Put striped fabrics to creative use in this 1950s-inspired swing dress. It features a banded V-neckline, one-button closure, cap sleeves with an underarm gusset, fitted bodice with bust and waist darts, invisible left-side zipper closure, and a full skirt with 14 godets and 14 panels that alternate between the straight grain and the cross- grain.

Pattern details

This is a well-drafted pattern. It doesn’t include finished measurements, so measure the pieces to determine the desired size. Note that the pattern does not include seam or hem allowances, except where noted. Read the instructions carefully: There is no pattern piece for the rectangular skirt panels, but there are dimensions for making the piece.

Construction tips

The skirt needs to be symmetrically attached to the bodice, therefore use the neckband, waist darts and side seams as guidelines. The underarm gussets are unique in that they begin in the side seams below the bust darts, and terminate at the sleeve hem. The sewing is moderately difficult, with the sleeve gusset installation the most challenging element. Finishing the seam allowances on the 28-panel skirt will be the time-consuming part of the project.
Our seamstress notes:

• If you use fabric with cross-grain stripes, you will need more yardage than what the pattern recommends.
• We used a fabric with an asymmetrical stripe pattern, so we needed more fabric to cut the all gores in the same orientation.
• Omit the word “right” in the first sentence of the instructions under “Neckline band.”

Fabric recommendations

This design is intended to take advantage of a striped fabric. Alternatively, select a solid for the neckline band and rectangular skirt panels and for the remainder pick out a coordinating polka dot or floral. There is a lot of fabric in the skirt, so choose lightweight dress fabrics such as cotton sateen, rayon, or a polyester/cotton blend. The pattern of the fabric is important to the design, so further embellishment is not necessary. The sewing preparation may seem daunting due to matching all the points. Our tester recommends stacking the godet and gusset pieces and using an awl to mark their match points.
(Sized European 34–44 [US 8–18] for busts 31 1/2–39 1/2 inches and hips 34–41 3/4 inches)

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