Girls Collared Button Front Gathered Dress
Presenting a charming girls' dress pattern featuring a classic collar, a button-front bodice with playful gathers at the waist, and practical patch pockets.
When To Wear
This delightful dress is versatile for various occasions, perfect for:
- Everyday Wear: Its comfortable fit and charming style make it ideal for daily activities and casual outings.
- School & Playdates: a durable and stylish option for school days or fun gatherings with friends.
- Special Outings: Easily dressed up for family events, holidays, or birthday parties.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: a relaxed, a-line silhouette with a fitted bodice flowing into a generously gathered skirt.
Neckline & Collar: a classic shirt collar with a stand frames the neckline, leading to a full button-front closure.
Closure: a series of buttons extends down the center front of the bodice, providing easy dressing.
Sleeves: Long sleeves feature gathered cuffs, edged with a contrasting trim, adding a sweet detail.
Pockets: Two prominent, rounded patch pockets are positioned on the front skirt, perfect for little treasures.
Back: The back features a decorative rounded overlay at the upper bodice, with gathers at the waist seam mirroring the front.
Waist: An empire waistline is defined by soft gathers where the bodice meets the skirt, creating fullness and ease of movement.
Length: The skirt falls to an above-knee length, practical for active wear.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Requires skills in collar construction, bodice lining assembly, gathering techniques, and setting in sleeves.
Fabric Recommendations
Choose comfortable, medium-weight woven fabrics with good drape for this dress:
- Cotton fabrics
- Wool fabrics
- Blended dress fabrics
Additional Supplies
- 15 cm fusible interfacing, 60 cm wide
- 60 cm knit trim, 2 cm wide
- 8 buttons, 12 mm diameter
Sewing Instructions
- Reinforce the outer collar piece with fusible interfacing (Heat-activated interfacings are ironed onto the wrong side of the piece with a hot iron).
- Stitch the side seam allowances of the outer bodice and press the seam allowances open; stitch the shoulder seam allowances of the outer bodice, press the seam allowances towards the back and topstitch.
- Similarly, stitch the inner bodice pieces.
- Fold the outer and inner bodice pieces right sides together, stitch along the front edges and the neckline extensions for the fastener up to the marking; turn right side out, press, baste along the armholes and neckline.
- Cut a suitable length of knit trim strip and bind the rounded edge of the decorative back overlay.
- Pin the overlay, turned upwards, right side up onto the outer back of the bodice according to the marking.
- Construct the "sleeve" - Gather the sleeve cap with small, frequent stitches between the indicated notches and pull the thread until it matches the corresponding distance on the garment's armhole. Dampen the fabric and shrink the gathers with the tip of a hot iron.
- Stitch the sleeve seam allowances and press the seam allowances open.
- Pin the sleeve to the garment, aligning the control notches, and stitch, sewing from the sleeve side, press the seam allowances towards the armhole and topstitch.
- Cut two suitable lengths of knit trim strip, stitch each length into a ring and bind the bottom of the sleeves.
- Fold the collar pieces right sides together, stitch along the outer edges; turn right side out and press.
- Place the collar, turned downwards, right side up onto the bodice, aligning the control notches, and attach the inner (unreinforced) collar piece to the neckline; press the seam allowances towards the collar, turn the open edge of the upper (reinforced) collar piece inwards and attach to the neckline.
- Attach the side panels of the skirt to the central panels, aligning the control notches, press the seam allowances towards the side panels and topstitch at 5 mm.
- Press the top hem of the pocket inwards, turn under the edge and topstitch with a double stitch.
- Press the open edges of the pocket inwards and attach the pocket to the skirt according to the marking.
- Finish the edge of the integrated skirt facing with a machine-stitched hem.
- Gather the top of the skirt (excluding the integrated facing) to match the length of the bodice.
- Stitch the waist seam allowances, aligning the bodice control notches with the skirt side attachment seam allowances and attaching the integrated skirt facing to the inner front; overlock the seam allowances, press towards the bodice and topstitch.
- Press the integrated skirt facings and topstitch along the edge of the collar and the dress front edges.
- Press the dress bottom hem inwards, turn under the edge and topstitch along the edge; topstitch along the bottom of the skirt.
- Work buttonholes on the right front edge according to the marking; sew on buttons.
