Easy Knee-Length Dress

This berry frock is the new wardrobe superhero for those ‘I have nothing to wear’ days! With this project, you’ll master the art of sewing with knits using a ball point needle and learn just how much you can do with an overlocker. And that’s not all, this fantastic project is comprised of just four steps, so you can whip it up one afternoon and wear it out that evening.

Essentials

Fabric, 1.7m (150cm)

Fusible interfacing

Sizes

8-20

Dimensions List

Front: cut one on the fold
Back: cut one on the fold
Sleeve: cut one pair
Neckband: cut one, 5cm x 55cm
1.5cm seam allowance used throughout, except for the neckline where 1cm is needed.

1 Download, print and cut out the template from sewmag.co.uk. Match the shoulder seams of the front and back pieces, then pin and stitch the right sides together. Sew the two ends of the neckband, right sides together, into a circle. Turn the band out, fold in half lengthways and press.

2 Match the join in the neckband to the centre back neckline and stitch. Match and pin the side seams of the front and back pieces, right sides together, then sew. Add a row of gathering stitches around the head of the sleeve, starting from the front notch and finishing at the back.

3 Stitch the underarm seams, right sides facing, and turn out. Pull the gathering threads up and place the sleeve into the armhole. Align the side and the underarm sleeve seams. Match the notch in the sleeve centre to the end of the shoulder seam, then adjust the gathers to fit the armhole.

4 Sew in place and pull out the gathering stitches. Overlock the base of the dress and ends of the sleeves. Press up a 3cm hem on the sleeves and a 4cm hem on the base. Insert fusible interfacing to secure, then finish the hems using a zig zag stitch.