Fitted Dress with Stand Collar

Fitted Dress with Stand Collar

A women's fitted dress of above-knee length with a stand collar, a narrow slit opening at the front neckline tied with a cord, and three-quarter set-in sleeves. The front is cut in one piece on the fold; the back has a centre seam with an invisible zipper.

When To Wear

• At the office and for everyday wear in spring and autumn.
• With tights and ankle boots or court shoes in cooler weather.

Key Design Features

Silhouette: Fitted, shaped by bust and waist darts on the front and darts on the back.

Length: Above the knee.

Collar: Two-piece stand collar, the inner stand stitched into the seam of the outer stand.

Neckline: A narrow slit at the centre front finished with a faced and topstitched edge; a decorative cord is caught into the seam on each side and tied in a bow.

Sleeves: Three-quarter length, one-piece, set into the armholes.

Back: Two pieces with a centre back seam; invisible zipper set into the seam.

Finishing: The tie is made from a 4 cm wide strip, 90–100 cm long, folded and edge-stitched, then cut in two. Hems of the dress and sleeves turned up and stitched.

Level Of Difficulty

Intermediate. An invisible zipper, a faced slit neckline with cord ties caught in the seam, and a two-piece stand collar.

Fabric Recommendations

Dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres.

Additional Supplies

• Fusible interfacing (front neckline facing)
• Invisible zipper
• Ready-made cord, or a fabric strip 4 cm wide and 90–100 cm long for the ties

Cutter’s Must

From main fabric:

1. Back – 2 pieces
2. Front – 1 piece on fold
3. Sleeve – 2 pieces
4. Stand collar – 2 pieces
5. Front neckline facing – 1 piece

From fusible interfacing:

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. Interface the pieces with fusible interfacing.
2. Stitch darts on the back pieces. Press the dart intake toward the center.
3. Finish separately the center edges of the back. Stitch the center back seam from the neckline to the upper mark and from the zipper mark to the bottom, press seam allowances open. Insert the zipper.
4. Stitch darts on the front pieces. Press the bust darts upward, the waist darts toward the center.
5. Cut (if not ready-made) a strip 4 cm wide and 90–100 cm long. Fold the strip lengthwise in the middle with the right side outward and press. Fold the long edges inward and press. Stitch a securing seam. Cut the cord into two equal parts.
6. Finish the outer edge of the front neckline facing. Place the facing and the front right sides together and stitch the neckline, inserting the decorative cord. Clip seam allowances on curves and at the corner, turn the pieces right side out, straighten, press. Topstitch along the neckline. Secure the seam allowances of the neckline and facing. Then treat as one piece.
7. Stitch shoulder and side seams, press seam allowances toward the back and finish.
8. Place the collar pieces right sides together and stitch the upper and side edges, start and finish the stitching exactly at the marked line of attachment. Clip seam allowances on curves, trim corners, turn the collar right side out and press.
9. Place the outer collar and the garment right sides together and stitch to the front and back, matching marks, press seam allowances toward the collar. Fold the open edges of the inner collar to the wrong side and stitch into the seam of attaching the outer collar.
10. Secure the facing to the main garment at the shoulder seams and the zipper tape.
11. Stitch the sleeve seam, finish seam allowances and press toward the back. Set in the sleeves into the armholes. Finish seam allowances and press.
12. Finish the lower edge of the garment and sleeves, press to the wrong side and stitch.