Fit-and-flare dress sewing pattern

A fit-and-flare dress joins a fitted bodice to a fuller skirt at the waist. It is the shape behind most sundresses, tea dresses and party dresses. Sewly drafts the bodice with bust and waist darts from your measurements, then matches the skirt to the bodice waist so the two meet exactly.

Options for your fit-and-flare dress

• Skirt: gathered (the default), A-line or half circle. For the gathered skirt you set the gathering ratio, from 1.3 (soft) to 2.8 (very full), 1.8 by default.
• Length: mini, above the knee, knee (default), midi or maxi, with an adjustment of up to 25 cm (10 in) either way.
• Neckline: round, scoop (default), V-neck, boat or square, with a depth adjustment.
• Sleeves: straps, sleeveless, cap, short (default), elbow, three-quarter or long.
• Sleeve shape: fitted, straight, puff (default) or bell/flutter.
• Pockets: in the side seams (default) or none.
• Tie belt: off by default.

With straps, the bodice gets a straight top edge and a full lining instead of neck facings, and Sewly adds two straps to make.

Sizes: your measurements or a standard size

Draft it from your own measurements, or start from a standard women's size, EU 32–54 (US 0–22, UK 4–26), or a children's size from 2 to 14 years. Bust, waist and back waist length shape the bodice. Because the bodice starts from your own bust and waist rather than a size chart, you can often skip a full bust adjustment.

Best fabrics

Light to medium woven fabrics: cotton poplin, viscose, cotton lawn, chambray, crepe, gingham or broderie anglaise. Poplin and gingham give a crisp gathered skirt; viscose and crepe suit the half circle, which needs drape. For the strap version, line the bodice with a light cotton such as lawn or voile.

Difficulty and sewing time

This is an intermediate dress: darts, a 50 cm (20 in) invisible zip at center back, a gathered or circle skirt and, for puff sleeves, gathering at the sleeve cap with narrow elastic at the hem. Plan 8 to 10 hours over a weekend. A half-circle skirt should hang overnight before you hem it, because the parts cut on the bias stretch.

What's in the pattern

• Bodice front, and bodice back in two halves for the zip
• Neck facings, or bodice lining pieces and two straps
• Skirt front and back: drafted pieces for the A-line and half circle; for the gathered skirt, rectangles given as cutting dimensions to save paper
• Sleeves, or bias strips for the armholes
• Pocket bags and a tie belt, if chosen

Notions: invisible zip, lightweight fusible interfacing, and narrow elastic for puff sleeves.

How to sew a fit-and-flare dress

1. Staystitch the neckline and sew the bust and waist darts.
2. Make the straps and line the bodice, or join the shoulders and attach the facings.
3. Gather or prepare the skirt, add the pockets and sew the side seams.
4. Join the skirt to the bodice and insert the zip.
5. Add the sleeves and the tie belt, then hem and press.

For even gathers, see how to gather fabric; for the zip, how to insert an invisible zip. Our project post on sewing a summer dress with puff sleeves follows this pattern from start to finish.