Collared Button-Front Sleeveless Full Dress
A sleeveless women's shirt dress with a fitted princess-seam bodice, a shirt collar on a stand, a seven-button front and a full pleated skirt. The skirt is lined, and the lining has a gathered lower tier edged with lace that shows below the hem.
When To Wear
- In summer, for daytime events and garden parties.
- With a belt at the waist (recommended).
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted bodice with a waist seam and a full skirt.
Collar: Pointed shirt collar on a separate stand, interfaced and edge-stitched 0.1 cm from the edge.
Sleeves: Sleeveless; armholes finished with a 4 cm self-fabric bias strip folded in half and topstitched to the inside.
Front: Princess seams; cut-on button plackets on the centre fronts, interfaced and topstitched. Seven buttons and buttonholes on the bodice; the bodice opens in a V below the collar.
Back: Centre back seam, princess seams and darts.
Closure: Button front on the bodice and a zipper in the left side seam.
Skirt: Two-panel skirt with pleats laid to markings at the waist; 2 cm hem, overlocked and topstitched.
Lining: Skirt lining with pleats in its upper part, a gathered lower tier and a lace strip 7–10 cm wide sewn to its lower edge.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Collar on a stand, cut-on plackets with buttonholes, princess seams, a side zipper and a tiered, lace-edged lining.
Fabric Recommendations
Light dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Lace strip 7–10 cm wide (approximate length given on the pattern pieces)
- Fusible interfacing (collar, upper collar stand, front plackets)
- Zipper
- 7 buttons
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 upper skirt – 2 cm. Other allowances - 1 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. When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- From main fabric:
- Center back piece – 2 pieces
- Side back piece – 2 pieces
- Center front piece – 2 pieces
- Side front piece – 2 pieces
- Upper skirt – 2 pieces
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Collar stand – 2 pieces
- From lining fabric:
- Back skirt – 1 piece
- Front skirt – 1 piece
- Lower lining – 2 pieces
- From fusible interlining:
- Collar – 1 piece
- Collar stand – 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse the upper collar stand, collar, and integrated plackets of the center front piece with fusible interlining.
- Stitch the darts on the back, press the allowances towards the center. Stitch the back princess seams, press the allowances towards the center, overlock. Stitch the center back seam, press the allowances to the left side, overlock.
- Press the allowance of the inner edge of the integrated placket to the wrong side. Press the integrated placket to the wrong side along the marked line and topstitch along the inner fold. Make buttonholes on the right front piece. Stitch the front princess seams, press the allowances towards the center, overlock. Overlap the right front piece over the left, aligning the center lines, and secure at the lower edge.
- Stitch the right side seam, press the allowances towards the back and overlock. Overlock the left side edges separately, stitch from the armhole to the mark, press open.
- Cut a bias strip from the main fabric, 4 cm wide and equal to the armhole length. Press the bias strip in half lengthwise, right side out, align with the armhole edge and face. Fold the bias strip to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold.
- Place the upper collar on the lower collar, right sides together. Stitch the ends and outer edge of the collar. Trim the seams. Turn the collar right side out, shape, and press. Place the collar stand pieces right sides together, insert the finished collar between them, align notches, and stitch, simultaneously facing the ends of the collar stand. Start and end the stitching strictly at the marked line of the collar stand attachment seam. Turn the finished collar right side out and press.
- Attach the upper collar with the collar stand to the neckline, turn under the open edge of the lower collar stand and topstitch into the seam of the upper collar stand attachment. Topstitch along the collar and collar stand 0.1 cm from the edge.
- Make pleats on the upper lining pieces according to the markings. Stitch the right side seam on the upper of the skirt lining, press the allowances towards the back and overlock. Overlock the left side edges of the upper of the skirt lining separately, stitch from the mark to the bottom, press open. Stitch, press, and overlock the side edges of the lower lining. Stitch along the upper edge of the lower lining with loosely tensioned stitches and gather. Attach the lower lining to the upper, press the allowances upwards and overlock. Attach lace to the lower edge of the lining, press the allowances upwards, overlock.
- Stitch the right side seam of the upper skirt, press the allowances towards the back and overlock. Overlock the left side edges of the upper skirt separately, stitch from the mark to the bottom, press open. Make and secure pleats according to the markings, press in the upper. Place the skirt with the lining and secure at the upper edge. Attach the skirt to the bodice, press the allowances upwards and overlock. Insert the zipper.
- Overlock the hem allowance of the upper skirt, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Sew buttons on the left front piece.
Tip: The dress is recommended to be worn with a belt.
