Color Block Collared Dress Bishop Sleeves
A women's above-the-knee dress in two colours: the body in one fabric, the bishop sleeves, cuffs, shirt collar and half placket in the second. Darts front and back, concealed zipper in the centre back seam.
When To Wear
- For the office and daytime meetings in autumn and spring, with tights and ankle boots or pumps.
- For dinners and family celebrations, with the contrast between body and sleeves as the main detail.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Semi-fitted, shaped by bust and waist darts on the front and waist darts on the back.
Length: Above the knee.
Collar: Pointed shirt collar on a stand, topstitched 0.1 cm from the edge, buttoned at the stand.
Front: Cut on the fold, with a short buttoned half placket from the neck to the bust: the right placket with a stitched lower corner lies over the left and is topstitched to the front.
Closure: Concealed zipper in the centre back seam.
Sleeves: Long bishop sleeves, gathered at the cap and at the lower edge into buttoned cuffs, with a topstitched slit at the cuff.
Back: Two pieces with a centre back seam and waist darts.
Finishing: Seams overlocked; hem turned 2 cm and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A two-part half placket, a collar on a stand, a concealed zipper, gathered sleeves with slits and cuffs.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres with added elastane, in two related or contrasting colours.
Additional Supplies
- Contrast fabric (sleeves, cuffs, collar, collar stand, plackets)
- Fusible interfacing (plackets, collar, collar stand, cuffs)
- Concealed zipper
- 8 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. Hem allowance – 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). When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
From main fabric:
- Back - 2 pieces
- Front – 1 piece on fold
From main fabric 1:
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Right placket – 1 piece
- Left placket – 1 piece
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Collar stand – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
From fusible interlining:
- Right placket – 1 piece
- Left placket – 1 piece
- Collar – 1 piece
- Collar stand – 1 piece
- Cuff – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interlining to the designated pieces.
- Stitch darts on back pieces, press allowances towards the center. Serge the center back edges separately. Stitch the center back seam from the top to the first zipper mark and from the second zipper mark to the bottom. Press allowances open. Insert the concealed zipper.
- Stitch darts on the front. Press bust dart allowances upwards, waist darts towards the center.
- Stitch side and shoulder seams. Press allowances towards the back and serge.
- Left placket: Fold the placket piece right side out and press. Serge the long and bottom edges of the placket. Attach the placket to the right side of the front, stopping 1 cm from the bottom. Clip the front allowance at the corner, stopping 1 mm from the stitching line. Tuck the end of the placket inwards.
- Right placket: Fold the placket in half lengthwise right sides together and stitch the bottom corner. Clip the placket allowance at the corner. Trim allowances, turn the placket right side out and press. Serge the long edge of the placket. Attach the placket to the right side of the front, stopping 1 cm from the bottom. Clip the front allowance at the corner, stopping 1 mm from the stitching line. Smooth out the placket corner on the right side.
- Overlap the right placket over the left, and topstitch the corner onto the front, securing the left placket.
- Fold collar pieces right sides together, stitch the ends and outer edge. Trim allowances at corners. Turn collar right side out, shape and press. Topstitch 0.1 cm from the edge. Fold collar stand pieces right sides together, insert the finished collar between them and stitch, simultaneously stitching the ends of the collar stand. Start and end stitching precisely at the marked collar stand attachment line. Turn the finished collar right side out and press. Attach the outer collar stand to the neckline, turn under the raw edge of the inner collar stand and topstitch into the attachment seam.
- Serge sleeve edges separately. Stitch the sleeve seam from the top to the slit mark. Press allowance open. Topstitch along the slit 0.3 cm from the edge. Along the sleeve cap, stitch with loosened upper thread and gather. Set sleeves into armholes. Serge and press allowance. Along the bottom of the sleeve, stitch with loosened upper thread and gather.
- Fold the cuff in half lengthwise right sides together and stitch the short sides. Turn the cuff right side out, shape and press. Attach the outer side of the cuff to the sleeve, turn under the allowance of the inner cuff and topstitch into the attachment seam of the outer cuff.
- Serge the bottom edge of the garment. Press allowance to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Serge buttonholes and sew buttons on the placket, cuffs, and collar stand.
