Fitted Lace Panel Dress
A knee-length women's sheath dress with a lace-overlaid upper bodice, a keyhole opening under a lace front yoke, a stand collar with a decorative fastener and short lace cap sleeves. Invisible zip in the left side seam.
When To Wear
- For evening events, receptions and family celebrations.
- Under a short jacket in cooler weather.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted sheath, shaped by princess seams on the front and back.
Length: Knee length.
Collar: Stand collar of dress fabric covered with lace, fused, with a decorative fastener at the front.
Neckline: Keyhole opening between the upper edge of the front and a separate lace front yoke; both edges are finished with 2 cm lace trim.
Sleeves: Short cap sleeves cut from lace, edged with lace strip; the underarm part of the armhole is finished with bias binding.
Front: Upper centre and side front panels of dress fabric with a lace overlay, joined to plain lower panels; the lace ends at the chest on the centre panel and below the waist on the side panels.
Back: Upper centre and side back panels with lace overlay, joined to plain lower panels in the same stepped way; darts in the upper centre back; centre back seam with a slit at the hem, slit edges topstitched 0.1 cm.
Closure: Invisible zip in the left side seam.
Finishing: Seams overlocked; hem turned up 2 cm and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Lace overlays, a lace-trimmed keyhole, a stand collar, an invisible zip.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres for the dress; lace fabric for the overlays, yoke, sleeves and collar.
Additional Supplies
- Lace fabric
- Invisible zip
- Fusible interfacing (collar stand, back slit allowance)
- Lace trim, 2 cm wide (approximate length marked on the pattern)
- Decorative fastener
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 bottom edge of the garment and allowance along the slit on the back – 2.0 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).
- From main fabric:
- Upper center back – 2 pieces
- Upper side back – 2 pieces
- Lower center back - 2 pieces
- Lower side back - 2 pieces
- Lower side front – 2 pieces
- Lower center front – 1 piece
- Upper center front - 1 piece
- Upper side front – 2 pieces
- Collar stand - 2 pieces
- From lace fabric:
- Upper center back – 2 pieces
- Upper side back – 2 pieces
- Upper center front - 1 piece
- Upper side front – 2 pieces
- Front yoke - 2 pieces
- Sleeve - 2 pieces
- Collar stand - 1 piece
- From fusible interfacing:
Sewing Instructions
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- Fuse interfacing to the collar stand piece, as well as the slit allowance of the center lower back.
- Stitch darts on the upper center back from the main piece and from the lace fabric, press seam allowances towards the center. Place the lace piece on the main piece and continue to treat as one piece. Stitch the upper and lower center back parts, press seam allowances upwards and overlock.
- Place the lace piece of the upper side back on the main piece and continue to treat as one piece. Stitch the upper and lower side back parts, press seam allowances upwards and overlock. Stitch the back princess seams, press seam allowances towards the center and overlock.
- Overlock the center back seam separately on each piece. Stitch the center back seam from the top to the slit mark. Press seam allowances open, pressing the slit.
- Place the upper center front made of lace on the main piece, secure along the edges and continue to treat as one piece. Stitch the center upper and lower front parts, press seam allowances upwards and overlock.
- Place the upper side front made of lace on the main piece, secure along the edges and continue to treat as one piece. Stitch the side upper and lower front parts, press seam allowances upwards and overlock.
- Stitch the front princess seams, press seam allowances towards the center and overlock. Overlock the upper edge of the front, press seam allowances to the wrong side, place lace trim under the edge and topstitch.
- Overlock the lower edge of the front yoke, press to the wrong side, place lace trim under the edge and topstitch. Place the yoke on the front, secure along the armhole edge.
- Stitch shoulder seams and the right side seam, press seam allowances towards the back and overlock. Overlock the left side seams separately. Stitch the left side seam, leaving the zipper opening unstitched. Press seam allowances open, pressing the zipper opening. Insert the zipper.
- Place the lace collar stand on the main piece, secure along the edges and continue to treat as one piece. Fold the collar stand pieces right sides together and stitch along the outer edge. Start and end the stitching strictly at the marked seam line for attachment. Turn the finished collar stand right side out, shape and press. Attach the outer edge of the collar stand to the neckline. Press the seam towards the collar stand. Turn under the open inner edge and topstitch into the attachment seam. Topstitch the decorative fastener onto the collar stand.
- Overlock the lower edge of the sleeve, place a lace strip under the edge and topstitch. Set sleeves into armholes, matching notches. Clip seam allowances at marks, press towards the front and back and overlock.
- Cut bias binding 4 cm wide and a length equal to the length of the lower of the sleeve + 6 cm. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise right side out and press. Place the binding along the armhole edge right side up, leaving tails, and stitch. Fold the binding to the wrong side, clip seams and topstitch along the fold to the main piece. Press the seam.
- Overlock the hem allowance of the dress, press to the wrong side and topstitch. Topstitch the sides of the slit 0.1 cm from the edge.
