MEMBERS ONLY: To gain full access to the Half Yard Club projects please login or sign up

Debbie Shore's Dressmaking Studio: Batwing Dress Pattern

Quick Links: What you'll need Project steps

If you haven’t tried sewing with stretch fabrics before, this pretty, easy-fit dress is the ideal starter project.

This dress is very flattering for all figure types and has a comfortable, loose fit with an elasticated waist. The sleeves are cut as one with the bodice, and because the dress is made from stretch fabric, there’s no need for a zip or buttons, so it could hardly be easier. The dress is in two parts – bodice and skirt – so if you have a different dress size top to bottom, getting the right fit is also very simple: just cut out the sizes that you need for both the bodice and skirt; by using stretch fabric and having an elasticated waist, the bodice and skirt can be eased together at the waist seam.

Jersey is a forgiving fabric. It doesn’t fray, so there’s no need to finish the seams, and because it stretches, getting the right fit is much easier than with woven fabric. However, you should still take the time to measure yourself before picking a size. Always go by your measurements, not the printed dress size; take accurate measurements and write them down for future projects.

Even though this dress has a relaxed fit, it’s always a good idea to make a toile first. This is a test version in less expensive fabric, and not only helps you make sure you have the correct fit before cutting into your final fabric, but it also acts as a test run, so you understand how the garment is constructed. Make your toile in the same type of fabric as the actual dress – in this case, a jersey fabric.

• Jersey has a tendency to curl at the edges after you cut it, which can make sewing it a little tricky. A generous spray of starch can help prevent this. The starch will wash out afterwards.
• Use a jersey or ballpoint/stretch needle.
• If your sewing machine has a ‘lightning’ stitch, this works well, otherwise use a very narrow zigzag stitch. These stitches will stretch slightly with the fabric so they won’t snap.
• If you have an overlocker/serger, you can use this to sew your seams as these machines are perfect for stretch fabrics but take into account the width of your seam allowance when using one. Luckily, on a dress like this, a slightly wider seam allowance will make little difference to the fit.
• We’ll use a twin needle for hemming (or you can use zigzag if your machine doesn’t have a twin-needle function). Stitching with a twin needle adds some stretch because the bobbin thread zigzags between the two top threads, so it’s perfect for stretch fabrics like jersey, and it creates a smart finish too. Jersey fabric doesn’t fray so there’s no need to fold the hem over twice (or neaten the seam allowances). You won’t be able to use a needle threader or thread cutter on your machine when using a twin needle. Always test your twin-needle stitching first on a scrap piece of fabric: I needed to loosen the tension slightly to prevent tunnelling (where the fabric bunches up a little between the two rows of stitching). You may like to lengthen your stitches, too, as I did.
• Wash your fabric before cutting out the pieces as some jersey fabrics can shrink quite a lot in the first wash.

Note: use a ⅝in (1.5cm) seam allowance unless otherwise stated.

The Templates

Size charts are included in the templates. There are three options to choose from:

• Click here to download the A0 pdf pattern
• Click here to download the A4 size pdf pattern
• Click here to download the US Letter size pdf pattern

SIZE GUIDE (in)

• Size 8: bust 34", waist 26", hip 36"
• Size 10: bust 36", waist 28", hip 38"
• Size 12: bust 38", waist 30", hip 40"
• Size 14: bust 40", waist 32", hip 42"
• Size 16: bust 42", waist 34", hip 44"
• Size 18: bust 44", waist 36", hip 46"
• Size 20: bust 46", waist 38", hip 48"
• Size 22: bust 48", waist 40", hip 50"
• Size 24: bust 50", waist 42", hip 52"
• Size 26: bust 52", waist 44", hip 54"

SIZE GUIDE (cm)

• Size 8: bust 87cm, waist 67cm, hip 92cm
• Size 10: bust 92cm, waist 72cm, hip 97cm
• Size 12: bust 97cm, waist 77cm, hip 102cm
• Size 14: bust 102cm, waist 82cm, hip 107cm
• Size 16: bust 107cm, waist 87cm, hip 112cm
• Size 18: bust 112cm, waist 92cm, hip 117cm
• Size 20: bust 117cm, waist 97cm, hip 122cm
• Size 22: bust 122cm, waist 102cm, hip 127cm
• Size 24: bust 127cm, waist 107cm, hip 132cm
• Size 26: bust 132cm, waist 112cm, hip 137cm

MEMBERS ONLY: To gain full access to the Half Yard Club projects please login or sign up

You will need:

Equipment

• Sewing machine 
• 80/12 jersey or ballpoint/stretch needle
• Ballpoint/stretch twin needle: mine is 4mm, so it has a 4mm gap between the two needles
• Tape measure
• Dressmaking shears
• Pins
• Optional: coloured pen so you can easily identify the pattern outline for your size
• Optional: tailor’s chalk or other fabric marker

Materials

• 54in (137cm) length of 54in (137cm) wide jersey fabric for sizes 8–14; 80in (203cm) length of 54in (137cm) wide jersey fabric for sizes 16–26 
• ¼in (5mm) wide elastic: for the length, use your waist measurement minus 3in (7.5cm) or simply wrap the elastic around your waist to see what feels comfortable and add approx.1in (2.5cm) for an overlap

MEMBERS ONLY: To gain full access to the Half Yard Club projects please login or sign up