Wrap-Bodice Sheath Dress with Lapels and Draped Skirt
A fitted women's sheath dress to the knee with a crossover bodice edged with lapels, a stand collar at the back neck, a waistband panel and pleats gathered to one side of the skirt front. Short set-in sleeves and a back vent.
When To Wear
- At the office, worn on its own without a jacket.
- For daytime events and family celebrations, with court shoes.
- In spring, summer and early autumn: the sleeves are short.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted sheath shape, divided at the waist by a separate middle panel front and back.
Length: To the knee.
Collar: Two-piece stand collar set into the back neckline; the front neckline is finished with facings.
Front: Crossover bodice, the right front overlapping the left. Each upper front has a princess seam and a shoulder yoke; the lapels are double, stitched along the outer edge and set into the front edge.
Skirt: The lower front has pleats laid towards one side and a front insert sewn on above them.
Sleeves: Short set-in sleeves finished with a folded band at the hem; the lower armhole is finished with bias binding.
Back: Back yoke, upper back with a centre seam and darts, middle waist panel, lower back with darts, a centre back seam and a vent.
Closure: Invisible zip in the left side seam.
Finishing: Hem hand-sewn with blind stitches.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Many panels to match, a crossover bodice with set-in lapels, a vent, a stand collar and an invisible side zip.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Invisible zip
- Fusible interfacing (lapels, collar stand, front neckline facings, vent)
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Back Yoke - 1 piece
- Upper back - 2 pieces
- Middle back - 1 piece
- Lower back - 2 pieces
- Front Yoke - 2 pieces
- Center upper front - 2 pieces
- Side upper front - 2 pieces
- Middle front - 1 piece
- Front Insert - 1 piece
- Lower front - 1 piece
- Lapel - 4 pieces
- Collar Stand - 2 pieces
- Sleeve - 2 pieces
- Sleeve Placket – 2 pieces
- Front neckline facing – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Lapel – 2 pieces
- Collar Stand - 1 piece
- Front neckline facing – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse fusible interfacing to designated pieces.
- Stitch darts on the upper and lower back panels, press seam allowances towards the center.
- Stitch the center seam of the upper back, press seam allowances to the left side and serge. Attach the yoke to the upper back, press seam allowances upwards and serge.
- On the left lower back, trim 5 cm along the vertical slit edge. On both lower back pieces, fuse interfacing to the slit from the wrong side. On the right side, mark the center seam line (slit fold line). Press the left along the slit fold line; on the right, press only the seam allowance of the right side of the slit (6 cm) to the wrong side. Align the pieces along the center seam and secure at the upper edge of the slit. Serge the center edge of the back separately on each piece. Serge the slit seam allowances. Stitch the center edge of the back from the upper edge to the corner of the slit. Clip the corner of the slit seam allowance on the right. Press open the center seam seam allowances, press the slit seam allowances and secure them on the right side with machine stitching.
- Attach the middle back to the upper, press seam allowances towards the middle and serge. Attach the lower back to the middle, press seam allowances towards the middle and serge.
- Place lapel pieces right sides together and stitch the outer edge. Turn the piece right side out, shape, and press.
- Stitch the princess seams on the upper front pieces. Press seam allowances towards the center and serge. Place the lapel on the wrong side of the upper front and stitch. Serge seam allowances. Turn the lapel to the right side, shape, and press. Secure the lapel to the front at the upper and lower edges.
- Attach the yoke to the upper front, press seam allowances upwards and serge. Overlap the right front over the left and secure at the lower edge.
- Form and secure pleats on the lower front. Attach the front insert to the lower, press seam allowances upwards and serge.
- Attach the middle front to the upper, press seam allowances towards the middle and serge. Attach the lower front to the middle, press seam allowances towards the middle and serge.
- Place collar stand pieces right sides together and stitch the upper edge. Clip seam allowances, turn the collar stand right side out, shape, and press. Stitch the outer collar stand into the back neckline, fold the inner collar stand seam allowance inwards and topstitch into the attachment seam.
- Serge the outer edge of the front neckline facing. Place the front neckline facing with the front and stitch the section from the shoulder seam to the mark. The stitching should start and end precisely at the marked shoulder seam line. Clip seam allowances at curves, trim at corners.
- Stitch shoulder seams, sandwiching the back shoulder seam between the front shoulder seam and the facing. Press and serge seam allowances. Turn the neckline facing to the wrong side, shape, and press.
- Serge the left side seam separately. Stitch the left side seam, leaving an unstitched section for the zipper. Press open seam allowances. Insert the zipper. Stitch the right side seam, press seam allowances towards the back and serge.
- Fold the sleeve placket in half lengthwise, right side out. Attach the placket to the lower edge of the sleeve, press seam allowances towards the sleeve and serge. Set the sleeves into the armholes, clip seam allowances at notches, press and serge.
- Cut a bias binding 4 cm wide and a length equal to the length of the lower armhole + 6 cm. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise, right side out, and press. Place the binding with the armhole edge on the right side, extending the tails, and stitch. Fold the binding to the wrong side, clip the seams, and topstitch along the fold to the main piece. Press the seam.
- Serge the hem allowance of the dress, press to the wrong side and hem with blind stitches.
