Sewing Bee Draped Dress

You'll steal the show with this draped number by Producer of The Great British Sewing Bee, Claire-Louise Hardie. Inspired by contemporary Japanese cutting styles, this elegant dress boasts a fantastic silhouette that incorporates kimono sleeves, hidden pockets and a stylish front pleat. Its loose-fitting style works great with all figures, and with just three main body pieces it’s an absolute cinch to make! Pair with statement bangles and Chelsea boots for an effortless look that will take you stylishly from day to night.

Essentials

Stable double-knit jersey fabric, 150cm wide, 190cm or 114cm wide, 250cm
Lightweight iron-on knit or bias interfacing, 20cm
Coordinating sewing machine thread
Ballpoint or stretch twin needle

Dimensions List

Custom. Make in S-XL

Sew a drapey dress

Print and piece the pattern together, then cut the pieces from fabric as per the cutting guide. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, apply lightweight knitted interfacing to the wrong side of the front and back facings.
With right sides together, matching the dots, pin and sew the pockets onto the centre front section, sewing between the marked points only [1].
Working from the right side, press the pockets and seam allowances away from the body section. Understitch between the dots on the pocket side of the joining line, not the centre front.
With right sides together, making sure the raw edges and pockets align, lay the left front over the centre front. Pin along the seam and around the pocket. Machine stitch, pivoting at the previously stitched points around the pocket. Clip into the corner of the left front at the pocket junction so that you can press the seam allowance open [2]. Repeat to attach the right front to the other side of the centre front.
To create the pleat detail, fold the left front pleat along the marked fold line. Take the fold line over the centre front seams you’ve just sewn towards the righthand side, matching up all three centre front circle marks. Tack around the front neckline to secure the pleat [3].
With right sides together, pin and stitch the front of the dress to the back at the shoulder seams. Press the seams towards the back [4].
Zig zag stitch or overlock the lower hem edge of the facings to neaten them. With right sides together, pin then stitch the facings together along the short side edges to form a loop. Press the seams open. With right sides together, pin the facings around the neckline, matching the centre fronts and centre backs and matching the shoulder seams of the dress with the side seams of the facings [5]. Sew in place.
Grade the seam allowance around the neckline and clip into the curves.
Working from the right side, understitch the facing to the seam allowance around the neckline. Turn the facing to the inside of the dress and press from the wrong side, making sure that the seam sits just inside the neck. Secure the hem of the facing to the shoulders and the front seams with a few small hand stitches.
Pin and sew the front to the back at the side seams, from the sleeve down to the hem in one continuous line of stitching.
Press under a 1.5cm hem around the sleeve ends. Fit a ballpoint or stretch twin needle to your machine, then working from the right side, pin and machine the hem in place [6]. 12Hem the bottom of the dress in the same way as the sleeves, making sure to press under a 2.5cm hem.