards the back and serge.
- Fold and secure the inverted pleats on the Lower Front and Lower Back. Stitch the upper and lower sections of the front and back together at the waist. Serge the allowance and press upwards. The placket overlaps the skirt by half its width at the waist seam.
- Serge the inner edge of the placket. Place the inner placket onto the outer placket with right sides together and stitch the outer edge. Stitch the lower edge, enclosing the top of the skirt between the placket pieces. Clip allowances, trim corners, turn plackets right side out and press. Topstitch the inner edge of the inner placket into the seam of the outer placket attachment. Topstitch along the plackets 0.2 – 0.5 cm from the edge.
- Place the collar pieces right sides together and stitch the ends and the outer edge. Trim allowances, turn the collar right side out, shape and press. Topstitch along the contour. Place the Stand Collar pieces right sides together and stitch, inserting the collar. Start and end the stitching exactly at the marked line for attaching the collar stand to the neckline. Trim allowances, turn the collar stand right side out and press.
- Attach the outer collar stand to the neckline, press allowances towards the collar stand. Fold the edge of the inner collar stand inwards and topstitch into the attachment seam.
- Stitch the sleeve seam. Serge the allowance and press towards the back. Set the sleeves into the armholes, press allowances and serge.
- Stitch each Cuff into a ring. Fold the cuff lengthwise in half with right side out and press. Attach the outer side of the cuff to the sleeve, fold the allowance of the inner side of the cuff inwards and topstitch into the seam of the outer cuff attachment. Topstitch along the cuff 0.2 – 0.5 cm from the edge.
- Serge the bottom edge of the garment, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Make buttonholes and sew buttons onto the plackets.
