Plus Size Ruffled V-Neck Button-Front Tiered Dress

Plus Size Ruffled V-Neck Button-Front Tiered Dress

A long sleeveless women's dress in three tiers with a V-neckline and a button placket running the full length of the front. Narrow gathered flounces are set into the bodice panel seams and carried over the shoulders, into both tier seams and along the hem; the hem is shorter at the front than at the back.

When To Wear

• Summer, in light flowing fabrics, with sandals.
• Holidays, garden parties and daytime celebrations.
• Worn open over a slip or wide-leg trousers.

Key Design Features

Silhouette: Bodice with panel seams front and back, a raised waist seam, and two gathered tiers widening towards the hem.

Length: Long, with a high-low hem: it curves up at the centre front and drops lower at the back.

Neckline: V-neck, finished with interfaced front and back neck facings.

Sleeves: Sleeveless; armholes finished with folded bias binding turned to the inside and topstitched. A flounce sewn into the front and back panel seams runs over the shoulder.

Closure: Separate interfaced button placket from neckline to hem, 11 buttons.

Back: Centre back seam through all tiers; panel seams on the bodice.

Skirt: Tier seams angled down towards the centre front; a 6 cm gathered flounce is caught in the waist seam and in the second tier seam, and a third is sewn to the hem.

Finishing: Flounce edges turned and topstitched, finished with a narrow rolled hem, or bound with bias binding; seams overlocked.

Level Of Difficulty

Intermediate. Gathering and inserting long flounces into seams, joining angled tier seams, binding armholes and setting a full-length placket with eleven buttonholes.

Fabric Recommendations

Dress fabrics with good drape in natural or blended fibres.

Additional Supplies

• Fusible interfacing (neck facings, plackets)
• 11 buttons
• Bias binding, 4 cm wide, for the armholes (or cut from the main fabric)

Cutter’s Must

From main fabric:

1. Center back – 2 pieces
2. Side back – 2 pieces
3. Middle back – 2 pieces
4. Lower back – 2 pieces
5. Center front – 2 pieces
6. Side front – 2 pieces
7. Middle front – 2 pieces
8. Lower front – 2 pieces
9. Back neckline facing – 1 piece
10. Front neckline facing – 2 pieces
11. Placket – 2 pieces
12. Front flounce – 2 pieces
13. Upper flounce – 2 pieces
14. Middle flounce – 2 pieces
15. Lower flounce – 2 pieces

From fusible interfacing:

1. Back neckline facing – 1 piece
2. Front neckline facing – 2 pieces
3. Placket – 2 pieces

Note: Upper, middle, and lower flounces are cut without patterns. Their length is indicated on the front piece.

Important Information

First of all, print the paper patterns and lay them out on the fabric width (fabric width may be from 90 cm to 150 cm) in order to determine how much material you will need (do not forget to consider paired and symmetrical pieces).

When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches – they must match.

Sewing Instructions

1. Interface the pieces with fusible interfacing.
2. Cut upper, middle, and lower flounces. The length is indicated on the pattern of the middle front piece. Width 6 cm.
3. Stitch the center seams of the upper back parts. Finish seam allowances and press to the left side.
4. Stitch shoulder seams of the center back part and center front part. Finish seam allowances and press toward the back.
5. Stitch the shoulder seam of the side parts. Finish seam allowance and press toward the back.
6. Finish the outer seam allowance of the front flounce, fold and topstitch. It is also possible to finish the edges with bias binding or “American seam”. For this, trim the outer allowance.
7. Stitch the panel seams of the front and back simultaneously, inserting the flounce into the seam. Finish seam allowance and press toward the center.
8. Stitch shoulder seams of the back and front neckline facings, press seam allowances open. Finish the outer edge. Place the facings on the right side of the garment and stitch the neckline. Clip seam allowances, turn facings to the wrong side and press seams. Sew the facing to the shoulder seams.
9. Cut (if not ready-made) a bias strip 4 cm wide and length equal to the armhole length + 5 cm. Fold the bias strip lengthwise in the middle with the right side outward and press. Place the strip to the armhole edge from the right side and stitch. Clip seam allowances. Fold the strip to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold onto the main piece. Press the seam.
10. Stitch side seams of the upper parts, press seam allowances toward the back and finish.
11. Stitch side seams of the middle and lower parts of the front and back. Finish seam allowances and press toward the back.
12. Stitch the center seam of the flounces. Finish seam allowances and press to the left side. Finish outer seam allowances of the flounces, fold and topstitch. It is also possible to finish the edges with bias binding or “American seam”. For this, trim the outer allowance.
13. Along the upper edge of the flounces, sew a line with a loose upper thread and gather. Stitch the middle part of the dress to the upper part, inserting the upper flounce. Finish seam allowances and press upward. Stitch the middle and lower parts of the dress, inserting the middle flounce. Finish seam allowances and press upward. Stitch the lower flounce to the dress. Finish seam allowances and press upward.
14. Finish the inner edges of the placket. Stitch the outer side of the placket to the front edge. Press seam allowances toward the placket. Turn the placket to the right side and stitch the upper and lower corners. Clip seam allowances, turn the placket to the wrong side and topstitch in the seam of attachment.
15. Sew buttons and make buttonholes.