2

DE -in
SIG -1
N

VIEW A

VIEW B

#030
Sizes 8-20
BEGINNER

The
Amelia Maxi Dress
This dress with pretty shirred waist is the perfect day-to-evening pattern
VIEW A VIEW B

This easy-to-make dress is the perfect day-to-evening pattern FABRIC REQUIREMENTS

with a choice of two lengths of fluttery sleeve. The shirred Size 60” wide
waist panel means getting a great fit is even easier! Amelia will
look great for a sunny day out in a pretty Tana lawn, or in a 8 1.75m
glamorous viscose or silk when attending a wedding or party. 10 1.85m
FABRIC SUGGESTIONS 12 1.9m
Light to mid-weight cotton, lawn, viscose, crepe and silk 14 2m
This dress is only suitable for 60’-wide fabric
16 2.1m
NOTIONS
18 2.1m
22” concealed zip. One spool of shirring elastic
20 2.2m
FINISHED GARMENT MEASUREMENTS
Size Bust Waist Hips Back length Longer sleeve Shorter sleeve
length length
8 35” 28” 47” 381/2” 10” 71/2”
10 37” 30” 49” 383/4” 101/4” 73/4”
12 39” 32” 51” 39” 101/4” 8”
14 41” 34” 53” 391/4” 103/4” 81/4”
16 43” 36” 55” 391/2” 11” 81/2”
18 45” 38” 57” 393/4” 111/4” 83/4”
20 47” 40” 59” 40” 111/2” 9”
 KEY
The
Amelia Maxi Dress Wrong side
Right side
#030 Stitch line
RST = R
 ight sides of
fabric together

VIEW A (long sleeve) VIEW B (short sleeve)

SEAM ALLOWANCES ARE 1.5CM UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

LAYPLAN 60"
1 3 1 – FRONT BODICE
2 – BACK BODICE
5 3 – FRONT FACING
8 4 – BACK FACING
2 7 5 – FRONT SKIRT
4 6 6 – BACK SKIRT
7 – FRONT BODICE PANEL
8 – SLEEVE

FOLD

GENERAL PREPARATION
It is really important to launder your fabric (according to the manufacturer’s SIZE CHART
instructions) before you begin – this allows for shrinkage. Size Bust Waist Hips

It is ALWAYS a really good idea to make a toile or muslin to check for fit 8 33” 26” 36”
and form before you cut into your main fabric. This way, you will achieve 10 35” 28” 38”
a really great fit and you won’t waste any good fabric. Apply interfacing to 12 37” 30” 40”
the wrong side of any piece that requires it and make sure you overlock or
14 39” 32” 42’
zigzag-stitch any raw edges that will be exposed so that they don’t fray in the
wash. Ultimately, sewing is amazingly rewarding so just relax and enjoy the 16 41” 34” 44”
process. It can be counter-intuitive at times, and it will challenge you to think 18 43” 36” 46”
things through logically, but when you achieve what you hoped to, or near to 20 45” 38” 48”
it, you will want to come back for more and more!
1 2 3

With RST, join front and back Mark the notches on the upper
facings at shoulder seams. Press seams open. bodice front and sew gathering
stitches between the notches.

4 5

Pull to gather up the shoulders Mark darts on wrong side of back bodice and then sew in place.
to length requested on your Don’t back-stitch, simply tie a knot in the end of the thread.
pattern piece.

6 7

With RST, place and pin

facing on front bodice
and stitch in place. Trim
seam allowance to 0.5cm
and then clip into the ‘V’
neckline, taking care not
cut into the stitches. Turn
the facing through to inside
With RST, join front and of bodice and press flat.
back bodices together at the
shoulder seams.

8
Hand-wind an empty bobbin with your shirring elastic. D  on’t wind it
too tightly, just stretch the shirring elastic slightly as you wind it on.
Sew a test line of stitches before you start to check your tension on
the elastic.Adjust the stitch length on your machine so it’s quite long.
You need to sew with your fabric right side up, so thatthe shirring
elastic appears on the wrong side of your fabric.Remember to
back-stitch at the start and end of each row to secure the lines
of stitching. Following the notches, sew parallel rows of shirring,
stretching out the fabric on subsequent lines.
9 10
You will now need to attach the shirred section of
fabric RST to the bottom of the front bodice.
11
Turn up the sleeve’s hem by
1cm and sew in place. Press.
Then with RST, seweach
sleeve together at side seams.
Press seam.
12
RST, stitch dress together at the side seams.
RST, attach the front bodice to the front skirt.
Press bodice seam upwards and the skirt s eam
downwards. Repeat for the back pieces.
13
Run a gathering stitch along the sleeve head. Pin the
sleeve RST to the bodice. P in the sleeve RST to the
bodice as shown, then if needed pull slightly on the
threads until the sleeve will fit in the armhole. Be
careful not to create gathers in the sleeve head.Pin
in place. Stitch sleeve in position, removing pins as
you go.
14

Flip the neckline facing up and

on the right side of the bodice,
pin your concealed zip in place
RST. U sing a zipper foot on your
machine, sew a line of stitches as
close to the teeth as you can g et
and as far down as the foot will
allow. Repeat other side.

15

Fold facing over the zipper so that it

is RST with it, then sew a small line
of stitches to secure the facing to the
dress. You will be stitching through the
zipper, the facing and the dress. Snip
the top corner of the zip and then turn
the facing back through so it is right
sides out and lying flat on the inside of
the dress. Press flat.

16 17

Sewing from the bottom of the zip, continue Finally, turn up the dress hem by 0.5cm and
the centre back seam all the way to the hem press and pin in place then sew all the way
and press the seam open. around, removing pins as you go.
1 2 3 4 5 6

lowance on necklines
1cm hem allowance

BACK FACING
AMELIA TEA DRESS CUT 1 PAIR FABRIC

1 cm seam al
#030 CUT 1 PAIR INTERFACING

7
1.5cm seam allowance
use 1cm seam allowance around necklines
8b

FRONT BODICE PANEL

1cm seam allowance

CUT 1 ON FOLD
AMELIA TEA DRESS
#030 use 1cm seam allowance around sleevehead
1.5cm seam allowance

4
AMELIA TEA DRESS

#030
CUT 1 PAIR b
LONG SLEEVE

1cm
es
tch

sea
r no

m all
oulde
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ow
dic
ck bo

ance
ba
to fit

on
er
a gath

neckl

AMELIA TEA DRESS

ine

#030
BA

le
CK

ho
rm
na
AMELIA TEA DRESS

o
nce
#030

wa
allo
T
ON
EASE

m
FR

sea
1cm
SHOULDER

7 8 9 10 11 1 12
SHOULDER

8 rows of shirring
CK EASE
BA
FRONT BODICE
3 CUT 1 ON FOLD

FR
O
N
1.5cm seam allowance

T
line
nd neck SHORT SLEEVE use 1cm seam allowance around armholes and necklines
CUT 1 PAIR
arou
ance ance
allow allow
seam seam
1.5cm 1cm
use

FOLD 1.5cm seam allowance

ON use 1cm seam allowance around
ING LD sleevehead
ERFAC ON FO

8a
1 INT RIC ING
CUT T 1 FAB T FAC
CU FRON

DRE
SS #030
LIA TEA
on neckline

AME

1cm seam allowance

11cm seam allowance

AMELIA TEA DRESS

#030

1cm hem allowance

13 14
1cm s
eam a
llowan
ce on waistl
ine
15 16 17 18

AMELIA TEA
DRESS
#030

FRONT
MAXI
CUT 1 ON SKIRT
FOLD
1.5cm seam
use 1cm allowance
seam allow
ance on
waistline

19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30
waistline
ance on
seam allow allowance
use 1cm
1.5cm seam

R
CUT 1 PAI RT
XI SKI
BACK MA

6
#030
S
TEA DRES
AMELIA

31 32 33 34 35 36

ance on waistline
1cm seam allow

37 38
ulder b
sho
front notches
gather these
to fit
a

line
lder
shou
1 cm s
eam allowance on necklines

AMELIA TEA DRESS

#030

2
rve
armhole cu

39 40
es on

BACK BODICE
an c

CUT 1 PAIR
ow
a ll
am

se
1c m

1.5cm seam allowance

use 1cm seam allowance around armholes and necklines

1cm seam allowance

1

AMELIA TEA DRESS

#030
 FR
ONT
EASE
AMELIA TEA DRESS
#030
1cm hem allowance
2
 CK
BA

LONG SLEEVE
CUT 1 PAIR
1.5cm seam allowance
d
use 1cm seam allowance around sleevehea
8b
3
 4

1 cm seam al
lowance on necklines
AMELIA TEA DRESS
#030
5

BACK FACING
CUT 1 PAIR FABRIC
CUT 1 PAIR INTERFACING

1.5cm seam allowance

use 1cm seam allowance around necklines
4

1
s
otche
er n
hould
ce s
bodi
ack
to fit b
her
a gat
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m ho
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na

AMELIA TEA DRESS

eo

#030
w anc
allo m
sea
1cm
 1cm
sea
ma

6
llow
anc
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nn
eck
line

FRONT BODICE PANEL

CUT 1 ON FOLD

AMELIA TEA DRESS

7
#030 1cm seam allowance
 11cm seam al
lowance on
neckli

AME
ne

LIA T
EA D
#030 R ESS
CUT FRONT
C U T 1 F FA
1 IN ABRIC CING
TE R F O
ACI N FOLD
NG
O N FO
LD
use
1cm 1.5cm
se a m sea
allo m allow
wan
ce a ance
r o u nd n
eckline
3
7
BA
8
SHOULDER
 9

SHOULDER

CK EASE
BA

FR
O
N
T
SHORT SLEEVE
CUT 1 PAIR

1.5cm seam allowance

use 1cm seam allowance around sleevehead

8a
AMELIA TEA DRESS
#030

1cm hem allowance

10
11
1

FRONT BODICE
CUT 1 ON FOLD

1.5cm seam allowance

use 1cm seam allowance around armholes and necklines

1cm seam allowance

8 rows of shirring
12
13
14
1cm s
eam a
llowan
ce on waistl
ine

AMELIA T
EA DRES
S
#030

FRONT
MAXI S
CUT 1 O KIRT
N FOLD
1.5cm se
use 1cm am allow
seam all anc
owance o e
n waistline

5
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 AMELIA
TEA DRESS
#030
6
BACK M
A X I S K
CU IRT
T 1 P A IR
1.5 c m s
use 1c m e a m allo
s e a m allowan wance
c e o n waistlin
e
29
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1cm seam allow
ance on waistline
35
36
37

er
s h ould
t s
e r fron notche
h
gat it these
to f
a

ulde
sho

urve
 38

line
der
1 cm s
eam allowance on necklines

AMELIA TEA DRESS

#030

2
 39

1c m
se

am
a ll
ow
an c
es on
armhole cu

1cm seam allowance

 40
BACK BODICE
CUT 1 PAIR

1.5cm seam allowance

use 1cm seam allowance around armholes and necklines