How to Cut & Sew a Chanel-Inspired Sleeveless Turtleneck Maxi Dress
In this sewing tutorial, I’m going to show you how to cut and sew a turtleneck dress. The dress I’ll be making was inspired by the gorgeous maxi Chanel dress that Kristen Stewart wore to the premiere of the film Personal Shopper.
Tools and materials:
- Sleeveless top and long skirt (or a sleeveless maxi dress)
- ½ yard of rib knit jersey
- 1.5 yards of stretchy fabric
- Pins
- Chalk
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Sewing machine
1. Trace the dress
First, fold your stretchy fabric in half. Then line the top and skirt to form a dress and pin them on top of the fabric. Proceed to trace the outline of the dress, leaving a 0.5cm (0.2-inch) seam allowance.
When I got to the bottom of the dress, I widened the shape slightly for ease of movement.
2. Cut
Next, cut out the traced pattern.
3. Cut the pockets
From the same stretchy material, draw and cut out a square for the pocket. My pocket measured 7 inches (18cm) on each side. Then use this piece to cut out a second pocket.
4. Sew the pockets
Fold the pockets in on each side and sew them. You want to sew them in by 1 inch (2.5cm) on one side and ½ inch (1.3cm) on the other side.
5. Attach to dress
Place the pockets on the front piece of the dress, then pin and top stitch using a straight stitch.
6. Sew the two sides together
Place the two pieces of the dress one on top of the other with the right sides touching. Pin them to each other and then sew with a zigzag stitch.
7. Trim the neckline
This next step is optional, but I trimmed the neckline to make it a bit wider.
8. Cut the knit fabric
Fold and cut the knit fabric so that it is the width of the neckline. Then fold it in half again and place it inside the neckline of the dress (while the dress is turned inside out). Sew it in place.
Finally, hem the bottom of the dress as well as the armholes, and you are done!
How to cut and sew a turtleneck dress
Here we have our finished Kristen Stewart-inspired Chanel dress. This was really easy to make, and I love the finished look. It has a very stylish and flattering silhouette.
I also think that the turtleneck adds a nice bit of extra detail, and I like the contrast between the two types of material. I hope that you’ll make this dress for yourself!
Enjoyed the project?
Suggested materials:
- Sleeveless top and long skirt (or a sleeveless maxi dress)
- ½ yard of rib knit jersey
- 1.5 yards of stretchy fabric
- Pins
- Chalk
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Sewing machine
The author may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.
Comments
Join the conversation