Princess Seam Tiered Sundress
Presenting a chic sundress pattern featuring a flattering halter neckline, princess-seamed bodice, and a flowing tiered maxi skirt.
When To Wear
This sundress is perfect for warm weather and offers versatile styling for:
- Summer Outings: Ideal for picnics, garden parties, or casual daytime events.
- Resort & Vacation Wear: a comfortable and stylish choice for beach holidays or sightseeing.
- Casual Gatherings: Easily dressed up or down for various relaxed social occasions.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: An a-line maxi sundress, fitted through the bodice and flowing into a relaxed tiered skirt.
Neckline: Halter style with a deep V-neck at the front.
Bodice: Shaped with flattering princess seams on both the front and back for a tailored fit.
Closure: An invisible zipper discreetly placed at the left side seam.
Skirt: Full, maxi-length skirt constructed with three gathered tiers for a flowing silhouette.
Back: Features an open back design with halter straps that tie at the neck.
Length: Maxi length, falling to the ankles.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Requires accurate princess seam construction, invisible zipper insertion, gathering techniques, and bias binding application.
Fabric Recommendations
Choose well-draping fabrics that offer comfort and a beautiful flow:
- Lightweight denim
- Linen blends
- Rayon
- Tencel
- Cotton blends
Additional Supplies
- Invisible zipper
- Elastic, 0.5 cm wide
- Twill tape, 4 cm wide, 80 cm long
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 the sundress bottom – 2 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 (don't forget to account for paired and symmetrical pieces). When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- From main fabric:
- Center back piece - 2 pieces
- Side back piece - 2 pieces
- Side front piece - 2 pieces
- Center front piece – 2 pieces
- Upper skirt front - 1 piece
- Upper skirt back – 2 pieces
- Middle skirt - 2 pieces
- Lower skirt - 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
- Stitch the princess seams of the front and back, press allowances towards the center, overlock. Topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam. Stitch the right side seam, overlock and press towards the back. Stitch the center back seam, overlock allowance and press to the left side.
- Cut a bias binding 4 cm wide to finish the neckline edge. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise, right side out, and press. Place the binding with the neckline edge right sides together and stitch, fold the binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold to the main piece. Press the seam.
- Stitch the center front seam. Overlock allowance and press to the left side. Topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Stitch the right side seam of the upper skirt. Overlock allowances and press towards the back. Along the upper edge of the upper skirt, stitch with loosely tensioned stitches and gather. Attach the upper skirt to the upper parts of the sundress. Overlock allowances and press upwards. Topstitch 0.5 cm.
- Overlock the left side seam. Stitch from the notch for the zipper downwards. Press the seam open, pressing the allowance for the fastener. Insert the zipper.
- Cut a bias binding 4 cm wide to finish the upper edge. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise, right side out, and press. Place the binding with the upper edge right sides together and stitch, fold the binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold to the main piece. Press the seam.
- Stitch the side seams of the middle and lower skirt panels. Press allowances towards the back, overlock. Along the upper edge of the middle and lower skirt, stitch with loosely tensioned stitches and gather. Attach the lower skirt panels to the middle panels. Overlock allowances and press upwards. Attach the lower of the sundress to the upper. Overlock edges and press.
- Press the hem allowance to the wrong side, fold inwards and topstitch.
- Attach the twill tape to the neckline with a French seam.
- Topstitch elastic 10 cm long to the wrong side of the upper back edge, stretching the elastic as you sew. The elastic is positioned in the middle of the piece.
