No. 29 Milano - Version 1

Dress with long bishop sleeves, empire cut and a high collar with gatherings. The dress is closed with buttons at center front.

Fabric choice:

Light to medium-weight woven fabric: cotton, silk, wool, viscose, cupro, linen or polyester. Not suitable for jersey fabrics.

Find Your Size:

Take your measurements according to the measurement chart. Choose the size closest to your measurement. Print the measurements chart here.

Fitting:

We recommend that you always make a muslin before you cut the fashion fabric, to make sure your finished style will fit you perfectly.

Cutting Fabric

On each pattern piece, you will find a capital letter. On the cutting layout plan, you will find the same capital letters so that you can easily see which pattern pieces to use for the view you have chosen.

YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING PATTERN PIECES:

A,B,C,D,E,F,G,(j,K),L

Sewing

NOTE! The Pattern Has 1 Cm Seam Allowances Included Unless Otherwise Noted.

1.       Cut all your pieces in fabric and interfacing as needed. For the dress, you can choose from two different pockets: bow patch pocket (J) or side seam pockets (K).

2.       Press interfacing to all cuffs (E) and to the front placket on the skirt (F).

3.       Sew the darts on the back bodice (B) and the back skirt (G) right sides together. Fold according to the markings.

4. Press the dart on the bodice towards the centre back and the dart on the skirt towards the side.

5.       Finish the straight (unnotched) side of the collar (C) with a narrow hem. Fold 0.5 cm, then 0.5 cm, then stitch.

6.       Finish the seams of: 

·     Side and shoulder seams on the front and back bodice (A and B)

·     Side seams of the front and back skirt (F and G)

·     Front seams at the front skirt (F)

·     Sleeve seams (D)

You can finish by overlocking or sewing a zig-zag stitch close to the edge or finish with a bias tape.

Sew the bodice

7.       Sew front and back pieces together at shoulder seams, with right sides together. Press seams open.

8.       Sew the collar to the neckline, right sides together. Match the notches to the shoulder seams and the ends at the seamline.

9.       Finish the seam - by overlocking, a zig-zag or with a bias tape. Press towards the collar.

10.      Sew front and back pieces together at the side seams, right sides together. Press seams open. 

11.      Make a gathering stitch 0.5 cm and 1.5 cm from the edge of the collar to the second notch on the front bodice (closest to the side seam) (A, C).

Sew the sleeves

12.       Make a narrow hem between the notches at the bottom of the sleeve (D). Fold 0.5 cm, then 0.5 cm, then stitch.

13.       Sew the inner seam, right sides together. Press the seam open.

14.       Make a gathering stitch between the notches at the sleeve head and the bottom of the sleeve.

15.       Sew one pair of cuffs together at the bottom (shorter edge), right sides together. Repeat on the second pair.

16.       Understitch the seam to the inside cuff. Note! When understitching, you must make a mirror pair to get a left and a right cuff.

17.       Gather the sleeve bottom to match the cuff, starting 1 cm from the raw edge at the side with no notch and ending at the other side with the notch. The centre notch matches the sleeve seam.

18.       Place the right side of the cuff (E) with the understitch to the wrong side of the sleeve, matching notches. The front of the sleeve (the front has one notch at the sleeve head) is paired with the notch on the cuff. Place the backside (the back has two notches at the sleeve head) of the sleeve 1 cm from the raw edge– leaving a seam allowance to sew the cuff together. Sew the sleeve to the cuff.  

19.       Remove the gathering stitch. Press the seam allowance towards the cuff.

20.       Fold and pin the cuff with right sides together, turn the seam allowance from the seam you made in step 18 towards the cuff, see illustration. Sew the outer edge of the cuff, both the under- and overlap.

• The underlap is illustration 1: sew from the cuff edge ending at the seam between cuff and sleeve. Remember to backstitch.

• The overlap is illustration 2: Sew from the side and connect with the stitching from step 18 (the overlap)

21. Turn the cuff and clip notches and corners if necessary. Press all the seam allowance into the cuff.

22.       Pin the pressed edge to the sleeve and close the cuff completely by topstitching 0.2 cm from the folded edge.

23.       Sew the sleeve to the armscye, matching the notches and gathering excess fabric at the sleeve head.

24.       Finish the sleeve seams and press the seam allowance towards the sleeve.

Sew the skirt

You can make the dress with two different pockets. If you choose patch pockets, go to step 31

25.       Finish the seams of the straight sides of the pocket bags (K).

26.       Place the right side of a pocket bag (K) on the right side of the front skirt (F), matching notches. Stitch the pocket opening between notches. See video

27.       Clip notches at the start and the end of the seam.  

28.       Flip the pocket bag out and understitch the seam of the pocket opening – See video.  

29.       Place another pocket bag on top and sew the pocket bags together along the outside edge.

30.       Finish the edge of the pocket bags with all layers together.  

31.       Sew the front and back piece together at the side seam, right sides together. Press seams open. Note! Be careful not to catch the pocket opening in the seam.

bow pocket

32.      Finish the sides, top and bottom of the pockets.

33.      Make a narrow hem on the angled sides.

34.          Fold and press a 1 cm wide hem at the curved edges.

35.      Fold and press the bottom with 1 cm.

36.      Fold and press the top according to the markings on the pattern.

37.      Gather or make pleats according to the markings on the pattern. When finished, the gathered/pleated part must be 2 cm long. You can sew a small button on the gathering to make a nice finish.

38.      Place the pocket on the front piece according to the markings on the pattern. Attach the pocket to the skirt by topstitching 0.2 cm from the folded edge.

39. Pin the bodice to the skirt, right sides together. Matching side seams, darts at the seam line, and notches. Match the collar to the fold line notch. Gather the front bodice to fit between the notches on the front skirt.

40.         Fold the front skirt placket around the collar, with right sides together, so that the collar is sandwiched between the front edge.

41.         Sew the waist seam from the bodice side, then it is easier to control the gathering.

42.       Finish the waist seam by overlocking, a zig-zag or with a bias band. Press seam down wards.

43.       Turn the placket to the right side and press the placket with wrong sides together.

44. Hem Hem the dress in one of these ways:

1. Fold 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm and stitch 0.2 cm from the folded edge. This hem is suitable for light and delicate fabrics.

2.      Finish the edge with an overlock, a zig-zag or with a bias tape fold up with 3 cm with wrong sides together. Then fold the placket in the folding line, with right sides together and make a seam 3 cm from the bottom edge, only on the placket. Turn the front placket corner, and make a topstitch 2.5 cm from folded bottom edge. You can also hem with a catch stitch. This hem is suitable for medium weight fabrics.  

45.         Make buttonholes on the right side of the front placket, and to the cuffs. Place according to the markings on the pattern.

46.         Sew in the buttons.