Keyhole Gathered Bodice Long Sleeve Midi Dress
A women's midi dress with a raised, V-shaped bodice seam, a gathered upper front, a stand collar fastened at the front with two rouleau loops and buttons above a keyhole opening, and long sleeves gathered into an elastic casing.
When To Wear
- In autumn and spring at the office or for daytime events.
- For dinners and family celebrations, with heeled shoes or ankle boots.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted bodice with a high seam line, flared skirt.
Length: Midi, below the knee.
Collar: Stand collar, interfaced, open at the centre front; two rouleau loops are caught into the collar ends and close over two buttons.
Neckline: Gathered front neckline with a keyhole opening at the centre front, finished with an interfaced facing.
Front: Upper front with princess seams and gathers along its lower edge, joined to the lower front with a seam that dips to a point at the centre. Separate side panels.
Sleeves: Long, set-in, full; the hem is turned twice by 2 cm to form a casing for 1.5 cm elastic.
Back: Upper back with darts and gathers, joined to the lower back with a horizontal seam; centre back seam with a concealed zip.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Gathers set into shaped seams, a pointed seam at the centre front, a faced keyhole, a stand collar with loops and a concealed zip.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics from natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (collar, front neckline facing)
- Concealed zip
- Elastic, 1.5 cm wide
- 2 buttons
Cutter's Must
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- From main fabric:
- Upper back - 2 pieces
- Lower back - 2 pieces
- Upper front - 1 piece on fold
- Side – 2 pieces
- Lower front – 1 piece on fold
- Collar – 1 piece
- Front neckline facing – 1 piece on fold
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Front neckline facing – 1 piece
- Collar – 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the designated pieces.
- Stitch darts on the upper back, press allowances towards the center. Along the upper back, stitch with loosened upper thread and gather. Stitch the upper and lower back parts, press allowances upwards and serge.
- Serge the center back edges separately on each piece. Stitch the center back seam from the mark to the lower edge, press allowances open. Insert the concealed zipper.
- Stitch the princess seams on the upper front, press allowances towards the center, serge. Along the lower edge of the upper front, stitch with loosened upper thread and gather. Stitch the upper and lower front parts, press allowances upwards and serge.
- Cut a bias strip 2.5 cm wide and 10 cm long for the loop. Fold the strip lengthwise in half, right sides together, and stitch 0.3 cm from the fold. Trim allowances close to the stitching, turn the strip right side out and shape the rouleau. Cut into two equal parts. Adjust loop lengths.
- Fold the collar lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch the short sides, inserting the loops. Start and end stitching strictly at the marked collar attachment line. Stitch the front neckline section between the marks. Clip allowances at the marks. Turn right side out and press.
- Serge the outer edge of the front facing. Along the front neckline, stitch with loosened upper thread and gather. Place the facing and garment right sides together and stitch the front neckline. Trim allowances to 0.5 cm, at the corner to 0.1 cm. Turn the facing to the wrong side, smooth and press. Secure pieces at shoulder seams.
- Stitch side and shoulder seams, press allowances towards the back and serge.
- Stitch the outer side of the collar to the neckline, press allowance towards the collar. Press the allowance of the inner side to the wrong side and topstitch into the collar attachment seam.
- Stitch the sleeve seam, press allowances towards the back and serge. Stitch sleeves into armholes, press allowances and serge.
- Fold the sleeve hem allowance inwards by 2 cm, then another 2 cm and topstitch, forming a casing. Adjust the length of the elastic tape, thread it through the casing and secure the ends.
- Serge the hem allowance of the dress, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Sew buttons onto the collar.
