Fabric & Materials
Fabric recommendations: dense silk dress fabrics made from natural or blended fibers of related colors. Also needed: fusible interfacing; concealed zipper.
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; sleeve hem allowance – 1.2 cm; neckline allowance of front yoke - 2 cm; outer rose allowance – 0 cm; dress hem allowance – 3.0 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). When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- From main fabric 1:
- Center lower back – 2 pieces
- Side lower back – 2 pieces
- Center lower front – 1 piece
- Side lower front – 2 pieces
- Rose – 2 pieces
- From main fabric 2:
- Center upper back – 2 pieces
- Side upper back – 2 pieces
- Center right upper front – 1 piece
- Center left upper front – 1 piece
- Side upper front – 2 pieces
- Front yoke – 2 pieces
- Sleeve - 2 pieces
- Back neckline facing – 2 pieces
- Front neckline facing – 1 piece
- Placket – 2 pieces (cut on the bias)
- From fusible interfacing:
- Back neckline facing – 2 pieces
- Front neckline facing – 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
- Interface the neckline facings with fusible interfacing.
- Stitch the princess seams on the upper back, press allowances towards the center and overcast. Stitch the princess seams on the lower back, press allowances towards the center and overcast. Stitch the upper and lower back pieces together, press allowances upwards and overcast.
- 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). Overcast the center back seam separately on each piece, overcasting the vent simultaneously. Stitch the center back seam from the zipper mark to the edge of the vent. Clip the corner of the vent seam allowance on the right piece. Press open the center seam allowances, pressing the zipper opening and vent. Press the right side of the vent 1 cm to the wrong side and topstitch. Press the vent allowances towards the left side and topstitch along the top with a machine stitch. Insert the concealed zipper.
- On the placket pieces, press one long side 1 cm inwards. Stitch the unpressed long edge of the placket to the princess seam of the center lower front, placing the placket right side up on the right side of the piece. Seam allowance 0.7 cm. The placket length is slightly longer than the princess seam lengths. Trim excess placket at the end.
- Stitch the princess seams on the upper front, press allowances towards the center and overcast.
- Stitch the upper left front piece to the lower piece, press allowances upwards and overcast. Form and secure pleats on the center right upper front piece according to markings. Pleat depths face upwards. Stitch the center right upper piece to the left piece, clipping into the corner, simultaneously stitching the right upper piece to the lower piece. Press allowances upwards and overcast.
- Overcast the vertical neckline edge on the front yoke and press to the wrong side. Overcast the lower edge of the front neckline facing. Place the front neckline facing right sides together with the front, stitching, inserting the front yokes between them. Press allowances, turn the facing to the wrong side, secure to the armhole edge.
- Stitch the princess seams on the lower front, press allowances towards the center and overcast. Topstitch the pressed edge of the placket onto the center front piece. Stitch the upper front pieces to the lower, press allowances upwards and overcast.
- Overcast the inner edge of the back neckline facings. Place the dress right sides together with the facing, aligning the neckline edges. Before reaching 5 mm from the edges of the concealed 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 them to the neckline edge over the facing. Stitch the neckline edge, starting and ending the stitch exactly at the marked shoulder seam line. Clip allowances on curves, turn pieces right side out and press. Attach the facing to the zipper tape.
- Stitch the shoulder seams, inserting the front between the back and the back facing. Press allowances, overcast. Turn the facing to the wrong side.
- Stitch the side seams, press allowances towards the back and overcast.
- Overcast the sleeve hem, press to the wrong side and topstitch. Stitch the sleeve seam. Press allowances and overcast. Set sleeves into armholes, matching notches. Press allowances and overcast.
- Press the dress hem allowance to the wrong side and hem with blind stitches.
- Place the rose pieces right side out and align edges. Cut a bias strip from main fabric 2, 4 cm wide and equal in length to the outer edge of the rose. Press the bias strip in half lengthwise, unfold and press the long edges towards the marked center line. Bind the outer edge of the rose with the bias strip and press. Form the rose into a spiral and attach it to the dress, covering the seam where the right and left upper front pieces were stitched together.
