Dress with Cuffed Sleeves and Tiered Flounces

Dress with Cuffed Sleeves and Tiered Flounces

A women's above-the-knee dress with a deep V-neck, a high waist inset band, a gathered skirt finished with two layered flounces, and long sleeves gathered into buttoned cuffs. Invisible zipper in the centre back seam.

When To Wear

• In spring and autumn for daytime events, with ankle boots or flat shoes.
• For dinners and family celebrations, with heels.

Key Design Features

Silhouette: Fitted bodice and inset band, skirt gathered below the band.

Length: Above the knee.

Neckline: Deep V-neck at the front, round neckline at the back. Finished with a facing turned to the inside and topstitched 1 cm from its outer edge.

Sleeves: Long set-in sleeves, gathered at the cap and at the lower edge. A short slit at the sleeve seam, topstitched 0.1 cm from the fold.

Closure: Invisible zipper in the centre back seam; two buttons on each cuff.

Front: Upper front cut on the fold, gathered along its lower edge into the front inset.

Back: Upper back with darts, joined to the back inset; centre back seam.

Waist: Inset band at the front and back, seamed between the bodice and the skirt.

Skirt: Lower front and lower back gathered into the inset band. Two flounces, an upper and a lower one, are laid together and stitched to the skirt in one seam, so the upper flounce sits over the lower one.

Finishing: Flounce hems turned and topstitched; cuffs interfaced, with buttonholes.

Level Of Difficulty

Intermediate. Gathering in several seams, an invisible zipper, a V-neck facing, sleeve slits and two-piece cuffs.

Fabric Recommendations

Dress fabrics made of natural or blended fibres.

Additional Supplies

• Fusible interfacing (cuffs, front and back neckline facings)
• Invisible zipper
• 4 buttons

Cutter’s Must

From main fabric:

• Upper Back – 2 pieces
• Back Inset – 2 pieces
• Lower Back – 2 pieces
• Lower Back Flounce – 1 piece on fold
• Upper Back Flounce – 1 piece on fold
• Upper Front – 1 piece on fold
• Front Inset – 1 piece
• Lower Front – 1 piece on fold
• Lower Front Flounce – 1 piece on fold
• Upper Front Flounce – 1 piece on fold
• Sleeve – 2 pieces
• Cuff – 4 pieces
• Back Neckline Facing – 2 pieces
• Front Neckline Facing – 1 piece

From fusible interfacing:

• Cuff – 2 pieces
• Back Neckline Facing – 2 pieces
• Front Neckline Facing – 1 piece

Important Information

First of all, print the paper patterns and lay them out on the fabric width (fabric width may be from 90 cm to 150 cm) in order to determine how much material you will need (do not forget to consider paired and symmetrical pieces).

When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches – they must match.

Sewing Instructions

1. Fuse interfacing to the Cuff, Back Neckline Facing and Front Neckline Facing pieces.
2. Stitch the darts on the Upper Back pieces, press them toward the centers of the pieces. Stitch the Back Inset to the Upper Back, press seam allowances toward the inset and finish.
3. Along the upper edge of the Lower Back, sew a line with a loose thread and gather. Stitch the Lower Back to the Back Inset, press seam allowances upward and finish.
4. Finish separately the center edges of the back. Stitch the center back seam from the zipper mark to the bottom, press seam allowances open. Insert the invisible zipper.
5. Along the lower edge of the Upper Front, sew a line with a loose upper thread and gather. Stitch the Front Inset to the Upper Front, press seam allowances toward the inset and finish.
6. Along the upper edge of the Lower Front, sew a line with a loose thread and gather. Stitch the Lower Front to the Front Inset, press seam allowances upward and finish.
7. Stitch side and shoulder seams, press seam allowances toward the back and finish.
8. Stitch shoulder seams of the neckline facings, press seam allowances open. Finish the outer edge. Place the facing and the garment right sides together and stitch the neckline edge. Clip seam allowances on curves, trim the corner. Turn the facing to the wrong side, straighten, press. Topstitch the facing onto the garment, stepping back 1 cm from the outer edge of the facing.
9. Stitch the side seams of the Upper Back Flounce and Upper Front Flounce, and of the Lower Back Flounce and Lower Front Flounce. Press seam allowances open, finish. Place the upper flounce over the lower flounce, wrong side of the upper to right side of the lower, and secure along the upper edge. Stitch the flounces to the main garment, press seam allowances upward and finish.
10. Along the sleeve cap and lower edge of the sleeve, sew a line with a loose upper thread and gather. Finish separately the sleeve edges. Stitch the sleeve seam from the armhole to the slit mark, press seam allowances open. Topstitch the slit at 0.1 cm from the fold. Set in the sleeves into the armholes, press seam allowances and finish.
11. Place the Cuff pieces right sides together and stitch the side edges. Start and finish stitching exactly at the marked seam line of cuff attachment. Turn the pieces right side out, straighten, press. Stitch the outer side of the cuff to the sleeve, fold the seam allowance of the inner side of the cuff inward and topstitch into the seam of attaching the outer cuff.
12. Finish the lower edges of the flounces, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
13. Make buttonholes on the cuffs, sew on the buttons.