Sheath Dress Asymmetrical Neckline Draped Front
A women's knee-length sheath dress with an asymmetric front: a vertical panel seam, pleats fanning out from it across the left front, and a two-part pointed collar. Short set-in sleeves, princess-seamed back with a concealed zipper and a vent.
When To Wear
- For the office and business meetings, on its own or under a jacket.
- For daytime events, lunches and dinners in spring and summer.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted sheath.
Length: Around the knee.
Collar: Two separate pointed collar pieces, each made of two layers: the right collar is sewn into the front panel seam, the left collar into the neckline and the left shoulder seam. The neckline is finished with interfaced facings and topstitched 0.1 cm from the seam.
Front: Left and right fronts joined by an off-centre vertical seam; the left front has a series of pleats laid along this seam, all with their inner folds turned down.
Sleeves: Short set-in cap sleeves; armhole seams bound with a 3.5 cm bias strip.
Back: Centre back seam and princess seams; centre back vent with a 6 cm allowance, interfaced.
Closure: Concealed zipper in the centre back seam.
Finishing: Dress hem 3 cm, hand-finished with blind stitches; sleeve hems 1.5 cm, topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Pleats laid to marks, an asymmetric collar set into different seams, a back vent, a concealed zipper, neckline facings and bound armhole seams.
Fabric Recommendations
Silk dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Concealed zipper
- Fusible interfacing (neckline facings, vent)
- Bias strip 3.5 cm wide for the armhole seams
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: hem allowance for the dress – 3.0 cm; hem allowance for the sleeve – 1.5 cm; allowance along the vent – 6 cm; other seams 1 cm. Attention! First, print out the paper patterns and lay them out on the fabric width (fabric width can be from 90cm to 150cm) to determine how much material you will need (do not forget to account for paired and symmetrical pieces). Markings on the patterns are on the right side.
- From main fabric:
- Left Front – 1 piece
- Right Front – 1 piece
- Center Back – 2 pieces
- Side Back – 2 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Left Collar – 2 pieces
- Right Collar – 2 pieces
- Back Neckline Facing – 2 pieces
- Left Front Neckline Facing – 1 piece
- Right Front Neckline Facing – 1 piece
- From fusible interfacing:
- Back Neckline Facing – 2 pieces
- Left Front Neckline Facing – 1 piece
- Right Front Neckline Facing – 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match! Markings on the patterns are on the right side.
- Fuse interfacing to the Back Neckline Facing, Left Front Neckline Facing and Right Front Neckline Facing.
- On the left Center Back piece, trim 5 cm along the vertical edge of the vent. On both Center Back pieces, fuse interfacing to the vent from the wrong side. On the right side, mark the center seam line (the fold line of the vent). Press the left piece along the vent fold line; on the right piece, 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 seam from the zipper notch to the vent corner. Clip the corner of the vent seam allowance on the right piece. Press open the center seam allowances, press the vent allowances and secure them with machine stitching. Insert the zipper from the top edge to the notch.
- Stitch the back panel seams (Center Back to Side Back), press allowances towards the center and overlock.
- On the Left Front, fold and secure the pleats along the panel seam as follows: start from the bottom pleat and form all of them on the right side. Join the two bottom marks together, directing the resulting inner fold downwards. Pin the pleat. Join the next two bottom marks together and pin (directing the inner fold downwards), and so on. The inner folds of all pleats are directed downwards.
- Stitch the front panel seam (Left Front to Right Front). Clip the allowance at the upper mark of the Right Front. Press the allowances towards the Right Front, overlock.
- Fold the Right Collar pieces right sides together and stitch the two outer edges. Trim allowances at the corner, turn the collar right side out, press. Fold the Left Collar pieces right sides together and stitch the two outer edges. Trim allowances at the corner, turn the collar right side out, press. Stitch the Right Collar to the front panel seam edge, and the Left Collar to the neckline and shoulder edge.
- Stitch the shoulder seams (note that the Left Collar is included in the shoulder seam), press allowances towards the back, overlock. Stitch the side seams, press allowances towards the back, overlock.
- Overlock the hem edge of the Sleeve, press to the wrong side and topstitch. Set the sleeves into the armholes, press. Trim armhole and sleeve cap allowances to 0.7 cm.
- Cut a bias strip 3.5 cm wide and equal to the armhole length. Bind the armhole seam allowances all around. Press the seam.
- Stitch the center front seam of the Left Front Neckline Facing and Right Front Neckline Facing and the shoulder seams joining them to the Back Neckline Facing, overlock the outer edge, place the facing on the dress right sides together and stitch along the back neckline, the section of the right panel seam and the front neckline. Clip allowances at curves, turn facings to the wrong side. Fold under the center back allowance of the Back Neckline Facing and attach it to the zipper tape. Topstitch along the back and front neckline 0.1 cm from the stitching line, folding back the collars, and at the ends of the collars.
- Overlock the bottom edge of the garment. Fold to the wrong side, press and hem with blind stitches.
