Half-Zip Drawstring Waist Safari Shirt Dress
A women's knee-length shirt dress in safari style with a shirt collar, a zip-fastened front placket, box-pleated chest pockets with buttoned flaps and a drawstring through a casing at the waist.
When To Wear
- Warm-weather days in town or when travelling, with flat sandals or trainers.
- Spring and early autumn, with a light jacket or cardigan over it.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Straight cut, drawn in at the waist by the drawstring.
Length: Around the knee, with side slits at the hem.
Collar: Shirt collar of an upper and an under collar, topstitched 0.5 cm from the edge, over a V-shaped opening.
Sleeves: Short set-in sleeves with a roll-up tab and button on each sleeve; hems turned up twice.
Closure: Zip set into a front placket, topstitched 0.2 cm from the edge.
Pockets: Two patch chest pockets with a box pleat and buttoned flaps; two single-welt pockets on the skirt front.
Back: Back yoke topstitched 0.5 cm from the seam; back cut on the fold.
Waist: Topstitched casing on the outside of the dress with a tie threaded through, about waist measurement plus 50 cm long.
Finishing: Yoke and shoulder seams topstitched 0.5 cm; hem allowance 3.5 cm.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Single-welt pockets, a zip set into a slashed placket, pleated patch pockets with flaps, side slits and a two-layer collar.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric for pocket bags
- Fusible interfacing (placket, collar, welts, flaps, back neck facing, side slits)
- Zip
- 4 buttons
Cutter's Must
If the patterns have a double contour, they include seam allowances. If the contour is single, the patterns do not include seam allowances. Seam allowances: Hem allowance – 3.5 cm, sleeve allowance – 3 cm; upper edge of upper pocket – 2 cm; placket slit allowance – 6 cm; other seams – 1 cm. 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 (do not forget to account for paired and symmetrical details).
- From main fabric:
- Back yoke - 1 piece
- Back - 1 piece on fold
- Front - 1 piece on fold
- Placket – 1 piece
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Back neckline facing – 1 piece
- Sleeve tab – 2 pieces
- Upper pocket – 2 pieces
- Welt – 2 pieces
- Flap – 2 pieces
- Casing – 1 piece
- From fusible interfacing:
- Placket – 1 piece
- Collar – 1 piece
- Welt – 2 pieces
- Flap – 2 pieces
- Back neckline facing – 1 piece
- From lining fabric:
- Large pocket bag - 2 pieces
- Small pocket bag – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- Interface details with fusible interfacing.
- Stitch yoke to back, overlock allowances and press up. Topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Mark pocket placement. Press welt in half lengthwise, wrong sides together. Stitch small pocket bag to the wrong side of the welt. Stitch welt to front along the lower pocket marking line. Stitch large pocket bag to front along the upper pocket marking line. Stitching ends at the short marking lines. Cut pocket opening. Make diagonal cuts 1-1.5 cm from the end of the pocket. Turn welt and large pocket bag to the wrong side through the opening. Secure pocket ends from the wrong side with a double backstitch at the base of the corners. Stitch pocket bag edges.
- Overlock the upper allowance of the upper pockets, press to the wrong side and topstitch. Form and secure the box pleat. Press side and bottom allowances of pockets to the wrong side. Place pockets on the front according to markings and topstitch. Fold flap pieces right sides together and stitch around. Clip curves and turn right side out. Straighten seams and press. Topstitch 0.5 cm from the edge. Overlock the free edge of the flaps. Make buttonholes on the flaps. Stitch flaps to the front above the upper pockets, turn down and topstitch.
- Stitch shoulder seams, press allowances up and overlock. Topstitch 0.5 cm from the edge.
- On the front and back pieces, interface the slit from the wrong side. On the right side, mark the side seam line (slit fold line). Press back along the slit fold line, on the front, press only the allowance of the right side of the slit (6 cm) to the wrong side. Align pieces along the seam and secure at the upper edge of the slit. Overlock side edges separately on each piece. Overlock slit allowances. Stitch side seam from the upper edge to the corner of the slit. Clip the corner of the slit seam allowance on the front. Press seam allowances open, press slit allowances and secure them with machine stitching.
- Press short sides of casing to the wrong side and topstitch. Press long allowances of casing to the wrong side, place casing on the dress according to markings and topstitch with two parallel rows of stitching.
- Place upper collar with lower collar right sides together. Stitch ends and outer edge of collar. Trim seams. Turn collar right side out, straighten and press. Topstitch 0.5 cm from the edge. Turn finished collar and press.
- Unzip the zipper. Place zipper on the wrong side of the front, right side down, teeth pointing away from the center, and topstitch with two parallel rows of stitching. Place placket and facing on the wrong side of the dress and stitch around the neckline and along the zipper. Cut front and placket lengthwise in the middle along the marked line. Make diagonal cuts 1-1.5 cm from the end of the marked line. Trim allowances, clip curves. Turn facing and placket to the right side, tuck the lower of the zipper between the front and facing. Move zipper slider up, close zipper. Secure lower corner with a stitch across the zipper. Press placket and facing allowances inwards and topstitch from the right side 0.2 cm from the edge.
- Fold sleeve tab right sides together and stitch along the long and one short side. Trim allowances, turn right side out and press. Make buttonholes. Stitch tab to the inner of the sleeve according to markings.
- Stitch sleeve seam, press allowances to the back and overlock. Set sleeve into armhole, press allowances and overlock.
- Overlock hem of garment, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Fold sleeve hem allowance inwards by 1 cm, then by 2 cm and topstitch.
- Sew buttons onto upper pockets and sleeves.
- Cut a tie of desired length (approximately waist circumference + 50 cm) and 4 cm width. Press tie in half lengthwise, right side out. Then unfold and press long edges to the marked center line. Fold short allowances inwards and stitch tie lengthwise 0.1 cm from the edge. Thread tie through casing.
