Buttoned Shirt Dress with Patch Pockets and Belt
A sleeveless women's midi dress with a waist seam, a stand collar and a bodice that buttons down to the waist with five buttons. The flared skirt has a centre front seam and large pockets caught into the waist and side seams; a belt with a buckle is worn through two belt loops.
When To Wear
- In summer for daytime wear in town, at the office or when travelling.
- Under a cardigan in spring.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted bodice, seam at the waist, flared skirt to below the knee.
Collar: Interfaced stand collar with rounded ends, with a buttonhole on the right end.
Sleeves: Sleeveless, with cut-in armholes finished with a 4 cm folded bias strip.
Front: Upper fronts with pleats at the neckline folded away from the centre and cut-on button plackets, right over left; five buttons on the collar stand and bodice.
Pockets: Large pockets on the front skirt: the opening edge is interfaced and finished with bias binding, the inner and lower edges are topstitched to the skirt, the upper and side edges are caught into the waist and side seams.
Back: Upper back with darts, joined to the lower back at the waist; centre back seam with an invisible zip.
Waist: Belt with a decorative buckle, held by two belt loops at the side seams.
Finishing: Overlocked seams; 1.5 cm hem turned up and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A cut-on button placket ending at the waist seam, an invisible zip, a stand collar and pockets built into the waist and side seams.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (collar stand, pocket openings)
- Invisible zip
- 5 buttons
- Decorative belt buckle
- Bias binding, 4 cm wide (or cut from the main fabric)
Cutter's Must
If the patterns have a double contour, seam allowances are included. If the contour is single, the patterns are without seam allowances. Seam allowances: all seams 1 cm; hem allowance – 1.5 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:
- Upper back - 2 pieces
- Lower back - 2 pieces
- Upper front — 2 pieces
- Lower front — 2 pieces
- Collar stand – 2 pieces
- Pocket – 2 pieces
- Belt loop – 1 piece
- Belt – 1 piece
- From fusible interfacing:
Sewing Instructions
- Interface the pieces with fusible interfacing.
- Stitch the darts on the upper back pieces, press the dart intakes towards the center. Stitch the upper and lower back pieces, press seam allowances upwards and overlock.
- Overlock the center back edges separately. Stitch the center back seam from the neckline edge to the first mark and from the second mark to the hem, press seam allowances open, pressing the zipper opening. Insert the concealed zipper.
- Fold and secure the pleats on the upper front pieces, pleat intakes directed away from the center. Overlock the vertical edge of the integrated placket, press the placket to the wrong side along the edge line. Lay the right front piece over the left, secure at the lower edge.
- Interface the pocket opening allowance with fusible interfacing. Cut (if not ready-made) a bias binding 4 cm wide and a length equal to the pocket opening length + 5cm. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise, right side out, and press. Place the binding with the pocket opening edge, right sides together, and stitch. Clip the allowances. Fold the binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold to the main piece. Press the seam. Overlock the middle and lower sides of the pocket, press to the wrong side. Place the pocket according to the markings on the front skirt and topstitch. Secure the upper and side edges of the pocket to the skirt edges.
- Stitch the center front lower seam, press seam allowances to the left side and overlock. Stitch the upper and lower front pieces, press seam allowances upwards and overlock.
- Stitch the side seams, press seam allowances towards the back and overlock.
- Cut (if not ready-made) a bias binding 4 cm wide and a length equal to the armhole length + 5cm. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise, right side out, and press. Place the binding with the armhole edge, right sides together, and stitch. Clip the allowances. Fold the binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold to the main piece. Press the seam.
- Fold the collar stand pieces right sides together and stitch the upper edge, starting and ending the stitching exactly at the marked collar stand attachment line. Clip the allowances at the curves, turn the collar stand right side out and press. Place the outer collar stand with the garment right sides together and attach to the front and back, matching the marks, press seam allowances towards the collar stand. Turn under the open edges of the inner collar stand to the wrong side and topstitch into the attachment seam of the outer collar stand.
- Overlock the lower edge of the garment, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
- On the right front and collar stand, make buttonholes, on the left – sew on 5 buttons.
- Overlock one long edge of the belt loop. Fold the belt loop in three layers and topstitch along the long sides. Cut the belt loop into 2 pieces. Topstitch the belt loops at the waist near the side seams.
- Fold the belt piece right sides together and stitch the long and one short edge. Trim allowances at the corners, turn the belt right side out, shape and press. Thread the buckle and secure it, turning under the unstitched section of the belt.
