Dress with Decorative Front and Back Pleats

Name: Dress with Decorative Front and Back Pleats
Brand: Minerva Patterns
SKU: 5826
Price: 5.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

Pattern #5826

A sleeveless women's dress with a lined princess-seamed bodice, a dropped waist seam at the hip and a skirt with two pleats at the front and two at the back, in line with the princess seams; the top of each pleat extends above the waist seam and is topstitched onto the bodice. Drafted to your own measurements. Recommended fabric: dress fabrics from natural or blended fibres.

Tech. Description

Dress with Decorative Front and Back Pleats

When To Wear

Office wear in spring and summer, alone or under a cropped jacket.
Over a thin blouse or fine knit top in cooler months.

Key Design Features

Silhouette: Long, fitted bodice to the hip, with a slightly flared skirt below.

Length: Below the knee; 3 cm hem allowance, turned under 1 cm and topstitched.

Neckline: Round neckline finished with the lining and topstitched 0.2 cm from the edge.

Sleeves: Sleeveless; armholes finished with the lining and topstitched 0.2 cm from the edge.

Front: One-piece centre front and two side fronts joined by princess seams from the shoulder, pressed towards the centre and topstitched 0.1 cm from the seam.

Back: Centre back and side back panels with princess seams topstitched in the same way; centre back seam.

Closure: Invisible zip in the centre back seam, from the neckline down to a notch; the lining is attached to the zip tape.

Skirt: One-piece front and back skirts joined to the bodice at the hip. Each skirt has two pleats sewn as stitched folds with the seam centred inside; their upper ends are folded under and topstitched onto the bodice.

Lining: Bodice lined to the waist seam.

Level Of Difficulty

Intermediate. Princess seams with edge topstitching, a lined bodice finished at the neck and armholes, an invisible zip and pleats with clipped corners set into the waist seam.

Fabric Recommendations

Dress fabrics from natural or blended fibres.

Additional Supplies

Lining fabric
Invisible zip

Cutter's Must

From main fabric:

Center Back – 2 pieces
Side Back – 2 pieces
Side Front – 2 pieces
Center Front – 1 piece
Back Skirt – 1 piece
Front Skirt – 1 piece

From lining fabric:

Center Back – 2 pieces
Side Back – 2 pieces
Side Front – 2 pieces
Center Front – 1 piece

Sewing Instructions

Stitch the princess seams of the front and back, press seam allowances towards the center and topstitch 0.1 cm from the seam.
Overlock the center back edges. Insert the invisible zipper from the top edge to the notch. Fold back the lower end of the zipper and stitch the center back seam from the notch downwards. Press seam allowances open.
Stitch the side and shoulder seams, press seam allowances open.
Stitch the lining pieces similarly to the main fabric pieces. Place the lining and main fabric right sides together and stitch the neckline and armhole edges. Press seam allowances, clip curves. Turn the bodice right side out, baste, press. Topstitch 0.2 cm from the seam along the neckline and armholes. Fold under the seam allowances of the center back seam of the lining fabric and secure to the zipper tape. Secure the lining to the main fabric at the bottom edge.
On the Front Skirt and Back Skirt, clip the seam allowances at the corners near the pleats and overlock the upper and side edges of the pleats. Fold the long edges of each pleat right sides together and stitch, press seam allowances open. Turn the pleat right side out and press, centering the seam. Press the upper seam allowance of the pleat inwards.
Stitch, press towards the back, and overlock the side seams of the Front Skirt and Back Skirt. Join the skirt to the bodice and stitch, folding the pleats out of the way. Press seam allowances upwards and overlock. Topstitch the upper folded edge of the pleat to the bodice.
Press the bottom edge of the garment to the wrong side to the hem width, fold inwards by 1 cm and topstitch.