Pintuck Shirtdress with Cap Sleeves

Sleeveless Shirt Dress with Waist Pintucks

A women's sleeveless shirt dress with a shirt collar on a stand, a full-length button front with separate plackets, vertical pintucks at the waist on the front and back, and a hem curved up at the sides.

When To Wear

• In summer on its own, with sandals or flat shoes.
• For the office in warm weather, with a belt or a light cardigan.

Key Design Features

Silhouette: Semi-fitted, drawn in at the waist by pintucks.

Collar: Shirt collar on a separate stand, both interfaced, collar edge topstitched 0.1 cm.

Sleeves: Sleeveless; armholes finished with a 4 cm bias strip folded in half and topstitched to the inside, or bound with bias binding.

Front: Two fronts with vertical pintucks at the waist, pressed toward the centre and topstitched 0.1 to 0.2 cm from the seam.

Closure: Buttons down the whole length of the front on interfaced plackets topstitched 0.1 cm from the edge, plus one button on the collar stand; 9 buttons in all.

Back: Two back pieces with a centre back seam and vertical waist pintucks like the front.

Finishing: Curved hem overlocked, turned up 1.5 cm and topstitched.

Level Of Difficulty

Intermediate. Collar on a stand, front plackets, even pintucks and bias-bound armholes.

Fabric Recommendations

Dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres.

Additional Supplies

• Fusible interfacing (collar, collar stand, front plackets)
• 9 buttons
• Bias binding for the armholes, or bias strips cut from the main fabric

Seam Allowances

No seam allowances by default. If the option to add them at €1 is chosen, the seams are 1.0 cm and hem allowance is 1.5 cm.

Please note:

A single contour on the pattern pieces means no seam allowances are included.

A double contour indicates seam allowances are included.

Cutter’s Must

From Main Fabric:

1. Back – 2 pieces
2. Front – 2 pieces
3. Front Placket – 2 pieces
4. Collar – 2 pieces
5. Stand Collar – 2 pieces

From Fusible Interfacing:

1. Collar – 1 piece
2. Stand Collar – 1 piece
3. Front Placket – 2 pieces

Important Information

Before cutting your fabric, print and lay out the paper patterns according to your fabric width (90–150 cm) to determine required yardage. Remember to account for paired and symmetrical pieces.

When sewing, pay close attention to all notches — they must match precisely to ensure correct construction and fit.

Assembly Instructions

1. Interfacing

Apply fusible interfacing to the designated pieces.

2. Back

Stitch the pleats on the Back from the wrong side.

Press the pleat folds toward the center and topstitch 0.1–0.2 cm from the dart seam.

Stitch the center back seam.

Press the seam allowances toward the left side and overlock.

3. Front

Stitch the pleats on the Front from the wrong side.

Press the pleat folds toward the center and topstitch 0.1–0.2 cm from the dart seam.

4. Front Plackets

Press the front plackets lengthwise in half, right side out.

Attach the inner side of each placket to the corresponding Front edge and press the seam allowances toward the placket.

Turn the raw edge of the outer placket inward and topstitch in the seam of attachment of the inner placket.

Topstitch 0.1 cm along the edge of the front opening.

5. Shoulder Seams

Stitch the shoulder seams.

Press the seam allowances toward the Back and overlock.

6. Armholes

Cut (if not using ready-made binding) a bias binding 4 cm wide and a length equal to the armhole circumference plus 4 cm.

Fold the bias binding lengthwise in half, right side out, and press.

Place the binding along the armhole edge, right sides together, and stitch.

Turn the binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold onto the garment.

Alternatively, the armholes may be finished with bias binding after trimming the seam allowances.

7. Side Seams

Stitch the side seams.

Press the seam allowances toward the Back and overlock.

8. Collar and Collar Stand

Place the collar pieces right sides together and stitch the ends and outer edge.

Trim the seam allowances at the corners.

Turn the collar right side out, shape, and press.

Topstitch 0.1 cm from the edge.

Place the collar stand pieces right sides together, insert the finished collar between them, and stitch, simultaneously stitching the ends of the collar stand.

Begin and end stitching exactly 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 in the seam of attachment.

9. Hem

Overlock the lower edge of the garment.

Press the hem allowance to the wrong side and topstitch.

10. Closures

Work buttonholes on the right Front and the Collar Stand.

Sew the corresponding buttons in place.