Denim Zipper Front Puffed Sleeve Dress
A women's denim dress ending above the knee, with a notched collar, a front zip from the lapels to the hem, princess seams, a horizontal inset band at the hip carrying belt loops and two narrow belts, short puff sleeves with cuffs and flapped welt pockets on the back. Jeans-style double topstitching throughout.
When To Wear
- Everyday wear in spring and summer, with trainers, sandals or flat boots.
- Over a thin long-sleeved top or with tights in early autumn.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted through the bodice, shaped by princess seams at the front and back, with a straight skirt.
Length: Above the knee; 4 cm hem, overlocked and finished with two parallel rows of topstitching.
Collar: Notched collar and lapels; the lower collar is set into the dress neckline and the interfaced upper collar into the facings. Front edges, lapels and collar topstitched 0.1 and 0.5 cm from the edge.
Closure: Zip sewn into the front edges from the hem up to the lapel break, finished with interfaced front facings.
Sleeves: Short set-in puff sleeves, gathered at the cap between marks and at the lower edge into a cuff topstitched 0.1 and 0.5 cm from the seam.
Front: Upper and lower fronts each made of a centre and a side piece joined by princess seams, connected by a horizontal inset band at the hip.
Back: Same panel and inset construction as the front, with a centre back seam; all seams pressed to one side and double topstitched 0.1 and 0.5 cm from the seam.
Pockets: Two double-welt pockets with pointed flaps on the lower back, below the inset, with lining-fabric pocket bags.
Waist: Double-topstitched belt loops on the inset band hold two narrow belts, each cut 6 cm wide and the waist measurement plus 20 cm long, fastened with a buckle.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Flapped welt pockets, a notched collar with facings, a zip set into the front edges, and even double topstitching on denim.
Fabric Recommendations
Denim and other jeans fabrics.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (front facings, back neck facing, upper collar)
- Zip for the front
- Lining fabric for the pocket bags
- Belt buckle
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Center Upper Front – 2 pieces
- Side Upper Front – 2 pieces
- Center Lower Front Part – 2 pieces
- Side Lower Front – 2 pieces
- Center Upper Back – 2 pieces
- Center Lower Back – 2 pieces
- Side Upper Back – 2 pieces
- Lower Side Back – 2 pieces
- Front Inset – 2 pieces
- Back Inset – 2 pieces
- Upper Collar – 1 piece
- Lower Collar – 1 piece
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Neck Facing – 1 piece
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- Pocket Flap – 4 pieces
- Pocket Facing – 4 pieces
- Belt Loops – as marked on the pattern
- From lining fabric:
- Lower Pocket Lining – 2 pieces
- Upper Pocket Lining – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Center Front Facing, Neck Facing, Upper Collar.
Also cut 2 belt strips 6 cm wide and as long as your waist measurement plus 20 cm (by measurement).
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the Center Front Facings, the Neck Facing and the Upper Collar.
- Place the Upper Collar on the Lower Collar, right sides together, and stitch along the ends and outer edge, starting and ending the stitching exactly at the marked neckline seam line. Trim the seam allowances at the corners and turn the collar right side out. Straighten the seams and press the collar.
- Stitch the Side Upper Back to the Center Upper Back. Press the seam towards the center and serge. Topstitch 0.1 and 0.5 cm from the seam. Stitch the Back Inset to the upper back, press the seam towards the inset and serge. Stitch the Lower Side Back to the Center Lower Back. Press the seam towards the center and serge. Topstitch 0.1 and 0.5 cm from the seam. Stitch the lower back to the Back Inset, press the seam towards the inset and serge.
- Make the back welt pockets with flaps. Fold the Pocket Facings in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press. Mark a stitching line on each Pocket Facing parallel to the fold. Mark a stitching line on each flap parallel to its upper edge, keeping the flap width even along its whole length. Mark lines parallel to the pocket opening for attaching the flap and the facings. Stitch the Pocket Flap pieces together in pairs, turn and press. Stitch the Pocket Facings to the back so that the stitching ends exactly at the end marks of the pocket. Check from the wrong side that the two rows of stitching are parallel. Cut the pocket opening, making diagonal cuts into the corners 1–1.5 cm from each end. Turn the facings through the opening to the wrong side, straighten the edges and adjust the facings so that their pressed folds meet edge to edge. Secure the ends of the pocket from the wrong side with a double row of backstitching across the base of the triangles. Stitch the Upper Pocket Lining to the flap, insert the flap into the pocket and stitch it to the upper facing. Stitch the Lower Pocket Lining into the seam of the lower facing; trim and stitch the pocket bag. Serge the pocket bag edges.
- Stitch the center back seam. Press the seam to the left and serge. Topstitch 0.1 and 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Stitch the Side Upper Front to the Center Upper Front. Press the seam towards the center and serge. Topstitch 0.1 and 0.5 cm from the seam. Stitch the Front Inset to the upper front, press the seam towards the inset and serge. Stitch the Side Lower Front to the Center Lower Front Part. Press the seam towards the center and serge. Topstitch 0.1 and 0.5 cm from the seam. Stitch the lower front to the Front Inset, press the seam towards the inset and serge.
- Stitch the shoulder and side seams of the dress. Press the seam allowances towards the back and serge. Topstitch along the insets 0.1 and 0.5 cm from the seams.
- Place the fronts right sides together and align the edges, checking that the front edges are the same length. Stitch the zipper to the front edges. Fold and press the front edges along the zipper. Place the Center Front Facing on the front, right sides together, pin and stitch along the front edge, from the hem up to the collar mark. Stitch the lower edges of the facings to the fronts exactly along the marked hemline. Trim the seam allowances at the lower corners. Turn the front edges right side out and straighten the seams.
- Stitch, press open and serge the shoulder seams of the Neck Facing and Center Front Facings. Serge the raw outer edge. Stitch the Lower Collar to the neckline of the dress and the Upper Collar to the neckline of the facings. Clip into the corners on the front and on the facing. Press open the collar seam allowances and tack them together close to the seams. Topstitch 0.1 and 0.5 cm from the edge along the front edges, lapels and collar.
- Stitch, serge and press the sleeve seam. Sew a line of long, loose stitches along the sleeve cap and gather it strictly between the marks. Set the sleeve into the armhole and serge the armhole seam. Sew a line of long, loose stitches along the lower edge of the sleeve and gather it to the length of the Cuff. Serge one long edge of the Cuff. Stitch the Cuff into a ring and stitch it to the lower edge of the sleeve, pressing the allowances towards the Cuff. Turn the serged edge of the Cuff to the inside of the sleeve and topstitch 0.1 and 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Serge the hem of the dress, press it to the wrong side and topstitch with two parallel rows of stitching.
- Serge the long edges of the Belt Loops. Fold the allowances inwards and topstitch with two parallel rows. Stitch the loops to the dress, turning under the ends and securing them with a small zigzag; stitch across each loop on the inset, distributing the slack evenly.
- Cut 2 belts 6 cm wide and as long as your waist measurement plus 20 cm. Press them in half lengthwise, turning the allowances inside. Topstitch 0.1 cm from the edges. Put the buckle on the belts and thread them through the loops.
