With the Ava summer dress, you’ve added an all-round summer favourite to your pattern stash! You can wear Ava on a warm summer day, but just as well to a fancy party or at work. Ava has a button placket and collar with collar stand. The front and back are cut above the bust and gathered for a loose fit. The dress is sleeveless, but the folded shoulder trims cover your shoulders gently. The belt creates a shaped waist, but you can wear Ava perfectly without it as well for a more casual look. Make this dress in a printed or plain fabric with a nice drape. And yes, it has pockets!
Interface the button placket on the front and front piece: this is a strip of 5 cm wide, at 1 cm from the edge (so you don’t interface the seam allowance).
Gather the top of the front between the markings. Easestitch using the largest stitch on your sewing machine at 1,5 cm from the edge without back tacking. Easestitch a second time at 1 cm.
Place the front piece and front with the right sides of the fabric together. Gather the front so it matches the front piece and stitch in place. Stitch.
Finish the edges together with an overlock or by zigzagging. Press the seam upwards.
Press 1 cm of the center front of each front to the wrong side. Then press 2,5 cm to the wrong side, at the markings of neckline and hem, and stitch in place just next to the edge.
Finish the rounded side of all pocket pieces with an overlock or by zigzagging. Pin a pocket piece at each front and back, right sides of the fabric together and markings matching. Stitch the side seam. Finish the side seam with an overlock or by zigzagging.
Fold the pocket to the side and stitch it to the seam allowance of front or back, just next to the edge.
Gather the top of the back between the markings. Easestitch using the largest stitch on your sewing machine at 1,5 cm from the edge without back tacking. Easestitch a second time at 1 cm.
Pin one of the back pieces to the back, right sides of the fabric together. Make sure the top side of the back levels with the bottom side of the back piece and that the markings match. Divide the gathered fabric evenly between the two markings. Stitch in place.
Now pin the second back piece with the right side of the fabric to the wrong side of the fabric of the back and stitch in your first stitching. Press gently.
Pin the shoulder seams of the fronts to the shoulder seam of the outer back piece, right sides of the fabric together and stitch in place.
Roll up the back and front until they are right in the middle of the two back pieces. Pin the shoulder seams of the back pieces with the right sides of the fabric together. Stitch the shoulder seams in your first stitching. Now gently pull out the front and back and press flat.
Pin the side seams of front and back with the right sides of the fabric together and stitch until the first marking of the pocket. Then follow the shape of the pocket until the next marking and then continue the side seam.
Trim the rounded seam under the arm so the fabric doesn’t pull. Press the seam towards the front.
The interfaced part of the collar is the top collar, the under collar is not interfaced. Trim the short ends and the long outer edge of the under collar by 2 mm.
Pin both collar parts right sides together and stitch all around at 1 cm seam allowance but leave the bottom seam open. Trim the corners and turn inside out. Press nicely flat and make sure the top collar slightly overlaps the under collar.
Press 1 cm of the inner collar stand, the one that’s not interfaced, to the inside. Pin the top side of the inner collar stand to the open, bottom side of the top collar, right sides of the fabric together. The markings at the top of the collar stand match the beginning and end of the collar. Now pin the interfaced outer collar stand to the under collar in the same way. Pin the curved edges of the collar stands together and stitch the top side at 1 cm seam allowance. Do not stitch the 1 centimeter seam allowance you pressed beforehand. Trim the seam allowance at the curves to reduce bulk. Turn the collar stand right side out and press.
Pin the seam of the collar, the one that hasn’t been pressed, to the neckline of the dress, right sides of the fabric together. Make sure the markings of the center back and shoulder seams match. Stitch at 1 cm seam allowance. Press the seam allowances towards the collar.
Turn the collar upwards and pin the pressed seam of the collar to the inside of the neckline. All seam allowances disappear inside the collar. Trim the corners if necessary. Stitch the collar to the front just next to the edge on the collar stand, through all the layers. Work on the right side of the dress. Press nicely flat.
Fold the sleeve trims in half with the short sides together - right sides of the fabric together - and stitch the short side. Press the seam allowance open.
Press the sleeve trims in half with the wrong sides together. Fold back open and press 1 cm of one of the long sides to the wrong side. Make sure that with the other sleeve trim, you press the opposite long side, to get the mirror image from the first one.
Pin the seam allowance of the sleeve trim, that isn’t pressed, to the armhole of the dress, right sides of the fabric together and markings matching: the single marking matches the seam in the front; the double marking matches the back. Stitch and press the seam allowance towards the sleeve trim.
Now fold the sleeve trim to the inside at the foldline and pin. Stitch the sleeve trim in place by stitching exactly in the ditch of sleeve trim and dress. Work on the right side of the dress.
Fold the sleeve trim about 2/3 of its width towards the shoulder and press gently. Attach it with a few stitches at the shoulder seam, below the armhole and to the seam in the back.
Press the hem 3 cm to the wrong side of the fabric. Then press half of the seam allowance to the inside. Topstitch at the edge of the hem.
Place both parts of the belt with the right sides of the fabric together and stitch one short side. Press the seam open. Double fold the belt lengthwise with the right sides of the fabric together and stitch all sides but leave an opening of about 5 cm in the middle to turn it. Trim the corners of the short sides and turn the belt to the right side. Close the opening by sewing by hand and press.
Make the buttonholes in the right button placket. The first buttonhole is indicated on the front piece. The second buttonhole is indicated on the front. Mark the other 7 buttonholes at 8 cm distance from each other. Sew the buttons on the left button placket.
All done!
We wish you a lot of fun with your new dress! Show your creation on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #atelierjupeAva or share it in our Facebook group ‘Atelier Jupe - Create & Share’.
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