Fitted V-Neck Peplum Dress Elbow Sleeves
A fitted knee-length women's dress cut at the waist with a waist insert, princess seams in the bodice and skirt, a folded peplum set into the front skirt seams and a round neckline with a V-slit at the centre front. Concealed zipper and vent at the centre back.
When To Wear
- For the office and business meetings.
- For daytime events and dinners in spring and autumn, with a jacket or on its own.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted, shaped by princess seams above and below a waist insert at the front and back.
Length: Knee length.
Neckline: Round, with a short V-slit at the centre front seam of the bodice; finished with interfaced facings.
Sleeves: Set-in, just below elbow length, with an eased cap.
Front: Upper front in centre and side pieces with a centre front seam; lower front in a centre panel and two side panels.
Waist: A peplum of four pieces, sewn double and turned, inserted into the princess seams of the lower front, folded along a marked line and caught to the front along its upper and side edges, so the two pointed flaps sit below the waist insert.
Back: Princess seams, waist insert, centre back seam with a concealed zipper and a vent in the skirt.
Finishing: Dress and sleeve hems blind-stitched by hand; vent allowance fixed to the hem.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Many fitted panel seams, a peplum inserted into the seams, a V-slit with a facing, a concealed zipper with a facing, a vent.
Fabric Recommendations
Lightweight suiting fabrics in natural or blended fibres with a small amount of elastane.
Additional Supplies
- Concealed zipper
- Fusible interfacing (neckline facings, vent)
Fabric & Materials
Fabric recommendations: thin suiting fabrics made from natural or blended fibers with a small content of elastic fibers. Also needed: invisible zipper, fusible interfacing.
Cutter's Must
If the patterns have a double contour, seam allowances are included. If the contour is single, seam allowances are not included. Seam allowances: all seams 1 cm; vent allowance – 6 cm; hem allowance for dress and sleeve hem – 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 (don't forget to account for paired and symmetrical pieces).
- From main fabric:
- Center upper back – 2 pieces
- Side upper back – 2 pieces
- Back insert – 2 pieces
- Center lower back – 2 pieces
- Side lower back – 2 pieces
- Center upper front – 2 pieces
- Side upper front – 2 pieces
- Front insert – 2 pieces
- Center lower front – 1 piece
- Side lower front – 2 pieces
- Peplum – 4 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Back neckline facing – 2 pieces
- Front neckline facing – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Back neckline facing – 2 pieces
- Front neckline facing – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- Interface neckline facing pieces with fusible interfacing.
- Stitch the princess seams on the upper and lower back pieces. Press seam allowances towards the center and overlock. Stitch the insert to the upper back, press seam allowances towards the insert and overlock. Stitch the lower back to the insert, press seam allowances towards the insert and overlock.
- On the left center lower back piece, trim 5 cm along the vertical edge of the vent. On both center lower back pieces, interface the vent from the wrong side. On the right side, mark the center seam line (vent fold line). Press the left piece along the vent fold line, on the right piece, press only the right side vent allowance (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 seam allowance separately on each piece. Overlock the vent allowances. Stitch the center back seam from the zipper mark to the vent corner. Clip the corner of the vent seam allowance on the right piece. Press the center seam allowances open, press the vent allowances and secure them on the right side with machine stitching. Insert the invisible zipper.
- Fold the peplum pieces right sides together and stitch the lower edge. Turn the piece right side out, straighten, and press.
- Stitch the princess seams of the lower front, inserting the peplum. Press seam allowances towards the side seam and overlock. Fold the peplum along the marked line and secure to the front along the upper and side edges. Stitch the insert to the lower front, press seam allowances towards the insert and overlock.
- Stitch the princess seams of the upper front, press seam allowances towards the center and overlock.
- Overlock the center seams of the upper front separately. Overlock the lower edges of the neckline facings. Fold the front neckline facing with the center piece and stitch the neckline edge, stopping 4-5 cm before the shoulder seam, and the opening exactly to the marked center front seam line. Clip seam allowances at curves, trim at corners. Turn the facing to the wrong side, straighten, and press.
- Stitch the center front seam and the center seam of the front neckline facing, press seam allowances open. Stitch the upper front to the insert, press seam allowances towards the insert, overlock.
- Stitch the side and shoulder seams, press seam allowances towards the back and overlock.
- Stitch the shoulder seams of the facings, press seam allowances open.
- Fold the back facing with the neckline right sides together. Stopping 5 mm before the edges of the invisible zipper, fold back the facing and pin it to the upper edge of the dress. On the right side of the dress, fold back the allowances along the zipper and pin to the neckline edge over the facing. Stitch the back neckline edge and the unfinished section of the front neckline. Clip seam allowances at curves. Turn the piece right side out and press. Fold under the center edge of the facing and attach it to the zipper tape.
- Stitch the sleeve seam. Press seam allowances and overlock. Set the sleeves into the armholes, matching notches and easing the cap. Press seam allowances and overlock.
- Overlock the hem allowance of the dress and sleeve, press to the wrong side and hem with blind stitches. Attach the vent allowance to the hem.
