Collar Utility Dress with Elasticated Tie Waist
A sleeveless girls' dress in utility style, cut in vertical panels with front and back yokes, a high tube collar with ties, flapped patch pockets on the chest and lower front, and an elasticated band with ties applied at the dropped waist. All seams carry a double row of contrast topstitching.
When To Wear
- School and everyday wear in spring and summer.
- Over a long-sleeved T-shirt or thin turtleneck in cooler weather.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Straight shift shape, with vertical panel seams running from the yokes to the hem at front and back.
Length: Above the knee, finished with a separate hem band.
Collar: High tube collar, each layer stitched into a ring, edge topstitched 0.1 cm and 2 cm; two narrow ties sewn to the front.
Sleeves: Sleeveless; armholes finished with 4 cm bias strips turned to the inside and topstitched. Shoulder straps (epaulettes) stitched in 3 cm from the armhole and held with a button.
Front: Front yoke, centre front and two side fronts with a dart; no fastening.
Pockets: Two chest patch pockets under pointed flaps caught in at the yoke; two large lower patch pockets with flaps stitched above them, turned down and topstitched 0.7 cm from the edge. All flaps have buttonholes and button down.
Back: Back yoke, centre back and two side backs.
Waist: A separate band stitched into a ring, threaded with 3 cm elastic and topstitched onto the dress at hip level along both edges; two narrow ties sewn to the front.
Finishing: Double contrast topstitching 0.1 cm and 0.7 cm from the edge along the panel and yoke seams and around the pockets, flaps and shoulder straps.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Many small pieces, accurate double topstitching, interfaced flaps with buttonholes, an elasticated applied band and a two-layer tube collar.
Fabric Recommendations
Cotton blouse or dress fabrics with added elastane.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (flaps, shoulder straps, tie placement on the band and collar)
- 7 buttons
- Elastic, 3 cm wide
- Contrast topstitching thread
- Bias strips 4 cm wide for the armholes
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Center Back – 1 piece
- Side Back – 2 pieces
- Back Yoke – 1 piece
- Side Front – 2 pieces
- Center Front – 1 piece
- Front Yoke – 2 pieces
- Waistband – 1 piece
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Placket – 1 piece
- Right Pocket – 1 piece
- Left Pocket – 1 piece
- Lower Pocket – 2 pieces
- Lower Flap – 4 pieces
- Right Flap – 2 pieces
- Left Flap – 2 pieces
- Shoulder Strap – 4 pieces
- Collar ties – 2 strips, 3 × 8 cm each (cut by measurement)
- Waistband ties – 2 strips, 3 × 16 cm each (cut by measurement)
- From fusible interfacing:
- Lower Flap – 2 pieces
- Right Flap – 1 piece
- Left Flap – 1 piece
- Shoulder Strap – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
- Note: along the seams and around the pockets, flaps and shoulder straps, topstitch a double row with contrast thread, 0.1 cm and 0.7 cm from the edge.
- Fuse the interfacing to the flap and shoulder strap pieces.
- Place the flap pieces (Lower Flap, Right Flap, Left Flap) right sides together and stitch along the outer edge on 3 sides. Clip the seam allowances at the corners and turn the flaps right side out. Ease out the seams and press. Topstitch a double row along the flap edges. Make the Shoulder Straps in the same way. Work buttonholes on the flaps.
- Press the upper seam allowance of the pockets (Right Pocket, Left Pocket, Lower Pocket) to the wrong side, turn under and topstitch. Press the side and lower seam allowances to the wrong side.
- Mark and stitch the dart on the Side Front. Press the dart upwards.
- Stitch the panel seams of the front (Center Front and Side Fronts) and back (Center Back and Side Backs). Press the seam allowances towards the center and serge them. Topstitch a double row.
- Mark the pocket and flap placement. Topstitch the patch pockets in place with a double row. Stitch the Lower Flap to the front, turn it down and topstitch with a single row 0.7 cm from the edge. Baste the upper flaps (Right Flap, Left Flap) to the front at the notches.
- Stitch the Front Yoke and Back Yoke to the front and back. Serge the seam and press it upwards. Topstitch a double row along the seam.
- Stitch the shoulder seams. Press the seams towards the back and serge. Cut bias strips 4 cm wide for the armholes. Press the bias strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides together. Place the binding on the armhole edge right sides together and stitch. Turn the binding to the wrong side and press. Stitch the side seams. Press the seams towards the back and serge. Topstitch the binding to the wrong side along its fold.
- Fold the Placket right sides together and stitch the short ends into a ring. Press the seam. Turn the Placket right side out, fold it in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press. Stitch the inner layer of the Placket to the lower edge of the dress. Turn under the raw edge of the outer layer and topstitch it over the seam with a double row.
- Fold the tie strips in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch 0.5 cm from the edge. Turn them right side out and press. Join the elastic into a ring, butting the ends together, with a zigzag stitch. Stitch the short ends of the Waistband into a ring and press the seam. Press the seam allowances to the inside along the upper and lower edges. Reinforce the tie placement on the wrong side of the Waistband with interfacing. Sew the waistband ties to the right side of the Waistband. Insert the elastic into the Waistband, stretching it slightly. Mark the waistband position on the dress. Stitch the Waistband in place with a double row along the upper and lower edges.
- On the outer Collar piece, reinforce the tie placement on the wrong side with interfacing. Sew the collar ties to the right side. Stitch each Collar piece into a ring and press the seam. Place the Collar pieces right sides together and stitch along the outer edge. Turn the collar right side out and press. Topstitch a double row along the edge, 0.1 cm and 2 cm from it.
- Sew the outer collar into the neckline, turn under the open edge of the inner collar and topstitch it over the seam.
- On the wrong side, stitch the Shoulder Straps 3 cm from the armhole. Turn the Shoulder Straps to the right side, forming an overlap. Sew on a button at the marking.
- Sew the buttons onto the pockets.
