Sewing Instructions
- Fuse FUSIBLE INTERFACING to the main fabric pattern pieces above the waistline.
- Stitch the center seam and darts on the FRONT PANEL. Overcast the SEAM ALLOWANCES. Press the center seam to the left, and the darts towards the center.
- Stitch the BACK PANEL dart seams and the center seam, leaving the slit for the ZIPPER open. Overcast, press the darts towards the center.
- Stitch the side seams, overcast, press towards the front.
- Attach the ZIPPER so that the teeth are not visible.
- Fold the back straps right sides together along the fold line and stitch along the long side. Turn the straps right side out, press, and baste to the upper edges of the back side panels.
- From BIAS BINDING, create the narrowest possible rouleau loop. Cut it into 3 parts and shape each segment into a loop. Baste the loops to the end of the left strap, with the tops of the loops resting on the strap and the ends of the loops on the SEAM ALLOWANCE of the edge. The size of the loop depends on the button diameter.
- Stitch the LINING pattern pieces the same way as the main pieces. Place the LINING and the dress right sides together and stitch the upper edges of the back from the ZIPPER, the armhole edges, the outer edges of the straps, and the neckline edges of the FRONT PANEL. On the front straps, leave an unstitched section between the NOTCHES for the upper ends of the back straps. Trim the SEAM ALLOWANCES to 2-3 mm from the stitching, diagonally at the ends of the straps, and slash the SEAM ALLOWANCE perpendicularly to the seam at the neckline corners, stopping 1 mm before the stitching. Slash the SEAM ALLOWANCE at the transverse NOTCHES. Fold the LINING to the wrong side, baste, and press. Fold under the LINING and sew it to the ZIPPER tape.
- Pin the upper ends of the back straps under the ends of the front straps. Try on the dress, adjust the length of the straps, and stitch to the open edges of the front straps, not catching the LINING. Fold under the LINING and sew it over the stitching line.
- Overcast the hem allowance, press to the wrong side, and hem with blind stitches. Finish the LINING hem with a turned-under seam so that the LINING is 1.5-2 cm shorter than the dress.
- Sew buttons to the end of the right strap according to the loops.
