Halter Neck Paneled Bodice Maxi Dress
A women's floor-length dress with a lined, close-fitting long bodice: interfaced two-part bust cups, a centre front seam with stacked insets, halter straps tied behind the neck and an open back closed by a tie bow. The bodice is joined at the low hip to a flared skirt.
When To Wear
- Summer weddings, garden parties and evening events.
- Holidays and warm evenings, with flat sandals or heels.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Close-fitting bodice to the low hip, then a flared skirt.
Length: Floor length; hem overlocked, turned up and topstitched 0.5 cm from the edge.
Neckline: Halter: two straps, each cut double, stitched and turned, attached to the cups and tied at the back of the neck.
Front: Bust cups in two parts (inner and outer), interfaced; below them a centre front seam with upper, middle and lower insets on each side, and side front panels.
Back: Open above a lower centre back panel. Two ties, each cut double, are set into the seams between the centre back and side back panels and tied in a bow across the back.
Closure: Invisible zip in the centre back seam.
Skirt: Flared, cut in a front and a back piece; joined to the bodice at the low hip, seam pressed towards the skirt.
Lining: Bodice lined with the same panels, sewn to the bodice along the back panel seams and the top edge, clipped and turned. The main fabric can be used as lining.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Two-part bust cups, many small insets meeting at a centre front seam, an invisible zip finished with a lining, and a bodice bagged out with straps and ties caught in the seams.
Fabric Recommendations
Fabrics in natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric for the bodice (or the main fabric)
- Invisible zip
- Fusible interfacing (bust cups)
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Center Back – 2 pieces
- Side Back – 2 pieces
- Bow – 4 pieces
- Upper Front Inset – 2 pieces
- Middle Front Inset – 2 pieces
- Lower Front Inset – 2 pieces
- Inner Cup – 2 pieces
- Outer Cup – 2 pieces
- Side Front – 2 pieces
- Strap – 4 pieces
- Front Skirt – 1 piece
- Back Skirt – 1 piece
- From lining:
- Center Back – 2 pieces
- Side Back – 2 pieces
- Upper Front Inset – 2 pieces
- Middle Front Inset – 2 pieces
- Lower Front Inset – 2 pieces
- Inner Cup – 2 pieces
- Outer Cup – 2 pieces
- Side Front – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Inner Cup – 2 pieces
- Outer Cup – 2 pieces
The main fabric can be used as lining. Seam allowances: all seams 1 cm.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the Inner Cup and Outer Cup pieces.
- Stitch the Outer Cup to the Inner Cup. Overlock the seam allowances and press towards the center.
- Stitch the Middle Front Inset to the Upper Front Inset and the Lower Front Inset. Overlock the seam allowances and press towards the Middle Front Inset.
- Stitch the assembled front insets to the Side Front. Overlock the seam allowances and press towards the center front.
- Stitch the Side Back to the front (side seams). Overlock the seam allowances and press towards the back.
- Stitch the cup to the assembled pieces. Overlock the seam allowances and press towards the cup.
- Stitch the center front seam. Overlock the seam allowances and press.
- Assemble the lining pieces in the same way.
- Stitch the invisible zipper into the center back seam of the Center Back pieces.
- Place each Center Back right sides together with its lining. Stopping 5 mm short of the zipper edges, fold the lining back and pin it to the upper edge of the dress. Fold the seam allowances along the zipper to the right side of the dress and pin them to the upper edge over the lining. Stitch along the upper edge. Turn the seam allowances along the zipper to the wrong side. Fold the lining up and understitch it to the seam allowance 1–2 mm from the seam. Turn the lining to the wrong side and stitch it to the zipper tape. Press.
- Place the Bow pieces right sides together and stitch along three sides. Turn the ties right side out and press.
- Stitch the Bow ties and the Center Back to the Side Back. Overlock the seam allowances and press towards the side seam.
- Place the Strap pieces right sides together and stitch along three sides. Turn the straps right side out and press. Stitch the straps to the cups.
- Fold the straps, ties and Center Back towards the right side of the front. Place the bodice and the lining right sides together and stitch along three sides: along the seams joining the Center Back and Side Back, and then along the upper edge. Clip the allowances, turn right side out and press.
- Stitch the side seams of the Front Skirt and Back Skirt. Overlock the seam allowances and press towards the back.
- Stitch the bodice to the skirt. Overlock the seam allowances and press towards the skirt.
- Overlock the lower edge of the dress, fold under and topstitch 0.5 cm from the lower edge.
