Tutorial---How to Sew an A-Line Dress with Peter Pan Collar

I made a dress for my daughter using the A-line dress pattern I have posted here on my blog, and I would like to share the step-by-step tutorial with you all. I tried the peter pan collar on the neckline of this frock. This is my first attempt on peter pan collar and I am quite happy with the result. Here is the finished dress:

Front:

Back:

A close-up photo of the fabric I used:

Tutorial starts....

Step 1:

Cut the front and back sides of the frock using the pattern given. The fabric I used is a cotton fabric which has bunny cartoons all over.

Fold the back piece into half vertically and cut open the center back. The back of the frock should be two pieces now.

On the bottom hemline, mark 2 1/2 inches from the center on both sides for buttonhole and button stands. You can see the green markings on the bottom hemline in the image above.

Step 2:

Make a small fold (about one-quarter of an inch) inside (to the wrong side) on both the back pieces as shown in the image below.

Fold again and hem. This fold should be longer than the first fold (that is, about 1 inch).

You could notice in the image above that the button and buttonhole folds are slightly lower than the neckline. To correct this, you need to reshape the neckline. First, draw the new back neckline such that the top edges of the folds fall on the neckline, and then cut along the drawn shape.

Note: I just noticed something. As you will be using your front and back paper patterns when you draft the collar, if you change the shape of the back neck as shown in Step 2, there are chances that the collar may not fit well on the neckline. I had no problem when I attached the collar. However, this may sometimes go wrong. Therefore, when you draft the back pattern of the dress, draft the folds such that they are higher than the neckline as in the image below. So that when you fold it, it will fall on the neckline, you can trim off excess, if any.

Step 3:

Join the shoulders.

Step 4:


Attach bias tape to the armholes.

First, fold the 1 1/2 inch width bias tape in half, and pin it on the right side of the armholes.

 
Sew in the bias tape, leaving a 1/4 inch seam.

Clip the seam every 1/2 or 1 inch. Be careful not to cut through the stitch. (You can also use pinking shears to clip the seam.) Clipping the seam will give the armhole a better shape.

Now fold the bias tape inside (that is, to the wrong side) and hem.

Repeat this for the other armhole.

Step 5:

Join the sides and hem bottom edge of the dress. Fold the the bottom hemline by 0.25 inch and then by 0.75 inch and sew along the folded edge 

To be continued tomorrow.

I have linked this up to the link party at canoeridgecreations.com.

Please leave your valuable comments in the comments section under this post. I would love to read your comments.

Follow these links to read the other parts of this tutorial:

How to Draft the Pattern for an A-Line Dress?

How To Draft A Peter Pan Collar

How to Attach A Peter Pan Collar

How To Attach A Pocket

You can find lots of free PDF printable sewing patterns on this page on my blog.

You can also click the Free Sewing Patterns Page at the top of this blog page (under the blog title) to find more free sewing patterns.

Click the below links to browse through all the pattern drafting and sewing tutorials on my blog.

pattern drafting tutorials 

sewing tutorials 

How to Draft the Pattern for an A-Line Dress?

Front:

A-B = full length + 1/4 inch
A-C = 1/4 chest + 1/2 inch
Square out lines from points A, B, and C.
A-F = half shoulder + 1/4 inch
C-H = 1/4 chest + 1 1/2 inches (Note: This 1 1/2 inches is the ease. If you think this is more than you prefer, you can reduce the ease to 3/4 inch. If you prefer to use a knit fabric or any kind of stretchy fabric, there's is no need to have ease, as the fabric itself is stretchy, or an ease of 1/2 inch is enough.) 
B-K = 1/4 chest + 3 to 4 inches for kids' size (1/4 chest + 6 to 8 inches for women's size) (You can increase this measurement according to how wider you want your hemline to be.)
A-D = 1/12 chest + 1/4 inch (You can change the width of the neck according to your preference.) 
A-E = 1/12 chest + 1/2 inch (You can change the depth of the front neck according to your preference.)
Shape neck D-E.
Square down from F. Mark I where the squared line crosses H-C. Mark M where the squared line crosses B-K.
F-G = 1/2 inch (1 inch for adult-size dress)
Join G-D.
I-J = 1 inch
Shape armhole G-J-H.
L-K = 3/4 inch (1 inch for women's size)
Shape bottom hemline B-M-L as shown.
Extend B-M-L 1 inch for bottom hemline fold (shown by a dotted line in the pattern).





Back:

A-B = full length + 1/4 inch
A-C = 1/4 chest + 1/2 inch
Square lines from points A, B, and C.
A-F = half shoulder + 1/4 inch
C-H = 1/4 chest + 1 1/2 inches (Note: This 1 1/2 inches is the ease. If you think this is more than you prefer, you can reduce the ease to 3/4 inch. If are going to use a knit fabric or any kind of stretchy fabric, there's is no need to have ease, as the fabric itself is stretchy, or an ease of 1/2 inch is enough.) 
B-K = 1/4 chest + 3 to 4 inches for kids' size(1/4 chest + 6 to 8 inches for women's size) (You can increase this measurement according to how wider you want your hemline to be.)
A-D = 1/12 chest + 1/4 inch (You can change the width of the neck according to your preference.) 
A-E = 1 inch (You can change the depth of the back neck according to your preference. ) 
Shape neck D-E.
Square down from F. Mark I where the squared line crosses H-C. Mark M where the squared line crosses B-K.

F-G = 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch for kids (1 inch for ladies)
Join G-D.
I-J = 2 1/2 inches

Shape armhole G-J-H.





L-K = 3/4 inch (1 inch for women's size)
Shape bottom hemline B-M-L as shown.
Extend B-M-L 1 inch for bottom hemline fold (shown by a dotted line in the pattern).
E-N = C-P = B-O = 1.25 inches. Join N-P-O for button and buttonhole extensions at the center back. Cut the back pattern at N-P-O for full opening.

You can also cut out the button placket (2.75-inch width) from another piece of fabric and attach it to ECB. In that case, you have to add a seam allowance of 0.25 inch at ECB. 

Seam allowances to be added to this dress are 0.5 inches at the neck, shoulder, and armhole, and 1 inch on the sides. The hemline allowance (1 inch) is already added in the pattern draft itself.

I have posted a free A-line dress sewing pattern for kids' sizes 6 to 12 years at this link and for sizes 3 to 5 years at this link. Hope you may find it helpful. 

You can find lots of free PDF printable sewing patterns on this page on my blog.

You can also click the Free Sewing Patterns Page at the top of this blog page (under the blog title) to find more free sewing patterns.

Click the below links to have a browse through the pattern drafting and sewing tutorials on my blog.

pattern drafting tutorials 

sewing tutorials 

Please check the below links to see the tutorial for making this dress:

How to sew an A-line dress

How to draft the Peter pan collar

How to attach the Peter pan collar

How to attach the pocket to the dress   

Summer Frock

This is a summer frock I made for my daughter two weeks before.

It has yoke and gathers at the top (both at the front and the back), frills at the bottom, and spaghetti straps which can be knotted at the shoulders or can be tied back.

You can find lots of free PDF printable sewing patterns on this page on my blog.

You can also click the Free Sewing Patterns Page at the top of this blog page (under the blog title) to find more free sewing patterns.

Click the below links to browse through all the pattern drafting and sewing tutorials on my blog.

pattern drafting tutorials 

sewing tutorials 

Another Baby Dress

This is another baby dress I made some months ago. This is something like a spaghetti top which could be knotted at the shoulders.

I have attached fabric bells at the end of the straps.

You can find lots of free PDF printable sewing patterns on this page on my blog.

You can also click the Free Sewing Patterns Page at the top of this blog page (under the blog title) to find more free sewing patterns.

Click the below links to browse through all the pattern drafting and sewing tutorials on my blog.

pattern drafting tutorials 

sewing tutorials 

Baby Dress Tutorial---Part 3

Step 6: Join the side seams.

The dress is almost ready now.

Step 7: Join as many strips of bias strips as needed to make a long strip that is long enough to cover the entire center front seam line and the front and back bottom hem line. Attach this strip to the center front and the hem line of the dress. Now we will learn the second method of piping a dress. Let us start from the top left of the center front and join the cross-grain strip to the left part of the center front with the fabrics' right sides facing together, and continue the same at the bottom hem line, as shown in the photo below.

 

Continue this step for the back side and again for the front bottom hem line (right side as you did for the left side) until you reach the top right of the center front. You will have something like this.

Step 8: Now make two folds inward (that is, toward the wrong side), pin it, and then hem as shown in the image below.

Now we are done with the piping except for the neck.

Step 9: We will use the first method of piping to pipe the neck.

Step 10: Make four fabric tubes out of straight grain strips and attach them as shown in here. You can sew buttons and buttonholes instead of this, if you like.

Step 11: This step is optional. I did some embroidery to beautify the dress. However, this is not required if you want to retain the plain look.

Here is the tie-front finished dress.

Please post your valuable comments. I am eager to read and answer them.

Note: I made this dress by hand. I did not use my sewing machine. I don't know why, but sometimes I like (love) to sew by hand.

You can find lots of free PDF printable sewing patterns on this page on my blog.

You can also click the Free Sewing Patterns Page at the top of this blog page (under the blog title) to find more free sewing patterns.

Click the below links to browse through all the pattern drafting and sewing tutorials on my blog.

pattern drafting tutorials 

sewing tutorials 

Baby Dress Tutorial---Part 2

Dear friends,

I am extremely sorry for leaving the baby-dress tutorial incomplete. We will see Step 4 and 5 today.

Step 4:

Now we need to cut some cross-grain strips of contrasting fabric (I have used a pink color fabric) for piping the sleeves, neck, and the center front and bottom hemlines. To cut these strips, draw slanting lines of equal width (1 1/2 inches) as shown in the image below.

Then cut out the strips. The strips will look like these.

Step 5:

We will use two types of piping to finish the raw edges of this dress. For the sleeves we will use the following method. Take a bias strip. Fold it in half and attach it to the right side of the sleeve hemline.

Fold the attached strip inward on the wrong side of the sleeve and hem such that the piping is visible outside, as shown in the image below.

Here is the dress with both the sleeves done.

We will see the next method of piping in the next post.

You can find lots of free PDF printable sewing patterns on this page on my blog.

You can also click the Free Sewing Patterns Page at the top of this blog page (under the blog title) to find more free sewing patterns.

Click the below links to browse through all the pattern drafting and sewing tutorials on my blog.

pattern drafting tutorials 

sewing tutorials 

How to Sew a Baby Dress---Tutorial---Part 1

Today I will show you how to sew the baby dress using the pattern draft I provided in my last post.

Step 1: Draw the pattern on the fabric and cut out. Cut open the center front.

Step 2: We will make a curvy hemline on the center front. Mark A, C, D, and F as shown in the image below where AB=BC=DE=EF=1½ inches. Draw curves connecting A-C and D-F as shown.

Close-up photo:

Step 3: Carefully cut on the curves on both sides of the hemline and remove the excess.

Now it will look like this:

Step 4: To be continued tomorrow.

You can find lots of free PDF printable sewing patterns on this page on my blog.

You can also click the Free Sewing Patterns Page at the top of this blog page (under the blog title) to find more free sewing patterns.

Click the below links to browse through all the pattern drafting and sewing tutorials on my blog.

pattern drafting tutorials 

sewing tutorials