DORIS PATTERN DESCRIPTION
Doris is a loose-fitting, lined, trapeze dress with a round neckline. The front
is shaped with bust darts transferred to the side seams. The back has shoulder
darts transferred to the neckline. The dress is sleeveless and has side seam
pockets. The back neckline features a rouleau loop and button closure. The
hem is finished with a facing. Doris is above-knee length.
FABRIC : OAA4040
SUPPLIER Okura Shoji Co., Ltd.
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TOTAL EASE ALLOWANCE
Bust Waistline Hipline
ease ease ease
сm 14.1–18.2 50.4–56.7 41.8–54.3
inches 5 1/2–7 1/8 19 7/8–22 3/8 16 1/2–21 3/8
GARMENT LENGTH
Height, cm Back length, cm Height, ft Back length, in
1 (154–160) 77.8–79.6 1 (5’1”–5’3”) 30 5/8–31 3/8
2 (162–168) 81.8–83.6 2 (5’4”–5’6”) 32 1/4–32 7/8
3 (170–176) 85.8–87.6 3 (5’7”–5’9”) 33 3/4–34 1/2
4 (178–184) 89.8–91.6 4 (5’10”–6’1”) 35 3/8–36 1/8
SUGGESTED FABRIC
To sew this dress, choose dress-weight and suiting fabrics with the following properties:
• medium to heavyweight, structured, non-stretch or low-stretch
• the fiber content can include natural fibers (wool, silk, cotton, linen), artificial fibers (viscose),
blends (wool + silk, wool + polyester, polyester + viscose, etc.), and synthetics (polyester, polyester
+ elastane)
• the following fabrics are recommended: sateen, poplin, linen, broderie anglaise, lightweight denim.
For the lining, we recommend cotton shirting, sateen, poplin, linen, batiste.
Attention! We do not recommend stretchy knit fabrics. The fabric has to be structured.
The garment in the photos is made of linen. The fabric is medium-weight, without stretch. The
fiber content is 30% linen, 30% tencel, 40% cotton.
The lining is made of cotton shirting (100% cotton).
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FABRIC AND NOTIONS REQUIREMENTS
1. Main fabric, 140 cm wide, with a directional print/nap, in meters:
Height, cm 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52
1 (154–160) 1.27 1.28 1.36 1.46 1.5 1.54 1.62 1.62 1.64 1.75
2 (162–168) 1.34 1.38 1.46 1.55 1.59 1.67 1.7 1.7 1.81 1.83
3 (170–176) 1.41 1.48 1.56 1.64 1.68 1.75 1.77 1.79 1.89 2.03
4 (178–184) 1.5 1.58 1.67 1.73 1.8 1.83 1.85 1.95 1.95 2.05
Main fabric, 55" wide, with a directional print/nap, in yards:
Height, ft 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52
1 (5'1"–5'3") 1 3/8 1 3/8 1 1/2 1 5/8 1 5/8 1 5/8 1 3/4 1 3/4 1 3/4 1 7/8
2 (5'4"–5'6") 1 1/2 1 1/2 1 5/8 1 3/4 1 3/4 1 7/8 1 7/8 1 7/8 2 2
3 (5'7"–5'9") 1 1/2 1 5/8 1 3/4 1 3/4 1 7/8 1 7/8 1 7/8 2 2 1/8 2 1/4
4 (5'10"–6'1") 1 5/8 1 3/4 1 7/8 1 7/8 2 2 2 2 1/8 2 1/8 2 1/4
Main fabric, 150 cm wide, with a directional print/nap, in meters:
Height, cm 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52
1 (154–160) 1.2 1.21 1.28 1.28 1.36 1.45 1.51 1.54 1.56 1.63
2 (162–168) 1.23 1.31 1.34 1.37 1.46 1.56 1.6 1.63 1.69 1.71
3 (170–176) 1.32 1.41 1.41 1.47 1.56 1.64 1.69 1.71 1.79 1.79
4 (178–184) 1.42 1.47 1.49 1.58 1.67 1.73 1.78 1.84 1.86 1.88
Main fabric, 59" wide, with a directional print/nap, in yards:
Height, ft 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52
1 (5'1"–5'3") 1 1/4 1 3/8 1 3/8 1 3/8 1 1/2 1 5/8 1 5/8 1 5/8 1 3/4 1 3/4
2 (5'4"–5'6") 1 3/8 1 3/8 1 1/2 1 1/2 1 5/8 1 3/4 1 3/4 1 3/4 1 7/8 1 7/8
3 (5'7"–5'9") 1 1/2 1 1/2 1 1/2 1 5/8 1 3/4 1 3/4 1 7/8 1 7/8 2 2
4 (5'10"–6'1") 1 1/2 1 5/8 1 5/8 1 3/4 1 7/8 1 7/8 2 2 2 2
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2. Lining fabric, 140 cm wide, with a directional print/nap, in meters:
Height, cm 34 36 38 40 42 44–46 48 50 52
1 (154–160) 1.23 1.24 1.32 1.42 1.46 1.52 1.52 1.55 1.55
2 (162–168) 1.3 1.34 1.42 1.51 1.58 1.6 1.6 1.61 1.65
3 (170–176) 1.37 1.44 1.52 1.6 1.64 1.67 1.69 1.69 1.83
4 (178–184) 1.45 1.54 1.63 1.7 1.74 1.77 1.77 1.77 1.9
Lining fabric, 55” wide, with a directional print/nap, in yards:
Height, ft 34 36 38 40 42 44–46 48 50 52
1 (5'1"–5'3") 1 3/8 1 3/8 1 1/2 1 1/2 1 5/8 1 5/8 1 5/8 1 3/4 1 3/4
2 (5'4"–5'6") 1 3/8 1 1/2 1 1/2 1 5/8 1 3/4 1 3/4 1 3/4 1 3/4 1 3/4
3 (5'7"–5'9") 1 1/2 1 5/8 1 5/8 1 3/4 1 3/4 1 7/8 1 7/8 1 7/8 2
4 (5'10"–6'1") 1 5/8 1 5/8 1 3/4 1 7/8 1 7/8 1 7/8 1 7/8 1 7/8 2 1/8
IMPORTANT! When purchasing fabric, please account
for shrinkage and buy 5% more than required.
3. Fusible interfacing, for all sizes and heights – 0.25 m (1/4 yd).
4. Bias-cut fusible stay tape – 2 m (2 1/8 yd).
5. Matching thread – 5 spools (1 spool for the sewing machine + 4 spools for the overlocker).
6. One button, 1 cm (3/8") in diameter.
TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
• sewing machine for construction
• overlocker for finishing raw edges. It can be replaced with a stretch overlock stitch or a zigzag stitch
on the sewing machine (overlock or zigzag stitch width 2–3 mm, stitch length 2.5 mm)
• edgestitch foot for the sewing machine (optional)
• loop turner.
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PATTERN PIECES LIST
1. From main fabric:
• front – cut 1 on fold
• back – cut 2
• pocket bag – cut 4
• front hem facing – cut 1 on fold
• back hem facing – cut 1 on fold
• rouleau loop – cut 1.
2. From lining fabric: IMPORTANT! Don’t forget to transfer all pattern
• front – cut 1 on fold markings and notches onto the fabric.
• back – cut 2.
SEAM ALLOWANCES
All pattern pieces include seam allowances as follows:
• center seam on the back and back lining pieces, hem allowance on the lining – 1.5 cm (5/8")
• all other edges – 1 cm (3/8”).
Take this into account when laying out pattern pieces on the fabric.
CUTTING LAYOUT
Main fabric, 140 cm (55") wide, cut on fold, for Main fabric, 140 cm (55") wide, cut on fold, for
sizes 34–46 in all heights, with a directional print sizes 48–52 in all heights, with a directional print
selvedge selvedge
fold fold
Important! Cut only one rouleau loop piece. Important! Cut only one rouleau loop piece.
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Main fabric, 150 cm (59") wide, cut on fold, for Main fabric, 150 cm (59") wide, cut on fold, for
sizes 34–42 in all heights, with a directional print sizes 44–52 in all heights, with a directional print
selvedge selvedge
fold
Important! Cut only one rouleau loop piece.
fold
Important! Cut only one rouleau loop piece.
Lining fabric, 140 cm (55") wide, cut on fold, for Interfacing, 140 cm (55”) wide, cut on fold,
all sizes and heights, with a directional print for all sizes and heights
selvedge selvedge
fold
fold
READY? LET’S GET SEWING!
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We recommend testing your interfacing and fusible stay tape on a scrap of fabric before applying
it to the main pieces. Check your iron’s temperature and steam settings (check if it’s safe to use
steam on your main fabric). Check how long it takes for the interfacing to bond.
Fully interface the following pieces:
• back hem facing – 1 piece
• front hem facing – 1 piece.
Interface with bias-cut fusible stay tape:
• shoulder seam edges on the front piece
• armscye, neckline, and back neckline slit edges on the front and back lining pieces.
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Interface with stitch-reinforced fusible stay tape:
• pocket opening area on the front piece.
The stay tape should be 1 cm (3/8") wide and as long as the interfaced section. Position the
stay tape so that the reinforcement stitches on the tape are 9 mm (just under 3/8") away from
the edge.
To apply the interfacing or stay tape, position its glue side onto the wrong side of the fabric
piece (or part of it) and press. Do not move the iron back and forth. Firmly press the piece section
by section, holding it down with the iron for a few seconds until that section is adhered and then
pressing down the next section. You may use a cotton pressing cloth to protect your iron sole.
Once the interfacing is fused, leave the piece on a hard flat surface for 15 minutes for it to cool
down.
FITTING
We recommend doing a fitting for any garment.
What for? The fitting is done to:
• check the balance of the garment: the side seams should be vertical
• make sure the front and back center lines are not riding up
• adjust the volume (if you didn’t make a toile and didn’t make any changes to the pattern pieces
before cutting) but only to make the garment smaller.
How? After applying the interfacing and stay tape, baste the darts and assemble the entire
garment along the main structural seams: shoulder seams, side seams. Baste the garment hem.
To achieve a good fit, you should correctly assemble the garment for the first fitting, so pay
attention to the notches. First, pin the pieces at the notches and then between them, making sure
the fabric is laying smoothly.
To baste the garment, use one of the following methods:
• machine-stitch (4–5 mm stitch length)
• hand-baste (approximately 1 cm [3/8"] stitch length).
Important! If the needle leaves visible holes in the fabric (silk, satin, etc.), we recommend making
a TOILE to check for fitting issues. In this case, there is no need for a fitting, except to check the
lengths. We recommend testing on a scrap of fabric first to see whether your material is prone
to be marked by needles.
If you notice that one piece is larger than the other after you’ve done the basting, don’t rush
into truing the pieces right away (i.e., evening out the details by trimming the excess fabric). First
make sure that the notches are properly matched, lay the pieces on a flat surface and try to
re-baste them together. If the pieces still don’t match in length because they have stretched or
there has been a cutting mistake, you can always true the pieces after the fitting, during the
construction of the garment.
After assembling the garment, press it lightly and press the seam allowances either to one side
or open.
What to look for during fitting?
The left and right sides of the garment should look the same.
Verify the garment balance: the side seams, center back and front lines should be vertical, the
shoulder seams should lie on the natural shoulder line.
The garment hem should be straight and parallel to the floor.
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Evaluate the fit of the front and back while looking at the person from the side. The front and
back should not be riding up or sagging. There should be no horizontal folds at the back, no
pulling at the shoulder blade area and shoulders.
Check the size and placement of the darts. The tip of the bust dart should point toward the
bust apex but not go over it.
Check the garment length.
Check for fit issues associated with individual features of the body (for example, an asymmetrical
figure with shoulders at different levels, etc.).
Verify the garment volume, there should be enough ease for a comfortable fit.
After the fitting, make the necessary adjustments to both sides of the garment and do another
baste fitting if necessary.
Trim off 2 mm of the neckline and armscye
edges on the front and back lining pieces.
Pin and baste the darts on the wrong side of
the front piece. Machine-stitch, starting at the
wide end and moving toward the dart point.
Backstitch at the beginning of the seam only. At
the tip of the dart, tie the thread ends into
knots and hide them between the dart layers
using a hand sewing needle.
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Press the darts flat.
Press the bust dart up.
Press to shrink out the fullness at the dart
point.
Stitch the darts on the front lining the same
way.
Stitch the darts on the back pieces.
Machine-stitch, starting at the wide end and
moving toward the dart point. Backstitch at the
beginning of the seam only. At the tip of the
dart, tie the thread ends into knots and hide
them between the dart layers using a
hand sewing needle.
Press the darts flat.
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Stitch the darts on the back lining pieces the
same way.
Leave long thread tails and hide them between
the layers of the seam allowances using a hand
sewing needle.
Press the darts toward the shoulder edge on
the back and back lining pieces.
For sizes 40 and up, we recommend trimming
the extra bust dart width on the front bodice
piece.
Mark a line at 1 cm (3/8”) from the dart seam.
Trim the extra dart width.
With the bottom part of the dart facing up,
overlock the seam allowance.
Press the seam flat.
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Press and steam the dart. Press the dart up,
shrink out the fullness at the dart point, and
then press down with a tailor’s clapper.
Place the pocket bags onto the front and back
pieces right sides together, align the side edges.
Pin, baste, and stitch on the sewing machine.
Press the seam flat.
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Overlock the seam allowances, keeping the
front and back pieces facing up.
Press the seam flat and then press the seam
allowances toward the pocket bag.
Understitch the seam allowances to the pocket
bag.
Work from the right side and stitch at 1 mm
from the seam. Backstitch at the beginning and
end. Press the seam flat.
With the right side facing up, overlock the
center back seam allowances on the back and
back lining pieces separately. Continue overlocking
1–2 cm (3/8–3/4") past the beginning of the
back neckline slit.
Press the seams flat.
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Place the front and back pieces right sides
together.
Pin the shoulder seam edges, baste, and stitch
on the sewing machine.
Stitch the shoulder seams on the lining the
same way.
With the back piece facing up, overlock the
shoulder seam edges on the main garment.
Press the seams flat.
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Overlock the shoulder seam edges on the
lining the same way. Press the seams flat.
Press the shoulder seam allowances on the
main garment toward the front.
Press the shoulder seam allowances on the
lining toward the front.
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Align the neckline edges of the outer garment
and lining right sides together, matching the
shoulder seams and notches. Pin, baste, and
stitch on the sewing machine. Backstitch at the
beginning and end of the seam.
Press the seam flat.
Clip into the curved areas of the neckline seam
allowance, up to 2 mm from the seam.
Press the seam allowance flat and then press
it toward the lining.
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Turn the garment right side out. Understitch
the seam allowance to the lining. Work from the
right side and stitch at 1 mm from the seam.
Backstitch at the beginning and end of the
seam.
Press the seam flat, rolling it slightly toward
the lining.
Trim the seam allowances of the garment-to-
lining seam as follows:
• the outer garment seam allowance – down
to 5 mm (just under 1/4")
• the lining seam allowance – close to the
seam.
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Align the armscye edges of the outer garment
and lining right sides together. Match the
shoulder seams and notches, pin, and baste.
Stitch on the sewing machine, backstitching at
the beginning and end of the seam.
Press the seam flat.
Clip into the armscye seam allowance, up to
2 mm from the seam.
Press the seam allowance flat and then press
it toward the lining.
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Turn the garment right side out. Understitch
the seam allowance to the lining. Work from the
right side and stitch at 1 mm from the seam.
Backstitch at the beginning and end of the
seam.
Trim the seam allowances as follows:
• the outer garment seam allowance – down
to 5 mm (just under 1/4")
• the lining seam allowance – close to the
seam.
Turn the dress to the right side, press the
seams flat rolling them slightly toward the lining.
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Prepare the rouleau button loop.
Cut a strip of fabric on the bias, i.e. at a
45-degree angle. Make a strip 2.5–3 cm (1–1 1/8")
wide by 7–10 cm (2 3/4–3 7/8") long.
Fold the strip in half lengthwise right sides
together.
Machine-stitch at 5 mm (just under 1/4") from
the fold. Do not backstitch and leave long thread
tails.
Trim the seam allowance down to 2–3 mm
(1/8") from the seam.
Turn the loop right side out using a loop turner.
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Pull the loop tight and pin it to the ironing
board. Steam-press the loop and let it cool
down.
Trim the loop to match the pattern piece.
Form the button loop to match the size of
your button and steam it. Trim the excess, leaving
a 1 cm (3/8") seam allowance.
Pin the loop to the right side of the left-hand
back piece, align it with the center back edge.
Machine-stitch across the loop three times at
9 mm (just under 3/8") from the edge.
Press the ends of the loop making this area
as flat as possible.
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Fold the lining over so that the outer back
and back lining are right sides together. Align
the center back seam edges, pin, baste, and
stitch on the sewing machine, backstitching at
the beginning and end of the seam. Stop stitching
at the notch marking the end of the slit.
Press the seam flat.
Turn the garment right side out. Understitch
the seam allowance to the lining. Work from the
right side and stitch at 1 mm from the seam.
Backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam.
Press the seam flat, rolling it toward the lining
by 2 mm.
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Place the dress front and back right sides
together, align the side seam edges and pocket
bags, match the notches.
Pin, baste, and stitch on the sewing machine.
Backstitch at the beginning and end of the
seam.
Overlock the seam allowances.
Keep the back pieces facing up.
Press the seams flat.
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Press the seam allowances toward the front.
Turn the dress to the right side, smooth out
the pockets.
Working from the right side, topstitch the
pocket opening at 5 mm (just under 1/4") from
the edge to secure it. Make sure to stitch through
the front piece only.
Add 5 mm (just under 1/4") long perpendicular
reinforcement stitches, as shown in the photo.
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Place the two back pieces right sides together
along the center back seam. Align the edges,
match the notches. Pin, baste, and machine-stitch
between the end of the slit and the bottom of
the garment. Backstitch at the beginning and
end of the seam.
Press the seam flat.
Place the two back lining pieces right sides
together along the center back seam. Align the
edges, match the notches. Pin, baste, and machine-
stitch between the end of the slit and the bottom
of the garment. Backstitch at the beginning and
end of the seam.
Press the seam flat.
Press the seam allowances open.
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Press the lining seam allowances open as well.
Press the bottom edge of the lining to the wrong
side by 7 mm (just over 1/4"). Fold by 7 mm (just
over 1/4") once again and press.
Machine-stitch at 1 mm from the inner folded
edge. Press the seam flat.
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Place the front and back hem facing pieces
right sides together.
Pin, baste, and machine-stitch the side edges.
Press the seams flat.
Press the seam allowances open.
With the right side facing up, overlock the
upper edge of the facing in the round. Press
the seam flat.
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Align the hem facing with the bottom edge of
the garment right sides together. Pin, baste, and
stitch on the sewing machine.
Press the seam flat and then press the seam
allowances toward the facing.
Understitch the seam allowance to the facing.
Work from the right side and stitch at 1 mm
from the seam, backstitching at the beginning
and end. Press the seam flat.
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Trim the seam allowances as shown in the
photo.
Fold the facing over to the wrong side and
baste in place at 5.9 cm (just under 2 3/8") from
the bottom edge. Press flat.
Topstitch the facing to the dress.
Work from the right side and stitch at 6 cm
(2 3/8") from the bottom edge. Use a 3 mm stitch
length.
Press the seam flat.
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Mark the button placement on the right side
of the right-hand back piece according to the
pattern markings.
Sew the button on.
Give the garment a final press.
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