Draped Neck Belted Sheath Dress

Name: Draped Neck Belted Sheath Dress
Brand: Minerva Patterns
SKU: 4004
Price: 5.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

Pattern #4004

A women's knee-length sheath dress with a cowl neckline, short set-in sleeves and a wide waist panel carrying belt loops for a 2 cm leather belt. The back has a centre seam with an invisible zipper and a lapped vent at the hem. Drafted to your own measurements. Recommended fabric: lightweight suiting or dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres.

Tech. Description

Draped Neck Belted Sheath Dress

When To Wear

For the office and business meetings, worn with the belt.
In warm weather on its own, in cooler weather under a jacket or cardigan.

Key Design Features

Silhouette: Fitted sheath, cut across into upper, waist and lower sections at front and back; darts in the upper and lower back and the lower front.

Length: Knee length.

Neckline: Cowl at the front: the upper front is cut in one piece with a 6 cm allowance along its top edge, which wraps around the back shoulder seam. Round back neckline finished with interfaced facings.

Sleeves: Short, one-piece, set-in.

Waist: Wide waist panel at front and back, with belt loops stitched on for a leather belt.

Back: Centre back seam with an invisible zipper; lapped vent at the hem, interfaced and secured with machine stitching from the right side.

Finishing: Dress hem blind-stitched by hand; sleeve hems turned and topstitched.

Level Of Difficulty

Intermediate. A cowl neckline wrapped into the shoulder seams, an invisible zipper and a lapped back vent.

Fabric Recommendations

Lightweight suiting or dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres.

Additional Supplies

Invisible zipper
Fusible interfacing (back neck facings, vent)
Leather belt, 2 cm wide

Cutter's Must

If the patterns have a double contour, they include seam allowances. If the contour is single, the patterns do not include seam allowances. Seam allowances: all seams 1 cm; hem allowance for dress bottom – 2.0 cm; sleeve hem – 1.5 cm; allowance along the vent and along the upper edge of the upper front – 6 cm. Attention! First, print out the paper patterns and lay them out on the fabric width (fabric width can be from 90 cm to 150 cm) to determine how much material you will need (do not forget to account for paired and symmetrical pieces).

From main fabric:
- Upper back - 2 pieces
- Middle back - 2 pieces
- Lower back - 2 pieces
- Upper front – 1 piece
- Middle front - 1 piece
- Lower front - 1 piece
- Sleeve - 2 pieces
- Back neckline facing - 2 pieces
- Belt loop – 1 piece

Sewing Instructions

When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!

Fuse the back neckline facing with fusible interfacing.
Stitch darts on the upper and lower back pieces. Press darts towards the center seam. Attach the middle back to the upper back, press allowances down and overlock. Attach the lower back to the middle back, press allowances up and overlock.
On the left lower back, trim 5 cm along the vertical edge of the vent. On both lower back pieces, fuse the vent from the wrong side. On the right side, mark the center seam line (vent fold line). Press the left along the vent fold line; on the right, press only the allowance of the right side of the vent (6 cm) to the wrong side. Align the pieces along the center seam and secure at the upper edge of the vent. Overlock the center back edge separately on each piece. Overlock the vent allowances. Stitch the center back edge from the zipper mark to the vent corner. Clip the corner of the vent seam allowance on the right. Press open the center seam allowances, press the vent allowances and secure them on the right side with machine stitching. Insert the zipper.
Stitch darts on the lower front piece. Press darts towards the center of the piece. Attach the middle front to the upper front, press allowances down and overlock. Attach the lower front to the middle front, press allowances up and overlock.
Stitch side seams, press allowances towards the back and overlock.
Overlock the outer edges of the back neckline facings and the allowance of the upper front edge. Face the back neckline edge with the facing. Clip allowances at curves, turn facings to the right side, and press. Fold under the allowance of the center facing edge and attach it to the zipper tape.
Stitch shoulder seams, catching the back neckline facing and enclosing the back shoulder edge with the allowance of the upper front edge. Overlock allowances, turn right side out.
Overlock the lower sleeve edge, press to the wrong side and topstitch. Stitch the sleeve seam. Press allowances and overlock. Set sleeves into armholes, matching notches. Press allowances and overlock.
Overlock the hem allowance of the dress bottom, press to the wrong side and hem with blind stitches.
Fold the belt loop in half lengthwise, right sides together, align edges and stitch 0.5-0.7 cm from the edges. Then turn right side out, straighten the seam, positioning it on the fold, and press. Cut belt loops to size and topstitch according to markings. Insert a 2 cm wide leather strap.