Get started sewing a beautiful Summer dress – maybe it’s your very first?
For this project, you will need a pretty Summer fabric, e.g. a floral seersucker or similar woven fabric. Follow our step-by-step guide and look forward to wearing your new dress in the sunshine this Summer.
Lay the pattern pieces on the fabric, pin and cut out. The seam allowance is already added. On the following pages, you can see how to sew the dress.
A:
Right side
B:
Wrong side
1:
Cut small notches at the marks on the cutting lines and mark the chest darts with a vanishing pen or tailor’s chalk.
2:
BELT: Fold the belt lengthwise, right sides facing. Sew the belt. Leave a small gap at the centre. Mitre the corners and turn the belt right side out. Use a knitting needle if necessary. Press (iron) the belt. Finally, top stitch all around.
3:
BELT LOOP: Fold the belt loop lengthwise, right sides facing. Sew 5 mm from the fold and leave the ends open. Trim seam allowance to 5 mm. Turn right sides out. Use a loop turner if necessary. Press the belt loop and finally cut it in half. You now have two belt loops.
4:
CHEST DART: Fold from the tip of the dart down to the notch. Mark the fold line from the tip of the dart to the fabric edge. Sew the dart. Press the dart upwards.
5:
SEW SLEEVE TO FRONT: Place the sleeves on the front pattern piece, right sides facing. Make sure that the notches on the front and sleeve are aligned. Pin sleeve seam. Sew the seam and overlock/zigzag the seam edge. Press the seam on the wrong side.
6:
SEW SLEEVE AND BACK: Lay back and sleeves together, right sides facing. Pin sleeve seam. Sew the seam and then overlock/zigzag the seam edge. Press the seam on the wrong side.
7:
SEW ON BELT LOOP: Place the belt loops at the notch on the dress front. Sew fi rmly into place.
8:
SIDE SEAM: Lay the sleeves, front and back together, right sides facing Pin the seam, making sure to align the notches. Sew the side seam. Overlock/zigzag the seam, then press on the wrong side.
9:
EDGES: Overlock/zigzag sleeve edge, neck edge and lower edge.
10:
ELASTICATED NECKLINE: Cut the elastic (see chart) and sew it together to make a ring. Fold the neck edge 1 cm to the wrong side. Fold the fabric around the elastic. Sew along the neck edge to form a drawstring hem with the elastic inside.
11:
ELASTICATED CUFFS: Fold the edge 3 cm to the wrong side. Sew 2.5 cm from the edge all around - leave a 3 cm gap. Cut a length of elastic (see chart) and pull it through the drawstring hem. Sew the ends of the elastic and pull them into place in the hem. Finally, stitch the gap to close.
12:
HEM: Fold the lower edge 2 cm to the wrong side. Press and sew along the edge all the way around.