Sleeveless Wrap V-Neck Midi Dress
A sleeveless women's midi dress with a lined crossover V-neck bodice, a waistband whose front overlap carries two decorative buttons, and a full skirt pleated into the waist seam. A concealed zipper closes the centre back.
When To Wear
- In summer for daytime events, garden parties and dinners.
- On holiday with sandals, or with a light cardigan in the evening.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted bodice and waist, skirt widening to a full hem.
Length: Midi, below the knee.
Neckline: Deep V formed by the right front crossing over the left; round neckline at the back.
Sleeves: Sleeveless; neckline and armholes finished by the lining.
Front: Two upper fronts gathered between marks at the lower edge; the right front and right waistband lie over the left.
Waist: Waistband in four parts with a faced extension at the right front; two decorative buttons on the overlap.
Skirt: Front cut on the fold, back in two pieces; pleats set along the waist edge, turned towards the centre.
Back: Upper back with darts, back waistband, centre back seam.
Closure: Concealed zipper in the centre back seam.
Finishing: Hem turned up 2 cm and topstitched.
Lining: Bodice lined, cut from the same pattern pieces as the upper front and back.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A lined bodice with armholes turned in two stages, a faced waistband overlap with clipped corners, pleats and a concealed zipper.
Fabric Recommendations
Light dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Concealed zipper
- 2 decorative 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: all seams 1 cm; hem allowance for the dress bottom – 2 cm. Attention! First, print out the paper patterns and lay them out on the fabric width (fabric width can range from 90cm to 150cm) to determine how much material you will need (don't forget to account for paired and symmetrical pieces). The lining pieces are cut from the main fabric pattern pieces!
- From main fabric:
- Upper Back – 2 pieces
- Back Waistband – 2 pieces
- Lower Back – 2 pieces
- Upper Front – 2 pieces
- Lower Front – 1 piece on fold
- Front Waistband – 2 pieces
- Waistband Facing – 1 piece
- From lining fabric:
- Upper Back – 2 pieces
- Upper Front – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- Fold the pleats along the top edge of the Lower Front and Lower Back and baste them in place. The pleats face towards the centre.
- Stitch the darts on the Upper Back pieces in main fabric and lining, press them towards the centre.
- Stitch the shoulder and side seams of the bodice in main fabric and in lining. Press the seams open.
- Place the bodice and the lining right sides together and stitch around the neckline. Stitch the armholes in two stages: first the front armhole, then the back armhole. Clip the seam allowances at the curves and turn the lining to the wrong side.
- Baste the bodice and lining together along the lower edge. Along the lower edge of the Upper Front, between the marks, sew a line of stitching with loosened upper thread and gather.
- Stitch the Front Waistband pieces to the Back Waistband pieces. Overlock the seams and press towards the back.
- Stitch the waistband to the Upper Front and Upper Back, overlock the seam allowances and press them downwards. Place the Waistband Facing on the right Front Waistband and stitch along the centre and lower edges. Start and end the stitching exactly at the marked seam line. Clip the lower seam allowance of the facing and waistband, stopping 0.1 cm from the end of the stitching. Trim the seam allowance at the corner and turn to the wrong side. Clip the upper seam allowance of the Waistband Facing at the end of the marked upper seam line. Turn under the upper seam allowance of the facing and topstitch it into the joining seam. Lap the right side of the dress over the left, baste along the centre line and stitch the Waistband Facing to the left Front Waistband. Overlock the seam allowance.
- Stitch the side seams of the Lower Front and Lower Back. Overlock the seam allowances and press towards the back. Stitch the skirt to the waistband, folding the right Upper Front out of the way. The marks on the lower edge of the waistband match the centre pleats.
- Overlock the centre back edges of each piece separately. Stitch the centre back seam from the zipper mark to the hem, press the seam open. Insert the concealed zipper.
- Overlock the hem of the dress, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Sew the decorative buttons onto the waistband.
