Plus Size Deep V-Neck Sheath Dress
A knee-length women's sheath dress with a raised seam under the bust, a deep V formed by lined upper front panels and filled with a front inset, set-in sleeves with a placket at the slit, and a centre back seam with an invisible zip and a vent.
When To Wear
- Office and business meetings, with court shoes.
- Dinners and receptions in autumn and spring.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Close-fitting sheath with a horizontal seam under the bust, shaped by darts in the lower front and in the upper and lower back.
Length: Knee length; hem overlocked, turned up and topstitched.
Neckline: Wide at the shoulders, with a deep V at the front. The upper front is made of centre and side panels, each stitched to its lining along the outer edge; the inset, with its top edge turned and topstitched, is caught between the centre panel and its lining, and a small triangular trim piece is set at the point of the V. The back neckline is finished with an interfaced facing.
Sleeves: Set-in, eased at the cap, with a slit at the hem finished with an interfaced placket that is edgestitched and topstitched across the top; hem double-turned 1 cm.
Closure: Invisible zip in the centre back seam.
Back: Upper and lower back joined at the under-bust seam; centre back seam with a lapped vent at the hem, the vent area interfaced.
Lining: Upper front panels only.
Level Of Difficulty
Advanced. Layered, lined front panels with an inset sandwiched between them, a sleeve placket at a slit, a lapped back vent and an invisible zip.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics in natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (back neck facings, vent, sleeve plackets)
- Invisible zip for the centre back
- 6 buttons
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Upper Back – 2 pieces
- Lower Back – 2 pieces
- Front Inset – 1 piece
- Center Upper Front – 2 pieces
- Side Upper Front – 2 pieces
- Lower Front – 1 piece
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Sleeve Placket – 2 pieces
- Back Neckline Facing – 2 pieces
- From lining fabric:
- Center Upper Front – 2 pieces
- Side Upper Front – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Back Neckline Facing – 2 pieces
- Back vent strips – 2 pieces
- Sleeve Placket – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
- Stitch the darts on the upper back, lower back and lower front. Press the darts towards the center back and center front respectively.
- Serge the upper edge of the front inset. Fold the allowance inwards and topstitch. Place the front trim pieces right sides together and stitch along the two outer edges. Turn right side out, trimming the corner, and press. Stitch the center upper front to its lining along the outer edge, sandwiching the front inset between them. Turn right side out and press. Stitch the side upper front to its lining along the outer edge, sandwiching the center upper front (with lining) between them. From now on, treat the front and lining as one piece.
- Stitch the upper front to the lower front. Serge and press the seam allowances downwards. Stitch the upper back to the lower back. Press seam allowances downwards and serge.
- On the left lower back, trim 5 cm off along the vertical edge of the vent. Fuse interfacing to the vent area on the wrong side of both lower back pieces. On the right side, mark the center seam line (vent fold line). Press the left lower back along the vent fold line; on the right lower back, press only the vent allowance (6 cm) to the wrong side. Align the pieces along the center seam and secure them at the upper edge of the vent. Serge the center back edges separately on each piece. Serge the vent allowances. Stitch the center back seam from the zipper notch to the vent corner. Clip the corner of the vent allowance on the right lower back. Press the center seam allowances open, press the vent allowances and secure them with machine stitching. Insert the invisible zipper from the upper edge to the notch.
- Stitch the back neckline facing to the back neckline, starting and ending the stitching exactly at the marked shoulder seam line. Clip the seam allowances.
- Stitch the shoulder seams, sandwiching the front between the back and the back neckline facing. Press the seam allowances towards the back and serge. Turn the facing to the wrong side. Stitch the side seams. Serge and press seam allowances towards the back.
- Fold the lower edge of the sleeve twice by 1 cm and topstitch. Sleeve slit: Cut the sleeve along the marked line, clipping into the corner at the top of the cut. Fold the section from the cut to the marked line, measuring 1.7 cm, inwards twice by 0.5 cm and topstitch. Fold the sleeve placket in half lengthwise, right sides together, stitch the corner up to the cross mark and stitch the lower edge. Trim seam allowances close to the stitching; at the end of the stitching, clip the seam allowance. Turn the placket right side out, press, and edgestitch 0.1 cm along the fold from the bottom up to the cross mark. Fold the placket with the sleeve right sides together and attach the inner side along the marked line. At the end of the stitching, clip the sleeve across from the cut to the stitching line. Fold the placket to the right side, fold the open edge, and attach. Align the placket with the marked line on the sleeve and topstitch the upper corner along its outline and along the cross mark.
- Stitch and serge the sleeve seams. Set in the sleeves, easing the cap. Serge and press seam allowances.
- Serge the lower edge of the garment. Fold to the wrong side, press, and topstitch.
