Short Sleeve Mock Wrap Dress with Tabbed Sleeves
A women's knee-length dress with a shirt collar and lapels, short raglan sleeves with turned-up cuffs and button tabs, and a crossover front with soft pleats above and below a waist insert. It closes with an invisible zipper in the left side seam.
When To Wear
- Office and daytime wear from spring to early autumn.
- With a wide belt over the waist insert (recommended).
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted at the waist, skirt slightly narrowed at the hem.
Length: Knee length.
Collar: Two-piece collar with lapels formed by interfaced front facings; upper collar set into the neckline, under collar into the facings.
Sleeves: Short raglan sleeves in two parts (front and back) joined by an upper sleeve seam. A double-folded cuff, 5 cm wide when finished, and a tab on the inside of the sleeve that buttons over the cuff.
Front: Right and left fronts are lapped at the centre front and stitched together, with no buttons. The bodice has princess seams and soft pleats turned towards the side seams; the lower front has soft pleats meeting in a box pleat at the centre. A waist insert joins the two.
Closure: Invisible zipper in the left side seam.
Pockets: Slanted pockets in the lower front.
Back: Upper and lower back with darts, a centre back seam and a back insert at the waist.
Finishing: Hem turned up 2 cm and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Collar with lapels and facings, raglan sleeves, pleats on curved pieces, slanted pockets, an invisible side zipper and button tabs.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres, for example lightweight raincoat fabric.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (front facings, back neck facing, collar)
- Invisible zipper
- 2 buttons (sleeve tabs)
- Wide belt (optional, recommended)
Cutter's Must
If the patterns have a double contour, seam allowances are included. If the contour is single, the patterns do not include seam allowances. Seam allowances: hem allowance – 2 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 90 cm to 150 cm) to determine how much material you will need.
- From main fabric:
- Upper back – 2 pieces
- Lower back – 2 pieces
- Center front – 2 pieces
- Side front – 2 pieces
- Lower front – 1 piece on fold
- Front insert — 1 piece
- Back insert — 1 piece
- Front sleeve – 2 pieces
- Back sleeve – 2 pieces
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Front facing – 2 pieces
- Back neckline facing — 1 piece
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- Tab – 4 pieces
- Side – 2 pieces
- Pocket bag – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Back neckline facing - 1 piece
- Collar – 1 piece
- Front facing – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- Fuse interfacing to the designated pieces.
- Stitch darts on the upper and lower back parts. Press darts towards the center seam. Stitch the center seam of the upper and lower back parts. Press seam to the left side and overlock. Attach the back insert to the upper and lower parts. Press seam towards the insert and overlock.
- Stitch the princess seams of the front. Press seam towards the center front and overlock. On the center and side front parts, make soft pleats according to markings and secure them at the lower edge. Pleat depths are directed towards the side seam.
- Attach the back sleeve to the back. Overlock seam and press towards the sleeve. Attach the front sleeve to the front. Overlock seam and press towards the sleeve. Stitch the upper sleeve seam. Overlock seam and press towards the back.
- Stitch shoulder seams of the back neckline facing and front facing. Press seams towards the front. Overlock the outer edge of the facing and front facings. Insert the upper collar into the back and front neckline, the lower collar into the facing and front facing neckline. Press seams open.
- Place front facings right sides together with the front and stitch the front edge and collar. Trim seam allowances at corners, turn right side out and shape. Press collar and front edges. Secure the seam allowances of the upper and lower collar together close to the stitching line.
- Fold the right and left front parts along the center front line and secure the pieces together. Attach the front insert to the upper. Press seam towards the insert and overlock.
- Place the pocket bag right side in with the lower front and stitch the pocket opening. Clip seams, turn pieces right side out and press. Place the lower front with the side according to markings and align edges. Stitch and overlock pocket bag edges.
- Make soft pleats on the lower front: pleat depths are directed towards the side seams, forming a box pleat in the middle of the piece. It is recommended to make pleats from the side seam. Attach the front insert to the lower. Press seam towards the insert and overlock.
- Stitch the right side seam, simultaneously stitching the sleeve seam. Press seam allowances towards the back and overlock. Overlock the left side seams separately. Stitch the left side seam, simultaneously stitching the sleeve seam and leaving an opening for the zipper. Insert the zipper between the markings.
- Fold tab pieces right sides together and stitch 3 sides. Trim seam allowances at corners, turn pieces right side out and press. Make a buttonhole according to markings. Attach the tab to the lower edge of the sleeve, positioning the tab on the wrong side of the sleeve at the level of the upper edge.
- Fold the cuff in half and stitch into a loop. Press seam open, turn piece right side out and press. Fold the cuff in half, insert into the sleeve from the wrong side and attach to the sleeve. Overlock seam and press towards the sleeve. Turn up the cuff twice so that the finished cuff width is 5 cm. Sew a button on the sleeve corresponding to the buttonhole on the tab.
- Overlock the lower edge of the dress, fold up and topstitch. The dress is recommended to be worn with a wide belt.
