Sleeveless Crossover Dress with Lapel Collar
A sleeveless, knee-length women's sheath dress with a wrap-over bodice, a notched lapel collar and a waist seam. The lower front has stitched-down pleats and slanted side pockets; the back has a yoke, a centre seam and a vent.
When To Wear
- At the office on its own or with a jacket.
- For daytime meetings and dinners, in warm weather or with a blouse or fine knit underneath.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted bodice and narrow skirt, joined at a waist seam.
Length: Knee length.
Collar: Notched lapel collar; the lapels are faced, the upper collar is set into the facing and the under collar into the neckline.
Front: The right bodice front overlaps the left in a crossover; each centre front has darts and a side front panel seam.
Sleeves: Sleeveless; armholes finished with a 4 cm bias binding turned to the inside and topstitched.
Skirt: Lower front cut on the fold, with pleats stitched down 3 cm and turned towards the centre; lower back with darts.
Pockets: Slanted pockets at the front sides, the opening faced by the pocket bag.
Back: Back yoke, centre back seam, and a vent at the hem with a 6 cm interfaced allowance.
Closure: Invisible zipper in the left side seam.
Finishing: Hem turned up 3 cm and blind-stitched; a separate self-fabric belt.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A notched lapel collar set between facing and dress, a crossover bodice, a back vent, slanted pockets and an invisible zipper.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics in natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Invisible zipper
- Fusible interfacing (collar, front facings, back neck facing, vent)
- Bias binding, 4 cm wide (or cut from the main fabric)
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: all seams 1 cm; hem allowance for the dress bottom – 3 cm; slit allowance - 6 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). When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- From main fabric:
- Back yoke - 1 piece
- Center back - 2 pieces
- Side front — 2 pieces
- Center front - 2 pieces
- Lower front – 1 piece on fold
- Front side – 2 pieces
- Pocket bag – 2 pieces
- Lower back – 2 pieces
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Front facing - 2 pieces
- Back neckline facing – 1 piece
- Belt – 1 piece
- From fusible interfacing:
- Collar – 1 piece
- Front facing - 2 pieces
- Back neckline facing – 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the designated pieces.
- Stitch the center seam of the center back, press seam allowances to the left and overlock.
- Attach the back yoke to the back, press seam allowances upwards and overlock.
- Stitch the darts on the lower back, press depths towards the center. On the left lower back piece, trim 5 cm along the vertical edge of the slit. On both 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. Overlock the center back seam separately on each piece. Overlock the slit allowances. Stitch the center back seam from the upper edge to the slit corner. Clip the corner of the slit seam allowance on the right. Press the center seam allowances open, press the slit allowances and secure them with machine stitching.
- Place the upper collar and lower collar right sides together and stitch the ends and outer edge. Trim seam allowances at the corners, clip at the mark, turn the collar right side out, shape and press.
- Place the front facing and front piece right sides together and stitch the lapel between the marks. Clip seam allowances at the marks, turn the pieces right side out, shape and press.
- On the center front piece, trim dart allowances to 1 cm. Lay the right center front piece over the left, secure at the lower edge and stitch the darts, catching the unfinished sections of the center front seam, overlock allowances, press. Attach the side front piece to the center front piece, press allowances towards the center and overlock.
- Stitch shoulder seams, press allowances towards the back and overlock. Stitch shoulder seams of front facings and back neckline facing, press allowances open. Overlock outer edges.
- Attach the lower collar to the main neckline, and the upper collar to the facing neckline, press allowances open, secure together.
- Fold and stitch down 3 cm pleats on the lower front piece (depths directed towards the center). Place the pocket bag and lower front piece right sides together and stitch the pocket opening. Turn the pocket bag to the wrong side, press. Lay the lower front piece over the side and stitch the edges of the pocket bags, overlock allowances.
- Stitch the upper and lower back and front pieces, press allowances upwards and overlock.
- Stitch the right side seam, press allowance towards the back and overlock. Overlock left side edges separately. Stitch the left side seam from the armhole edge to the mark and from the mark to the bottom, press allowances open. Insert the zipper.
- Cut (if not ready-made) a bias binding 4 cm wide and a length equal to the armhole length + 5 cm. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise right side out and press. Place the binding with the armhole edge right sides together and stitch. Clip allowances. Fold the binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold to the main piece. Press the seam.
- Overlock the bottom edge of the dress, press to the wrong side and hem with blind stitches.
- Fold the belt in half lengthwise right sides together and stitch, leaving an opening on the long side for turning. Turn the belt right side out and press.
