Belted 3/4 Sleeve Shirt Dress
A below-the-knee women's shirt dress with a notched collar and lapels, a button front to the hem, a bodice shaped with darts, a waist seam, a pleated skirt and 3/4 sleeves with turn-back cuffs. Worn with a buckled self-fabric belt.
When To Wear
- For work and daytime in spring and summer, with low shoes or sandals.
- In autumn with a cardigan or a light coat over it.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted bodice, waist seam, flared skirt.
Length: Below the knee.
Collar: Notched collar with lapels; under collar sewn to the dress neckline, upper collar to the facings.
Sleeves: 3/4 set-in sleeves with turn-back cuffs, interfaced, with a split at the back.
Front: Button front from the lapel break to the hem, 8 buttons, with facings understitched 0.2 cm from the seam. Bust and waist darts on the upper front.
Back: Centre back seam through the bodice and skirt; darts on the upper back.
Skirt: Pleats on the lower front and lower back, folds turned away from the centre.
Waist: Interfaced self-fabric belt, edgestitched 0.1 cm, with a buckle and punched holes.
Finishing: Seams overlocked; hem turned up and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A notched collar set between the dress and the facings, darts and pleats joined at a waist seam, turn-back cuffs, buttonholes.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (collar, front facings, back neckline facing, cuffs, belt)
- 8 buttons
- Buckle
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 — 2.0 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. When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- From main fabric:
- Upper Back – 2 pieces
- Lower Back – 2 pieces
- Upper Front – 2 pieces
- Lower Front – 2 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Back Neckline Facing – 1 piece
- Waistband (belt) – 1 piece
- From fusible interfacing:
- Collar – 1 piece
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Back Neckline Facing – 1 piece
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- Waistband (belt) – 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the designated pieces.
- Stitch the darts on the Upper Back pieces, press the dart intake towards the center. Stitch the center back seams of the Upper Back and Lower Back pieces, press allowances to the left and overlock.
- Fold and baste the pleats on the Lower Back (pleat folds directed away from the center). Join the Upper Back and Lower Back, press allowances upwards and overlock.
- Stitch the darts on the Upper Front pieces. Press the waist darts towards the center and the bust darts upwards. Fold and baste the pleats on the Lower Front (pleat folds directed away from the center). Join the Upper Front and Lower Front, press allowances upwards and overlock.
- Stitch side and shoulder seams, press allowances towards the back and overlock.
- Place the two Collar pieces right sides together and stitch along the ends and outer edge. Start and end stitching precisely at the marked collar attachment line. Trim allowances at corners, clip at the mark. Turn collar right side out, shape and press.
- Stitch and press open the shoulder seams joining the Back Neckline Facing and Center Front Facings. Overlock the outer edge.
- Place the Center Front Facing on the front, right sides together, pin and stitch along the front edge. Stitch upwards to the notch indicating the end of the collar attachment. Trim the seams at the corners. Understitch the front edge seam allowance 0.2 cm from the seam: below the lapel break – to the Center Front Facing, along the lapel – to the front. Turn front edges right side out, shape seams.
- Attach the lower collar to the dress neckline, and the upper collar to the neckline of the Back Neckline Facing and Center Front Facings. Clip collar attachment seam allowances, press open and secure close to the seams.
- Stitch the sleeve seam, press allowances towards the back and overlock. Set sleeves into armholes, matching notches. Press allowances and overlock.
- Fold the Cuff lengthwise in half, right sides together, and stitch the ends from the fold to the mark. Trim allowances at the corner, clip at the mark. Form the cuff into a loop and stitch the sections from the mark to the lower edge. Turn the cuff right side out, shape, press. Attach the cuff to the wrong side of the sleeve, matching the cuff seam with the mark on the sleeve, and stitch. Press allowances and overlock. Turn the cuff to the right side.
- Overlock the lower edge of the garment, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Make buttonholes on the right front and sew buttons on the left front.
- Fold the Waistband (belt) in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch along the long side and one short end. Turn right side out, shape and press. Overlock the open short end. Edgestitch around the perimeter 0.1 cm from the edge. Thread the buckle onto the overlocked end of the belt and secure it. Make the eyelet holes.
