How to make a sleeveless dress

1. Materials & tools

Materials (adult dress)

• Fabric (medium cotton, linen or lawn) — about 110 cm wide × (dress length + 30 cm)
• Double-fold bias tape (1.1–1.3 cm) — the neckline + armhole length, plus extra (self fabric is fine)

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Adult clothes” → “Sleeveless dress” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter bust, waist, hip, bodice length, skirt length and flare. Presets cover S–XL.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Trace the pattern
   Trace the cut line and seam line onto the wrong side; align the grain.
2. Cut
   Cut the front and back bodice each on the fold (1 each), and the front and back skirt each on the fold (2 total).
3. Mark notches
   Mark the waist and armhole notches.
4. Finish the edges
   Zigzag or serge the seam-allowance edges.

4. Sewing

4-1. Sew the shoulders

1. Place front and back bodice right sides together and sew the shoulder seams; press open.

4-2. Bind the neckline and armholes

1. Sew bias tape to the neckline right sides together, wrap it to the inside and topstitch.
2. Do the same on both armholes. Binding while flat (before the side seams) is easiest for beginners.

4-3. Sew the sides

1. Sew the bodice side seams, continuing neatly from the bound armhole edge; press open.

4-4. Make the skirt and join it

1. Sew the skirt side seams and press open.
2. Match the bodice waist to the skirt waist (aligning side seams and notches) and sew all around.
3. Press the waist seam toward the bodice.

4-5. Hem

1. Double-fold and press the hem, topstitch all around, and give it a final press.

5. Tips & variations

• Self-fabric binding: cut bias strips from the dress fabric for a coordinated finish.
• Pockets: add in-seam pockets in the skirt side seams.
• Length: adjust bodice and skirt lengths for your height.