Stretch Cotton Jersey dress With Buttoned Flaps
Introducing a comfortable women's shift dress pattern, crafted for stretch knit fabrics and featuring charming buttoned flap pockets.
When To Wear
This versatile dress is perfect for a variety of casual to smart-casual occasions, including:
- Everyday Chic: Comfortable yet stylish for daily wear or running errands.
- Casual Gatherings: Ideal for lunches, meet-ups, or relaxed social events.
- Travel & Leisure: Easy to wear and pack, perfect for exploring new destinations.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: a relaxed shift dress silhouette with a gentle a-line flare, offering comfort and ease of movement.
Neckline: a wide, elegant boat neckline detailed with subtle gathers at the front for soft shaping.
Sleeves: Classic set-in sleeves finished at a versatile three-quarter length.
Pockets: Two practical patch pockets on the front, each adorned with a decorative buttoned flap.
Back: a clean back design featuring a central seam for tailored shaping.
Length: An above-knee length with a straight hemline.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Involves working with stretch knit fabrics, setting in sleeves, and constructing small details like the buttoned pocket flaps.
Fabric Recommendations
Choose knit fabrics with suitable stretch and body for optimal drape and comfort:
- Dense knit fabric with low to medium stretch, made from natural or blended fibers (e.g., cotton jersey, Ponte di Roma).
Additional Supplies
- Fusible knit interfacing
- Two buttons
Cutter's Must
If the patterns have a double contour, seam allowances are included. If the contour is single, the patterns are without seam allowances. Seam allowances: 2 cm for the bottom edge of the garment and sleeve hem, 0.5 cm for flap facing allowance, 2 cm for flap attachment allowance, 1 cm for all other seams. Attention! First, print out the paper patterns and lay them out on the fabric width (fabric width can be from 90 cm to 150 cm) to determine how much material you will need. When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- From main fabric:
- Back – 2 pieces
- Center front – 1 piece on fold
- Flap – 4 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
Tip: Knit fabric pieces are stitched with a special elastic or narrow zigzag stitch. When serging, trim seam allowances to 0.8 cm. The hem allowance is topstitched with a twin needle to maintain elasticity. You can also stitch pieces directly on a 3- or 4-thread serger.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse the upper flaps with knit interfacing.
- Stitch the center back seam, press allowances to the left and serge.
- Stitch the darts on the front. Trim the depth with a serger and press: side darts downwards, neckline darts towards the center.
- Stitch the right shoulder seam, press allowances towards the back and serge.
- Cut (if not ready-made) a bias binding 4 cm wide and a length equal to the neckline length + 5 cm. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise, right sides out, and press. Place the binding along the neckline edge, right sides together, and stitch. Clip the allowances. Fold the binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold to the main piece. Press the seam.
- Stitch the right shoulder seam, press allowances towards the back and serge.
- Set the sleeves into the armholes, press allowances towards the sleeve and serge.
- Stitch the side seam simultaneously with the sleeve seam, serge allowances and press towards the back.
- Place the flap pieces right sides together and stitch along the shaped edge. Turn the flaps right side out and press. Serge the straight edge. Place the flap on the front, aligning with the attachment line (shaped side facing the center) and topstitch the flap. Turn towards the side seam and stitch a securing line 1 cm from the topstitching line. Sew on decorative buttons.
- Serge the hem allowance of the garment and sleeve, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
