Plus Size Fitted Dress with Stand Collar

Plus Size Fitted Dress with Stand Collar

A plus-size women's above-the-knee dress shaped with bust, waist and back darts, with a stand collar open at the front over a narrow slit neckline that ties with two cords. Three-quarter set-in sleeves and an invisible zip in the centre back seam.

When To Wear

• At the office, with tights and court shoes or ankle boots.
• Autumn and spring, under a jacket or a coat.

Key Design Features

Silhouette: Fitted through the bust and waist with darts, straight below the hip.

Length: Above the knee.

Neckline: Narrow slit opening at the centre front, faced with an interfaced front neckline facing and topstitched along the edge. Two ties made from a folded bias strip are caught in the neckline seam at the top of the slit.

Collar: Two-layer stand collar, open at the centre front; the inner stand is stitched into the seam of the outer stand.

Sleeves: Set-in, three-quarter length, one seam, straight hem.

Front: One piece cut on the fold, with bust darts and waist darts.

Back: Two pieces with waist darts and a centre back seam; invisible zip in the seam, starting below the collar.

Finishing: Hems of the dress and sleeves overlocked, turned up and stitched.

Level Of Difficulty

Intermediate. Darts, a faced slit neckline with inserted ties, a two-layer stand collar, an invisible zip and set-in sleeves.

Fabric Recommendations

Dress fabrics made from natural or blended fibres.

Additional Supplies

• Fusible interfacing (front neckline facing)
• Invisible zip
• Bias strip 4 cm wide and 90–100 cm long for the ties (or cut from the main fabric)

Cutter’s Must

From main fabric:

1. Back – 2 pieces
2. Front – 1 piece on fold
3. Sleeve – 2 pieces
4. Stand collar – 2 pieces
5. Front neckline facing – 1 piece

From fusible interfacing:

Front neckline facing – 1 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. Stitch darts on the back pieces. Press the dart intake toward the center.
3. Finish separately the center edges of the back. Stitch the center back seam from the neckline to the upper mark and from the zipper mark to the bottom, press seam allowances open. Insert the zipper.
4. Stitch darts on the front pieces. Press the bust darts upward, the waist darts toward the center.
5. Cut (if not ready-made) a strip 4 cm wide and 90–100 cm long. Fold the strip lengthwise in the middle with the right side outward and press. Fold the long edges inward and press. Stitch a securing seam. Cut the cord into two equal parts.
6. Finish the outer edge of the front neckline facing. Place the facing and the front right sides together and stitch the neckline, inserting the decorative cord. Clip seam allowances on curves and at the corner, turn the pieces right side out, straighten, press. Topstitch along the neckline. Secure the seam allowances of the neckline and facing. Then treat as one piece.
7. Stitch shoulder and side seams, press seam allowances toward the back and finish.
8. Place the collar pieces right sides together and stitch the upper and side edges, start and finish the stitching exactly at the marked line of attachment. Clip seam allowances on curves, trim corners, turn the collar right side out and press.
9. Place the outer collar and the garment right sides together and stitch to the front and back, matching marks, press seam allowances toward the collar. Fold the open edges of the inner collar to the wrong side and stitch into the seam of attaching the outer collar.
10. Secure the facing to the main garment at the shoulder seams and the zipper tape.
11. Stitch the sleeve seam, finish seam allowances and press toward the back. Set in the sleeves into the armholes. Finish seam allowances and press.
12. Finish the lower edge of the garment and sleeves, press to the wrong side and stitch.