Two-Tone Tie Front Dress
A women's knee-length dress in two fabrics: a round-neck dress with a small collar in trim fabric, worn under open front panels in a second fabric. The front panels hang free, have princess seams and are held together by a tie belt threaded through two eyelets.
When To Wear
- At the office and for business meetings, in spring and autumn, with closed shoes.
- For daytime events, with the tie belt knotted in a bow at the front.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Semi-fitted, shaped by princess seams on the front, the free front panels and the back.
Length: Knee length.
Collar: Small two-part collar in trim fabric, set into the round neckline of the inner front with a neckline facing.
Front: Inner front in fabric 2 with a centre front cut on the fold and side front pieces. Over it, free-hanging front panels in fabric 1, each made of a centre and side piece joined to a lower piece, finished with interfaced front facings.
Closure: Concealed zipper in the centre back seam; the front tie belt passes through two eyelets in the front panels.
Sleeves: Elbow-length two-piece set-in sleeves, finished with cuffs in trim fabric whose ends overlap.
Back: Princess seams, a centre back seam and a vent at the hem, the vent interfaced.
Finishing: Hems sewn by hand with blind stitches.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Princess seams in two layers, a collar set between the dress and the facing, a back vent with a concealed zipper, cuffs and eyelets.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics made of natural or blended fibres in contrasting or related colours, plus a trim fabric for the collar and cuffs.
Additional Supplies
- Concealed zipper
- Fusible interfacing (front facings, neckline facings, back vent)
- 2 eyelets
Cutter's Must
If the patterns have a double contour, seam allowances are included. If the contour is single, seam allowances are not included. Seam allowances: all seams 1 cm; hem allowance for the dress bottom – 2.0 cm, vent 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 (do not forget to account for paired and symmetrical details).
- From main fabric 1:
- Center back piece - 2 pieces
- Side back piece - 2 pieces
- Detachable center front piece – 2 pieces
- Detachable side front piece - 2 pieces
- Detachable lower front piece - 2 pieces
- Upper sleeve piece - 2 pieces
- Lower sleeve piece - 2 pieces
- Front facing – 2 pieces
- Back neckline facing – 2 pieces
- Front neckline facing – 1 piece
- From main fabric 2:
- Center front piece – 1 piece on fold
- Side front piece - 2 pieces
- Belt – 1 piece
- From trim fabric:
- Collar – 4 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Front facing – 2 pieces
- Back neckline facing – 2 pieces
- Front neckline facing – 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- Fuse interfacing to the front facings and neckline facings.
- Stitch the back princess seams, press allowances towards the center and overlock.
- On the left center back piece, along the vertical edge of the vent, trim 5 cm. On both center back pieces, fuse interfacing to the vent on the wrong side. On the right side, mark the center seam line (vent fold line). Press the left along the vent fold line, on the right, press only the allowance of the right side of the vent (6 cm) to the wrong side. Align the pieces along the center seam and secure at the upper edge of the vent. Overlock the vent allowances. Stitch the center back seam from the mark to the corner of the vent. Clip the corner of the vent seam allowance on the right. Press the center seam allowances open, press the vent allowances and secure them with machine stitching. Insert the zipper.
- Stitch the front princess seams, press allowances towards the center and overlock. Stitch the princess seams of the detachable front piece, press allowances towards the center and overlock. Attach the lower detachable front piece to the upper piece, press allowances upwards and overlock.
- Fold the collar pieces right sides together and stitch the outer edge. Clip allowances at curves, trim at corners. Turn the collar right side out.
- Overlock the outer edge of the neckline facing. Place the facing on the neckline of the inner front piece right sides together, inserting the collar, and stitch the neckline edge. Clip allowances at curves, turn the facing to the wrong side, smooth out, and press.
- Overlock the outer edge of the front facing. Place the front facing on the detachable front piece right sides together and stitch the front edge. Clip allowances at curves, turn the front facing to the wrong side, smooth out, and press.
- Overlock the lower edges of the front pieces, press to the wrong side and hem with blind stitches. Overlap the detachable front piece onto the inner one, secure at the edges and proceed as one piece.
- Overlock the lower edge of the back neckline facing. Place the back neckline facing on the main piece right sides together and stitch the neckline edge precisely up to the marked shoulder seam line. Clip allowances.
- Stitch the shoulder seams, placing the front shoulder seam between the back shoulder seam and the facing. Press allowances towards the back, overlock. Turn pieces right side out, press. Secure the center seam allowances of the facing to the zipper tape.
- Overlock the lower edge of the back. Place the back and front right sides together, align the side seams from the armhole (the back seam is longer than the front seam by the hem allowance width). Fold back the hem allowance of the back bottom and stitch the side seams, placing the front side seam between the back side seam and the hem. Press allowances towards the back, overlock. Turn pieces right side out, press.
- Stitch, press, and overlock the elbow and front sleeve seams. Set in the sleeves into the armhole according to the notches, easing the sleeve cap, press allowances, overlock.
- Fold the cuff piece in half lengthwise right sides together and stitch the short sides. Turn the cuff right side out, smooth out, and press. Overlap the cuff ends, aligning the marks. Attach the cuff to the lower edge of the sleeve, press allowances towards the sleeve, overlock. Topstitch allowances to the main garment with a 0.5 cm seam.
- Press the hem allowance of the back bottom to the wrong side and hem with blind stitches.
- Fold the belt piece in half lengthwise right sides together and stitch around the perimeter, leaving an opening for turning. Turn the belt right side out, smooth out, and press. Close the technical opening.
- Punch eyelets on the detachable front pieces. Thread the belt through them.
