Cap Sleeve Sheath Dress with Floral Rosettes
A women's knee-length sheath dress with a crossover V-neck bodice, a raised waist seam, a gathered decorative dart on the front skirt and short cap sleeves. A spiralling trim of bias-bound rosettes runs along the edge of the right front bodice.
When To Wear
- For summer weddings, receptions and evening dinners.
- Under a short jacket or bolero for daytime ceremonies.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Close-fitting sheath with a seam just below the bust.
Length: To the knee; hem turned up 2 cm and topstitched.
Neckline: V-neck formed by the right upper front lapping over the left; finished with interfaced front and back facings, tacked by hand to the shoulder seams.
Front: Upper bodice with princess seams from the armholes. The lower front has a decorative dart that is slashed, gathered along its edges and stitched, giving soft folds below the crossover point.
Sleeves: Short cap sleeves, hem turned up 1.5 cm and topstitched. The whole armhole is bound with bias binding after the sleeve is set in.
Back: Darts at the centre back, princess seams on the upper and lower back, a seam at the raised waist level and a concealed zipper in the centre back seam.
Finishing: The rosette trim is cut in four pieces joined along their straight edges and folded double, bound on the outer edge with bias binding, gathered along the inner edge, arranged into swirls and stitched to the right front. Bar tacks at the side seams at armhole level.
Level Of Difficulty
Advanced. A crossover bodice, a slashed and gathered dart, bias-bound armholes and a hand-arranged rosette trim on a closely fitted dress.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics from natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Concealed zipper
- Bias binding
- Fusible interfacing (neckline facings)
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- 1. Upper right center - 1 piece
- 2. Upper left center - 1 piece
- 3. Upper front side - 2 pieces
- 4. Upper back side — 2 pieces
- 5. Upper back center — 2 pieces
- 6. Lower back side — 2 pieces
- 7. Lower back center — 2 pieces
- 8. Lower front — 1 piece
- 9. Sleeve — 2 pieces
- 10. Front facing — 2 pieces
- 11. Back facing — 2 pieces
- 12. Rose — 4 pieces
- 13. Right yoke — 1 piece
- From fusible interfacing:
- 1. Back facing — 2 pieces
- 2. Front facing — 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse fusible interfacing to the designated pieces. Stitch the shoulder seam allowances of the facings. Press seam allowances open. Overlock the outer edge of the facings.
- Stitch the darts on the center back. Press the dart folds towards the center. Stitch the princess seams of the back on the upper parts. Overlock the seam allowances and press them towards the center. Stitch the princess seams of the back on the lower parts. Overlock the seam allowances and press them towards the center. Stitch the upper and lower parts of the back. Overlock the seam allowances and press them downwards. Overlock the center seam of the back. Stitch the seam from the bottom up to the notch for the zipper. Insert the zipper.
- Stitch the straight edges of the rose. Press seam allowances open. Fold the roses right sides out and secure with a temporary stitch along the outer contour. Finish the outer edge of the rose with bias binding. Along the inner edge, stitch with a loosened thread and gather. Form the decorative rose pattern and attach it to the right front. Attach the right yoke to the right front. Overlock the seam allowances.
- Stitch the princess seams of the front. Overlock the seam allowances and press towards the center.
- Stitch the shoulder seam allowances of the upper. Overlock the seam allowances and press towards the back. Finish the neckline. Fold the facings to the wrong side and secure to the shoulder seams with hand stitches.
- Cut the dart depth in the middle, stopping 2-3 cm from the apex. Along the contour of the decorative dart on the lower front, stitch with a loosened thread and gather. Stitch the dart. Trim the depth with an overlocker. Overlap the right upper onto the left and secure with a temporary stitch along the lower edge. Stitch the upper and lower parts of the front. Overlock the seam allowances and press downwards.
- Overlock the hem of the sleeve, press to the wrong side and topstitch. Set the sleeve into the armhole, aligning the notches. Trim the seam allowances to 0.5 cm from the stitching and finish the entire armhole contour with bias binding.
- Stitch the side seam allowances. Overlock the seam allowances and press towards the back. Place bar tacks at the side seam at the armhole level.
- Overlock the hem of the garment, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
