A-Line Puffed Sleeve Shirt Dress
A women's knee-length shirt dress with an A-line skirt, a shirt collar on a stand, a buttoned bodice placket and a topstitched waist insert. Short puffed sleeves are gathered into cuffs, and the dress closes with a concealed zip in the left side seam.
When To Wear
- In spring and summer for work and everyday wear.
- With a cardigan or light jacket on cooler days.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted bodice with princess seams, flared A-line skirt.
Length: About knee length.
Collar: Pointed shirt collar on a separate stand, topstitched 0.5 cm from the edge.
Sleeves: Short set-in sleeves gathered at the cap and at the hem into a folded cuff, topstitched 0.5 cm.
Front: Bodice placket with buttonholes on the right side, ending at the waist insert where the fronts are stitched together.
Closure: Concealed zip in the left side seam.
Back: Princess seams and a centre back seam in both bodice and skirt.
Waist: Shaped waist insert at front and back, topstitched 0.5 cm along both seams.
Skirt: Panelled: centre and side front panels, centre and side back panels.
Finishing: Bodice princess seams and centre back seam topstitched 0.5 cm; hem overlocked, turned and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Collar with stand, button placket, concealed zip, gathered sleeves with cuffs, accurate topstitching.
Fabric Recommendations
Light dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Concealed zip
- Fusible interfacing (placket, collar, collar stand, cuffs)
- 6 buttons
- Optional: decorative ribbon 6 cm wide for a belt
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 – 1.2 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 (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 upper back – 2 pieces
- Side upper back – 2 pieces
- Back insert – 1 piece
- Center lower back – 2 pieces
- Side lower back – 2 pieces
- Side upper front – 2 pieces
- Center upper front – 2 pieces
- Front insert – 1 piece
- Side lower front – 2 pieces
- Center lower front – 1 piece
- Placket – 2 pieces
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Collar stand – 2 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Placket – 2 pieces
- Collar – 1 piece
- Collar stand – 1 piece
- Cuff – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the designated pieces.
- Stitch the princess seams on the upper back pieces, press allowances towards the center, serge and topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam. Stitch the center back seam, press allowances to the left, serge and topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Stitch the princess seams on the upper front pieces, press allowances towards the center, serge and topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Fold the placket lengthwise in half, right side out, and press. Attach the outer side of the placket to the front, press allowances towards the placket. Turn the inner edge of the placket under 1 cm and topstitch into the attachment seam. Serge buttonholes on the right placket. Overlap the right front over the left and secure at the bottom edge.
- Stitch shoulder seams, press allowances towards the back and serge.
- Place the upper collar and undercollar right sides together. Stitch the ends and outer edge of the collar. Trim seams. Turn the collar right side out, shape and press. Place collar stand pieces right sides together, insert the prepared collar between them, align notches and stitch, simultaneously stitching the ends of the collar stand. Start and end stitching precisely at the marked seam line for attaching the collar stand. Turn the prepared collar right side out and press.
- Attach the upper collar stand with the collar to the neckline, turn under the raw edge of the lower collar stand and topstitch into the attachment seam of the upper collar stand. Topstitch 0.5 cm along the collar and collar stand.
- Attach the back insert to the upper back, press allowances towards the insert, serge and topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam. Attach the front insert to the upper front, press allowances towards the insert, serge and topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Stitch the princess seams on the lower back pieces, press allowances towards the center, serge. Stitch the center back seam, press allowances to the left, serge. Stitch the princess seams on the lower front pieces, press allowances towards the center, serge.
- Attach the lower back to the back insert, press allowances towards the insert, serge and topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam. Attach the lower front to the front insert, press allowances towards the insert, serge and topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Serge the left side edges separately on the back and front. Stitch the left side seam from the armhole to the upper mark and from the lower mark to the bottom. Press allowances open, pressing the slit for the zipper. Insert the zipper. Stitch the right side seam, press allowances towards the back and serge.
- Stitch the sleeve seam, press allowances and serge. Along the sleeve cap and bottom edge between the marks, stitch with loosely tensioned stitches and gather.
- Stitch the cuff into a loop, press allowances open. Fold the cuff lengthwise in half, right side out, and press. Attach the outer side of the cuff to the bottom of the sleeve, press allowances towards the cuff. Turn under the allowance of the inner side of the cuff and topstitch into the attachment seam. Topstitch 0.5 cm from the cuff attachment seam and along the bottom.
- Serge the bottom edge of the garment, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Sew buttons onto the left placket.
