Sleeveless Dress With Pleated Front Flounce
A sleeveless, lined women's sheath dress with princess seams front and back and a flounce faced in contrast fabric that is laid in pleats along the right front princess seam. Contrast plackets edge the armholes, shoulder straps fasten with a button, and the neckline is bound with contrast bias.
When To Wear
- At the office and business events, on its own or under a jacket.
- For dinners and daytime celebrations in spring and summer.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted sheath shaped by princess seams running from the armholes, front and back.
Length: Above the knee.
Neckline: Round, cut without seam allowance and bound with a 4.5 cm contrast bias strip.
Sleeves: Sleeveless. Each armhole is edged with a folded contrast placket; a two-layer shoulder strap is stitched over it and finished with a button.
Front: Centre front in two parts: an upper part with darts pressed upwards, joined by a curved seam under the bust to the lower part. The flounce, made of main fabric faced with contrast fabric, is topstitched to the front along three marked lines and folded into pleats that are caught into the right princess seam; below the mark the centre front edge is turned under and topstitched and lies free under the flounce.
Back: Shoulder darts, princess seams, and a centre back seam with an invisible zip.
Finishing: 3 cm hem allowance, overlocked and hemmed with a blind stitch.
Lining: Lined, with the lining 25 cm shorter than the dress; it faces the armholes, is slipstitched to the zip tape and its hem is turned under twice and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Advanced. A faced, pleated flounce set into a princess seam with partial stitching, armhole plackets with straps, an invisible zip, a lining and bias binding.
Fabric Recommendations
Lightweight suiting fabrics of natural or blended fibres, with a contrast fabric for the trim.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Contrast fabric (flounce facing, armhole plackets, neckline bias binding)
- Invisible zip
- 2 buttons
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Center Back – 2 pieces
- Side Back – 2 pieces
- Side Front – 2 pieces
- Center Upper Front – 1 piece
- Center Lower Front Part – 1 piece
- Flounce – 1 piece
- Shoulder Strap – 4 pieces
- From contrast fabric:
- Armhole Placket – 2 pieces
- Flounce – 1 piece
- From lining fabric:
- Center Back – 2 pieces
- Side Back – 2 pieces
- Side Front – 2 pieces
- Center Front (Center Upper Front + Center Lower Front Part joined) – 1 piece
Lining pieces are cut from the main pattern pieces. For the lining center front, join the Center Upper Front and Center Lower Front Part along the seam line. The lining is 25 cm shorter than the dress. Also cut a 4.5 cm wide bias strip from contrast fabric for the neckline (length = neckline length + 4 cm).
Sewing Instructions
- Stitch the shoulder darts on the Center Back pieces. Press the darts towards the center back 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 the seam allowances open.
- Place the main-fabric and contrast Flounce pieces right sides together and stitch along the outer edge between the "arrows", then skip a section, then stitch from the mark to the side seam. Clip the seam allowances at the start and end of the stitching, turn right side out, press and straighten the seams. Clip the edge section marked with a wavy line, turn it under 1 cm and topstitch this allowance to the front along the markings. Fold the flounce to the right side and topstitch it to the front along the three lines, matching the markings on the flounce and the front. Baste the flounce to the front along the upper edge. Lay the pleats on the flounce as shown in the technical drawing and baste them to the princess seam edge.
- Stitch the darts on the Center Upper Front. Press the darts upwards. Stitch the Center Upper Front to the Center Lower Front Part. Overlock the seam and press it towards the upper part.
- On the center front, clip the seam allowance at the lower mark on the right princess edge. Overlock the edge from the mark to the hem, turn it under 1 cm and topstitch. Stitch the right Side Front to the center front: from the hem to the first mark, stitch only the flounce and the Side Front; from the mark to the armhole, stitch the flounce, Side Front and center front together. Press the seam towards the Side Front and overlock. Stitch the left Side Front to the center front. Press the seam towards the Side Front and overlock.
- Stitch the back princess seams (Center Back to Side Back), press the allowances towards the center and overlock. Stitch the shoulder seams and press the allowances open.
- Place the Shoulder Straps in pairs right sides together and stitch the long sides and the end. Trim the seam allowances, turn right side out, baste and press.
- Armhole Plackets: press the short ends 2 cm to the inside. Fold each placket in half lengthwise and press. Stitch the plackets to the armholes. Stitch the Shoulder Strap to the armhole seam allowance over the placket. Clip the armhole seam allowance, fold the placket with the strap outwards and press the seam towards the back and front.
- Stitch the side seams, press the seams towards the back and overlock.
- Sew the lining pieces together. Place the lining and the dress right sides together and stitch around the armholes, keeping the plackets folded inside. Press the seam allowances and clip them at the curves. Turn the dress right side out, baste and press. Turn under the lining center back allowances and slipstitch them to the zipper tape. Baste the lining to the dress along the neckline. Turn the lower edge of the lining twice to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Cut a bias strip from contrast fabric 4.5 cm wide and equal to the neckline length + 4 cm. Bind the neckline edge with the bias strip, turning the ends in.
- Overlock the lower edge of the dress, press it to the wrong side by the hem allowance and hem with a blind stitch.
- Sew the buttons onto the Shoulder Straps.
