Download the pattern, then print and follow the cutting guide. With right sides together, position the back opening placket over the centre back. Stitch adjacent to the centre line, angling the sewing towards the point, then pivot and stitch back up to the neck edge. Snip down the centre line and carefully into the point to form the opening. On the right side, press the seam towards the placket. Apply fusible interfacing to the wrong side of half of the button tab. Fold the tab in half, right sides together, and sew down the sides taking a narrow 5mm seam. Turn the tab to the right side and press.

Make a buttonhole that corresponds with your chosen button in the centre of the tab close to the folded edge. Undo the stitching on the left side of the placket, 1.5cm down from the edge. Make a gap just wide enough for the button tab to slip into position. Place the tab into the gap with the raw edge towards the placket and the end of the buttonhole, just slightly away from the placket seam.

Restitch the gap enclosing the tab and trim off any excess. Fold the placket towards the inside of the back; the tab should be facing the right side where the button will be. Press the placket and turn under the raw edges to form a double turning and press again. Apply fusible interfacing to the wrong side of the front and back neck facings. With right sides together, pin the facings together at the shoulders and sew. Trim the seam and press open, then neaten the edge of the facing pieces.

Pin the front to the back at the shoulder and sew, right sides together. Neaten the seam allowance by using an overlocker, or by trimming and using a zig zag stitch. Press the seam towards the back or by turning under a narrow hem within the seam allowance and stitching, then press the seam open. Position the facing around the neckline, right sides together, matching the centre front and the shoulder seams.

At the centre back, fold the placket back on itself and position the centre back of the facing over the top. Pin and sew in place. Clip the curves and trim the seam, then fold the placket back into its original position. Press the facing seam away from the dress and understitch around the facing. Turn the facing to the inside and press along the edge. Slip-stitch the back placket in place over the top of the raw edge of the back facing. Topstitch or slip-stitch the rest of the placket in place. Sew on a button to correspond with the buttonhole in the tab.

With right sides together, matching the notches, pin and sew the sleeves in place. Neaten the edge by overlocking, or trimming and zig zag stitching around the sleeve. Press the seam towards the sleeve. With right sides together, position the pocket pieces at the marked place on the front and back side edges. Pin and sew in place from the top of the pocket. Neaten the seam, then press away towards the pocket.

Pin the front and back together at the side seams, right sides together, all around the pocket pieces and along the sleeve seam, then stitch. At the pockets, sew down past the pocket top for 2cm, then reverse to the top of the pocket, pivot and stitch around the pocket. At the bottom of the pocket, reverse stitch level with the side seam for 2cm and continue down to the end of the side seam.