Made-to-measure sewing pattern
Dress sewing pattern, drafted to your measurements
Choose a fit-and-flare dress with a fitted bodice and an A-line, half-circle, circle or gathered skirt, or a simple one-piece shift. Pick the neckline, sleeves and length; the bodice is drafted from your bust, waist and back length, with bust and waist darts for your cup size.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Sewing time
- 6–8 hours
- Pieces
- 8
- Fabric
- 2.00 m × 150 cm
Styles and options
Make the dress your way
Each style changes how the pieces are drafted. Pick one to open it in the studio, then set your size.
Skirt shape
- Style
- Fit and flare, Shift
- Fabric type
- Woven, Knit (stretch)
- Skirt shape
- A-line, Half circle, Full circle, Gathered
- Fit
- Fitted, Regular, Relaxed
- Sleeves
- Sleeveless, Short, Elbow, Three-quarter, Long
- Neckline
- Crew, Scoop, V-neck, Boat, Square
- Length
- Mini, Above knee, Knee, Midi, Maxi
- In-seam pockets
- Yes, or leave it off
Fabric requirements
How much fabric do I need for a dress?
Main fabric to buy for the knee-length fit and flare dress, worked out from the actual cutting layout for each standard size. Amounts are rounded up; the studio recalculates them for your measurements and design.
| Size | Bust / chest / Waist / Hip (cm) | 150 cm wide fabric | 110 cm wide fabric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women's | |||
| XS | 80 / 62 / 86 | 1.80 m · 2 yd | 2.10 m · 2 3/8 yd |
| S | 86 / 68 / 92 | 2.00 m · 2 1/4 yd | 2.30 m · 2 5/8 yd |
| M | 92 / 74 / 98 | 2.00 m · 2 1/4 yd | 2.40 m · 2 5/8 yd |
| L | 100 / 82 / 106 | 2.00 m · 2 1/4 yd | 2.50 m · 2 3/4 yd |
| XL | 108 / 90 / 114 | 2.20 m · 2 1/2 yd | 2.80 m · 3 1/8 yd |
| 2XL | 118 / 100 / 124 | 2.20 m · 2 1/2 yd | 3.20 m · 3 1/2 yd |
| 3XL | 128 / 110 / 134 | 2.40 m · 2 5/8 yd | 3.30 m · 3 5/8 yd |
| Kids' | |||
| Age 2 | 53 / 51 / 54 | 1.20 m · 1 3/8 yd | 1.40 m · 1 5/8 yd |
| Age 4 | 56 / 53 / 58 | 1.30 m · 1 1/2 yd | 1.50 m · 1 3/4 yd |
| Age 6 | 60 / 55 / 63 | 1.40 m · 1 5/8 yd | 1.60 m · 1 3/4 yd |
| Age 8 | 64 / 58 / 68 | 1.50 m · 1 3/4 yd | 1.60 m · 1 3/4 yd |
| Age 10 | 69 / 61 / 74 | 1.60 m · 1 3/4 yd | 1.90 m · 2 1/8 yd |
| Age 12 | 75 / 64 / 80 | 1.70 m · 1 7/8 yd | 2.00 m · 2 1/4 yd |
| Age 14 | 81 / 67 / 86 | 1.80 m · 2 yd | 2.10 m · 2 3/8 yd |
Suggested fabrics
- Cotton sateen
- Linen
- Viscose crepe
- Cotton poplin
- Tencel twill
Also needed (size M)
- Fusible interfacing0.40 m (1/2 yd) of 90 cm wide
- All-purpose polyester thread1 spool, matching colour
- Invisible zipper60 cm
- Hook and eye1
What's in the pattern
Pieces, measurements and step-by-step instructions
Everything that comes with the knee-length fit and flare dress: 8 pattern pieces, the finished measurements and the full sewing order.
Pattern pieces
- ABodice frontCut 1 on fold
- BBodice backCut 2 (1 mirrored pair)
- CSleeveCut 2 (1 mirrored pair)
- DFront neck facingCut 1 on fold
- EBack neck facingCut 2 (1 mirrored pair)
- FSkirt frontCut 1 on fold
- GSkirt backCut 2 (1 mirrored pair)
- HPocket bagCut 4 (2 mirrored pairs)
Finished measurements (size M)
- Finished bust/chest99 cm(7 cm ease)
- Sleeve length (from shoulder)19.1 cm
- Skirt length (waist to hem)58.5 cm
Sewing instructions
Prepare5 steps
- 01
Pre-wash your fabric
Wash and dry the fabric the way you will launder the finished project, then press it flat. This removes shrinkage before you cut.
- 02
Print and check scale
Print the pattern at 100% ("actual size", no scaling). Measure the test square: it must be exactly 10 cm (the small square is 1 inch). Trim and tape the pages following the page grid.
- 03
Lay out and cut
Fold both selvages in to meet at the centre, right sides together, so there is a fold on each side. Follow the cutting layout: keep every grainline parallel to the selvage, and put pieces marked "place on fold" right against a fold. Cut lining and interfacing pieces as shown in their own layouts.
- 04
Transfer the markings
Snip 3 mm into the seam allowance at each notch. Mark dart legs, dart points and other placement marks with chalk or a washable marker on the wrong side.
- 05
Seam allowances
Seam allowance is 1.5 cm unless the piece says otherwise. Hem allowances are already included on hem edges. Sew with right sides together (RST).
Sew18 steps
- 01
Staystitch the necklines
Stitch 1 cm from the neck edges of A (Bodice front) and B (Bodice back) to keep the curves from stretching.
- 02
Sew the bust darts
On A (Bodice front), fold each side bust dart right sides together matching the legs and stitch from the side edge to the point. Press the darts downward.
- 03
Sew the waist darts
Sew the vertical waist darts on A (Bodice front) and B (Bodice back) from the waist edge up to the point. Press them towards the centre.
- 04
Sew the shoulders
Join A (Bodice front) to B (Bodice back) at the shoulders, right sides together. Finish the seam allowances together and press them towards the back.
- 05
Prepare the facings
Fuse interfacing to D (Front neck facing) and E (Back neck facing). Join them at the shoulder seams and press open. Zigzag or serge the outer (unnotched) edge.
- 06
Face the neckline
Pin the facing to the neckline right sides together, matching shoulder seams, with the facing's centre-back edges level with the bodice's. Stitch between the centre-back seam lines, grade and clip the curve. Understitch the facing, turn it inside and press. Tack the facing to the shoulder seam allowances.
- 07
Ease the sleeve caps
Sew two rows of long machine stitches on the cap of each C (Sleeve) between the front and back notches, inside the seam allowance. Pull the bobbin threads slightly to cup the cap.
- 08
Set in the sleeves
Pin each C (Sleeve) into its armhole right sides together: the shoulder notch to the shoulder seam, the single notch to the front, the double notch to the back. Distribute the ease evenly with no puckers, then stitch with the sleeve on top. Finish the seam allowances together.
- 09
Sew the bodice side seams
Pin front to back along the side seams and the sleeve underarm seams, matching the underarm points, and sew in one continuous seam. Finish and press towards the back.
- 10
Hem the sleeves
Press up 2.5 cm on each sleeve. Turn the raw edge under 1 cm and stitch.
- 11
Sew the skirt darts
On F (Skirt front) and G (Skirt back), fold each dart right sides together matching the legs. Stitch from the waist edge to the point, sewing the last 1 cm right along the fold. Tie the threads. Press front darts towards the centre front and back darts towards the centre back.
- 12
Finish raw edges
Zigzag or serge the side edges and the centre back edges of the skirt pieces.
- 13
Attach pocket bags
Sew a H (Pocket bag) to each side seam of F (Skirt front) and G (Skirt back), right sides together, matching the pocket notches, at 1 cm. Press the bags away from the skirt and understitch the front bags so they roll to the inside.
- 14
Sew the side seams
Pin F (Skirt front) to G (Skirt back) at the side seams matching notches; stitch down to the upper pocket notch, pivot and sew around the pocket bags, then continue down the side seam. Press the seams open (pocket bags towards the front).
- 15
Join bodice and skirt
Pin the skirt to the bodice at the waist, right sides together, matching side seams and the centre back edges and lining up the bodice and skirt darts. Stitch, finish the seam allowances together and press them towards the bodice.
- 16
Insert the zipper
Install a 60 cm invisible zipper in the centre back from the neckline down to the zipper notch on the skirt, matching the waist seams on both sides. Sew the rest of the centre back seam to the hem. Fold the facing ends back over the zipper tape and stitch them down.
- 17
Add a hook and eye
Sew a small hook and eye at the top of the zipper, inside the facing.
- 18
Hem the dress
Press up 3 cm at the hem, turn the raw edge under 1 cm and stitch by machine or hand.
Finish2 steps
- 01
Final press
Press every seam from the inside with steam, then give the outside a light press using a pressing cloth.
- 02
Check the fit
Try it on (or test it) and make small adjustments now. Note any changes on your pattern for next time.
These are the instructions for the design shown. The studio rewrites them for the options you choose.
Questions
About the dress pattern
Is a dress a good first sewing project?
A knit shift dress is the gentlest start: it is rated Confident beginner, with no zip and no darts to fit. The woven fit-and-flare dress is Intermediate because it has a fitted bodice, an invisible zip and a waist seam.
Does the dress pattern include a zip?
Woven fit-and-flare dresses close with an invisible zip in the back seam, and the notions list gives the zip length for your size. Knit dresses pull on without one.
How much fabric do I need for a dress?
For the knee-length fit and flare dress in women's size M, buy 2.00 m (2 1/4 yd) of 150 cm wide fabric, or 2.40 m (2 5/8 yd) of 110 cm wide fabric. The chart on this page lists every size, and the studio recalculates it for your own measurements, design and fabric width.
What fabric is best for a dress?
Good choices for the knee-length fit and flare dress are cotton sateen, linen, viscose crepe, cotton poplin and tencel twill. The studio updates the suggestions when you change the design, for example between knit and woven.
How long does it take to sew a dress?
The knee-length fit and flare dress is rated Intermediate and takes about 6–8 hours, not counting printing and cutting. The pattern comes with step-by-step instructions written for its pieces.
Describe the dress you have in mind
Write it the way you would say it. The studio drafts it in your size.