Sleeveless Maxi Jeans Dress with Front Zipper

Sleeveless Maxi Jeans Dress with Front Zipper

A women's sleeveless maxi dress in denim or dense dress fabric, fitted at the bust and waist and flared to the hem, with three panels on each side of the front and back and a separating zip at the centre front. All panel seams are topstitched 0.7 cm.

When To Wear

• In summer on its own, with sandals or trainers.
• In spring and autumn over a T-shirt or thin jumper.

Key Design Features

Silhouette: Fitted through the bodice, flaring from the waist to the hem through the panel seams.

Length: Maxi, to the ankle.

Neckline: Round neckline finished with interfaced front and back neckline facings, tacked to the zip tape.

Sleeves: Sleeveless; armholes bound with a 4 cm bias strip folded in half, turned to the inside and topstitched along the fold.

Closure: Separating zip in the centre front seam, topstitched 0.5 cm from the zip.

Front: Centre front, middle front and side front panels on each side.

Back: Centre back, middle back and side back panels on each side, with a centre back seam.

Finishing: Panel seams and the centre back seam topstitched 0.7 cm; hem turned up and topstitched.

Level Of Difficulty

Intermediate. Long panel seams with even topstitching in denim, a separating zip, a faced neckline and bound armholes.

Fabric Recommendations

Dense dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres; denim.

Additional Supplies

• Fusible interfacing (neckline facings)
• Separating zip
• Bias binding 4 cm wide, ready-made or cut from the main fabric

Cutter’s Must

From main fabric:

• Center Back – 2 pieces
• Middle Back – 2 pieces
• Side Back – 2 pieces
• Center Front – 2 pieces
• Middle Front – 2 pieces
• Side Front – 2 pieces
• Back Neckline Facing – 1 piece
• Front Neckline Facing – 2 pieces

From fusible interfacing:

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

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 Back Neckline Facing and Front Neckline Facing.
2. Stitch the panel seams of the back (Center Back, Middle Back, Side Back), press seam allowances toward the center, finish. Topstitch along the seams at 0.7 cm.
3. Stitch the center back seam, press seam allowances to the left side, finish. Topstitch along the seam at 0.7 cm.
4. Finish the center front edges of the Center Front pieces. Insert the separating zipper. Topstitch along the zipper at a distance of 0.5 cm.
5. Stitch the panel seams of the front (Center Front, Middle Front, Side Front), press seam allowances toward the center, finish. Topstitch along the seams at 0.7 cm.
6. Stitch shoulder seams, press seam allowances toward the back and finish.
7. 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, turn the facings to the wrong side and press. Tack the facings to the shoulder seams and the zipper tape.
8. Cut (if not ready-made) a bias strip 4 cm wide and length equal to the armhole length + 4 cm. Fold the bias strip lengthwise in the middle with the right side outward and press. Place the strip on the armhole edge on the right side of the garment and stitch, fold the strip to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold onto the main piece.
9. Stitch the side seams, press seam allowances toward the back and finish.
10. Finish the hem allowance of the garment, press to the wrong side and topstitch.