Alice Fit and Flare Dress - Free sewing patterns

Falling just above the knee, this French Riviera-style dress from Amanda Walker is a timeless wardrobe essential, featuring an iconic fit and flare shape finished with a boat neckline, cap sleeves and flattering waist-tie belt. Just add your favourite pair of espadrilles for a relaxed, beach look, or opt for some heels and statement earrings for a night of dancing and cocktails.

Essentials

Jersey, two-way stretch, 2m (150cm)
Concealed zip, 55cm

Cutting guide

Front bodice: cut one on the fold
Back bodice: cut one pair
Front neck facing: cut one on the fold
Back neck facing: cut one pair
Waist tie: cut two
Sleeve: cut one pair
Front skirt: cut one on the fold
Back skirt: cut one pair
1.5cm seam allowance used throughout, except for the waist ties where a 1cm seam allowance is used.

Dimensions List

Sizes 8-24

1 Download and print the pattern, then follow the cutting guide. Fold and stitch the darts on the front bodice, then press towards the centre front. Position the front and back bodices right sides together, match the shoulder seams, then pin and sew. Press the seams open. Repeat with the front and back neck facings, stitching the shoulders together.

2 Lay the facing on top of the bodice, right sides together, and match the necklines. Pin and sew. Clip the seam allowances, then under-stitch the neckline, stopping approximately 4cm from each centre-back edge.

3 To make up the waist ties, fold each in half lengthways with right sides together and sew along the long edges, then across the pointed end. Trim the corners, then turn through the open end. Tease out the seams and press flat. Position a tie on each side seam of the front bodice, as indicated on the pattern, and edgestitch to secure. With right sides together, match the side seams of the front and back bodice, pin, then sew from the base of the bodice up to the underarms, sandwiching the ties in the seams. Press the seams open.

4 On each sleeve, match the underarm seams together and sew. Press the seam open, then turn to the right side. Sew a row of gathering stitches around the sleeve head, starting from the front notch and finishing at the back notches. Pull the gathering threads up and insert the sleeve into the corresponding armhole, matching the bodice side seam with the sleeve underarm seam, and pairing the sleeve centre notch with the bodice shoulder seam. Adjust the gathers to fit the armhole, then pin and sew in place.

5 To make up the skirt, lay the front skirt over the back, right sides together, then match the side seams and sew. Press the seams open. Position the skirt under the bodice, matching the side seams and centre fronts together, then pin and stitch in place around the waist, leaving the centre back open. Sew the centre- back seam on the skirt up to the zip notch, then sew the concealed zip into the opening using a zipper foot or a concealed zipper foot.

6 Neaten the bases of the skirt and sleeves by pressing up a 1.5cm hem and using a twin needle to sew the hems in place. Hand-stitch the facing centre-back edges to the inside top edge of the zip and the ends of the facing shoulder seams to the bodice shoulder seams.