Tailored Princess Seam Dress
A sleeveless, close-fitting women's dress of about knee length, with armhole princess seams on the bodice front and back, a waist seam, a centre front seam ending in an inverted pleat at the hem, and a centre back zip.
When To Wear
- Office and daytime wear in spring and summer.
- Over a fine top or blouse, or under a jacket or cardigan in cooler weather.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Close-fitting bodice joined to a straight skirt at a horizontal waist seam.
Length: About knee length.
Neckline: Round neckline, finished together with the armholes by an all-in-one facing.
Sleeves: Sleeveless.
Front: Bodice cut as centre front and side front panels with princess seams from the armholes, plus a centre front seam. The front skirt has waist darts and a centre front seam that opens into an inverted pleat, held at the top.
Back: Bodice with princess seams from the armholes; back skirt with waist darts; centre back seam with a zip.
Closure: Zip in the centre back seam, the facing edges stitched to the zip tape.
Finishing: Interfaced neckline and armhole facing, understitched 0.2 cm from the seam; hem turned up and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Princess seams matched to a waist seam, an inverted pleat in a centre seam, a back zip and an all-in-one neck and armhole facing.
Fabric Recommendations
Cotton, linen, or fabrics with an added share of synthetic fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Zip for the centre back
- Fusible interfacing (front and back facings)
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Center Back – 2 pieces
- Side Back – 2 pieces
- Back Skirt – 2 pieces
- Side Front – 2 pieces
- Center Front – 2 pieces
- Front Skirt – 2 pieces
- Front Facing – 1 piece
- Back Facing – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: Front Facing, Back Facing.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse fusible interfacing to the front facing and back facing.
- Join the Side Front pieces to the Center Front pieces. Overlock the seam and press towards the center of the front. Stitch the center seam of the front. Overlock the seam and press to the left side.
- Join the Side Back pieces to the Center Back pieces. Overlock the seam and press towards the center of the back.
- Stitch the darts on the Front Skirt and Back Skirt pieces. Press the darts towards the center.
- Overlock the center front edges of the Front Skirt. Stitch the center seam down to the pleat. Stitch the vertical edge of the pleat. Press the pleat open evenly to both sides (inverted pleat). Secure the pleat at the top.
- Join the Front Skirt to the bodice front. Overlock the seam and press it towards the skirt.
- Join the Back Skirt to the bodice back. Overlock the seam and press it towards the skirt.
- Overlock the center seam of the back. Stitch the center back seam from the hem up to the zipper notch. Press the center seam of the back open, press the zipper opening. Insert the zipper.
- Stitch the side and shoulder seams of the dress. Overlock the side and shoulder seams. Press the seams towards the back.
- Stitch the shoulder and side seams of the Front Facing and Back Facing, press the seams open. Overlock the outer edge of the facing. Place the facing on the garment right sides together and stitch around the front and back neckline. Stitch the armholes in two stages: first the upper part of the armhole, then the lower part. Understitch the seam allowances to the facing 0.2 cm from the seam. Turn the facing to the wrong side and press. Stitch the center back edges of the facing to the zipper tape allowances.
- Press the hem allowance of the dress to the wrong side, turn under and topstitch.
