Square Neck Dress || Tutorial || Summer Collection

My favorite thing about summer is having quick little easy to wear dresses for the girls. Either as a swim suit cover, or something to wear out casually or even something for church. So I made a few Square neck dresses for them.

Easy to draft, easy to sew, easy to wear. It doesn’t get much better than that does it? You can make it as long or as short as you want so it could be a shirt, tunic, dress, or maxi dress even. So Easy. So let’s draft one shall we?

You will need to take some measurements. Tip for you if your kid is sleeping or won’t hold still you can get the measurements you need measuring clothing as well.
Pink: Shoulder to underarm
Orange: Shoulder to neckline depth
Blue: Shoulder width
Yellow: Desired neckline width
Purple: Chest measurement from underarm to underarm (just across the front)
Green: Length from chest to desired length of dress.

Now what shall we do with these measurements? Simple everything is going to basically be straight lines.
For the Bodice:
You will be drawing an L shape more or less since it will be cut on the fold. Plug in the measurements you already figured out with a few modifications.
For the shoulder width you need to add seam allowance on both sides, so take the blue measurement and add .75″ (for a 3/8″ seam allowance)
Then square down the length of the pink line but once again add seam allowance at the top and bottom so .75″
Then square over, use the purple measurement but first subtract 2″ and then divide it by 2.
Go back up to the shoulder point and square down on the inside of the neck using the orange measurement only this time to add seam allowance you will subtract instead of add. (you basically want to raise the neckline up higher so when you sew your seam it doesn’t lower it more than you want.) Then square over using the yellow line, again subtracting the seam allowance. You will want the yellow line to match up with the purple line in width.

You will cut 2 out on the fold for the front bodice then add 1″ to the fold line edge and cut 4 for the back bodice. Easy enough right?

For the skirt.
You will be making a rectangle pattern piece and then you will be cutting it out on the fold.
The width will be the Purple line plus 1″
The length will be the green line plus 2″ for seam allowance and hem.
Then on the left side corner measure 1″ over and 1″ down mark the points then curve between the two. This makes the underarm curve. For smaller sizes you can do .5″ so there is less under arm curve. It makes the top a little narrower.
That’s it, you will cut 2 one for the front and one for the back.

Flutter sleeve:
I added a flutter sleeve for this one by making a rectangle that was 2X the shoulder width and 2X the shoulder length. (then cut on the fold so it’s 4X the length)

Whew. Ok. Pattern drafted, pattern cut, lets sew!

Sew one front piece to two back pieces right sides together at the shoulders.

Press the shoulder seam open flat. Repeat sewing and pressing with the lining of the bodice as well.

Now for the shoulder flutter. Take the rectangle. Fold the top and bottom edge under by 3/8″ then fold the rectangle in half wrong sides together (so the folded edges are toward the inside) sew a basting stitch along the raw edges, pull to gather. Then place the gather raw side facing out along the shoulder edge. Stop at least 1″ from the bottom edges. Sew the ruffle in place.

Repeat with the ruffle so you have them sewn to both sides.

Now sew the lining and outer bodice pieces together by facing them right sides together and sew from the back edge up pivot and sew around the neckline and then down the other back side. Then also sew along both shoulders.

Clip the corners with out clipping your stitching.

Then turn the bodice right side out. The back will over lap to be even with the front, you can pin it in place for now.

(here I lost some photos that were corrupt so graphics will have to fill in)
For the skirt pieces start by gathering the top edge of the front and back.
Then with right sides together sew one skirt piece to the front of the bodice, then repeat with the back of the bodice and the other skirt piece.
Then with right sides together sew the skirt pieces together at the sides.
Finish the underarm by either turning the edge under twice and sewing in place or you can use a bias tape binding. (more on that later)
Hem the bottom by turning it up twice and sewing in place and then add buttons to the back bodice.
Done.

A fun little dress that is fun and easy to wear.