Women's Dresses/Casual Tunic Dress Pattern | Zip Up Collar Shift Dress | Relaxed Fit Loungewear | Easy Womens Sewing | L-XXL
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Step-by-step technological process of sewing the garment.
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Applying Neckline Tape
- Apply the bias fusible tape along the neckline edges.
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Reinforcing Seam Allowances
- On the inside of the front and collar pieces, reinforce the zipper seam allowances with a straight-grain fusible tape.
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Marking and Preparing the Zipper Position
- Mark the position for attaching the zipper on the inside center front. If your zipper is shorter, adjust the marking to match your zipper's length by subtracting 8 cm (the collar stand's length) from the length of your zipper up to the bottom stop.
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Pressing Shoulder Seams
- Press the seam, then press the seam allowances toward the front.
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Basting Twill Tape to Collar
- Finish one of the long edges of the collar neckline with twill tape. To do this, wrap the edge with the folded tape and baste it in place using hand stitches.
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Sewing Shoulder Seams
- Place the front and back pieces right sides together, aligning the shoulder edges. Pin in place from the back piece side. Use a serger set for four-thread stitching to sew the seam. Stitch from the back piece side.
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Preparing Twill Tape
- Pre-shrink the twill tape, then measure out the neckline edge of the collar and add 2–4 cm. Press the twill tape in half lengthwise.
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Pressing Collar Seam
- Press the seam, then press the seam allowances toward the collar.
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Topstitching Twill Tape
- Topstitch the twill tape 0.1 cm from its edge. Check from the wrong side to make sure the tape's edge is sewn down evenly along the entire seam. Remove any basting stitches, and trim the loose ends of the tape to match the short edges of the collar. Press with an iron.
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Attaching Collar to Neckline
- Place the collar (with the unfinished edge) right sides together with the dress, aligning the neckline edges and matching all notches, then pin in place. Sew the collar onto the neckline using a 1.0 cm seam allowance.
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Cutting Center Front Slit
- Carefully cut along the center front line of the bodice, stopping about halfway through the marked box for the zipper.
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Marking Zipper Boundaries
- On the front side of the dress, mark where the zipper will start and end. The starting point should be at the collar's fold reference. To find the end point, transfer the boundary line from the inside of the garment.
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Positioning Left Zipper Tape
- Place the left side of the zipper face down against the left front side of the dress along the cut. The zipper teeth should point toward the sleeve. Position the top zipper stop just 0.1–0.2 cm before the zipper end mark. Pin or baste in place, making sure the zipper tape edge lines up with the cut edge on the front piece.
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Drawing Zipper Box and Extending Slit
- Draw the zipper attachment box—vertical lines should be placed 0.7 cm from the slit. Continue cutting along the center front, stopping 2 cm before you reach the bottom marking line.
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Sewing Left Zipper Tape
- Sew in the zipper using a single presser foot, keeping a 0.7 cm distance from the edge of the tape. Press to finish.
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Positioning Right Zipper Tape
- Place the other side of the zipper along the right front, matching the alignment marks. Pin or baste in place, making sure the edge of the zipper tape lines up with the opening on the front piece.
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Sewing Right Zipper Tape
- Sew the zipper using a single-sided presser foot, keeping a distance of 0.7 cm from the edge of the tape. Press to finish. Carefully snip diagonally right up to the end point of the stitch—make sure not to cut into the zipper tape.
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Snipping Corner Diagonally
- Carefully snip diagonally right up to the end point of the stitch—make sure not to cut into the zipper tape.
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Transferring Alignment Marks
- Zip up the zipper and transfer the collar attachment points and the end of the zipper placement to the opposite side of the tape.
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Positioning Twill Tape on Zipper Inside
- Place the twill tape along the zipper on the inside, lining up the edge of the tape with the zipper stitching. Pin the tape to the zipper tape, forming a frame and covering the lower edge of the zipper. Start and finish attaching the twill tape by overlapping onto the collar by 1–2 cm.
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Sewing Twill Tape to Zipper
- Sew the twill tape onto the zipper tape, stitching along the inner edge of the tape. Please note: the twill tape should only be sewn to the zipper tape and not to the dress itself.
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Securing the Bottom Zipper Frame
- Fold the free corner of the frame to the inside of the front and lay it over the zipper tape. Pin in place. Stitch on the machine, backstitching at the ends, joining the points where the zipper stitching finishes.
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Stitching Collar in the Ditch
- From the front side, sew a line along the groove of the collar attachment seam. On the reverse side, check that the edge of the collar is caught in the stitch along the entire seam.
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Turning Collar and Basting
- Turn the collar right side out and straighten the zipper corners. Smooth out the inside of the collar and baste it to the neckline edge, overlapping the collar seam by about 1 cm.
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Finishing Twill Tape
- Hand stitch the free edge of the twill tape with invisible stitches around the zipper, or topstitch it at the edge of the tape using a sewing machine. Press to finish.
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Wrapping Zipper with Collar
- Wrap the zipper with the collar piece, making sure the width of the zipper is even on the inside. Pin the short ends of the tape in place with pins. Sew with a sewing machine using a zipper foot at a 0.7 cm seam allowance. Press.
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Attaching Sleeves
- Place the sleeves and dress right sides together, aligning the armhole edges. Pin them in place, matching the guide marks. Sew with an overlock, stitching from the dress side.
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Pressing Sleeve Seams
- Press the seam, then press the allowances toward the sleeve.
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Sewing Side and Underarm Seams
- Turn the dress inside out, matching up the side seams and sleeve edges, and pin in place. Sew together on the serger, stitching from the back side.
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Pressing Side Seams
- Press the seam, then press the seam allowances toward the front.
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Hand Hemming
- Hem the bottom of the dress by hand using invisible stitches. Press to finish.
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Pressing Hem Allowance
- Press the hem allowance of 3.0 cm to the inside.
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Finishing Raw Edges
- Try on the dress and decide on the length for both the dress and sleeves. Finish the lower edges of the dress and sleeves with a serger. Stitch from the right side. Press to set.
