Dresses, Sewing Tutorials

Sewing Tutorial: Penelope Halter Dress

Looking to stand out at your next party or function? The Penelope Halter Dress is the perfect style to turn heads at your next event. This dress features a flattering halter neckline with a functional neck tie, allowing you to adjust the fit for comfort and style. The open back creates a striking, sophisticated silhouette, balanced beautifully by a cinched waist and a double layer circular skirt, which completes the dreamy, floaty, feminine look of the dress. Optional horse hair braid can also be added to the hem for a more dramatic look. The dress fastens with a centre back invisible zipper ensuring a clean, polished finish. 

Perfect for any special occasion, this design is elegant feminine and the perfect conversation starter when people ask  “oh my god! where did you buy that dress?”.

SEWING ABILITY
Advanced

To begin, you will need the following things:

Materials

Tools

  • scissors
  • pins
  • sewing machine with a standard foot
  • regular zipper foot and invisible zipper foot
  • overlocker
  • iron

Fabric Requirements

The Penelope Halter Dress is best made with mid-weight woven fabrics that drape well for the bodice gathers and allow the skirt to flow nicely. Cotton poplin, cotton sateen & linen blends for casual looks, while taffeta or dupioni work well for formal versions. For lining use cotton, voile, or satin.

Tips

  • Ensure your fabric is washed, dried, and pressed before you start cutting. There is nothing worse than washing your beautiful garment and it shrinks, or even more annoying, the lining shrinks and the main doesn’t, so it’s all pulled out of shape and is unwearable.

If you prefer video instructions – please head over to youtube.

Penelope Halter Dress – Sewing Instructions

CUTTING

Step 1 

Cut all main, lining and interfacing pieces accurately on the correct grain, ensuring all notches are clipped. Also remember to notch or match the centre front of the top and bottom of the bodice and the top edge of the front of the upper and lower skirt.

Please note that all seam allowance is marked on the pattern in a grey dashed line and can also be found on page 3 of the booklet provided. If you need help with pattern cutting instructions, these can be found in the same booklet.

Beginner tip* If you can afford to purchase a rotary cutter and cutting mat, I find this more accurate and time-efficient. 

INTERFACING

Step 2 

Fuse the interfacing to the front neck band pieces and the waistband pieces.
You can skip this step if you are using heavier weight fabrics however it is recommended for lightweight fabrics.e skirt pattern and cut all lining fabric pieces.

BODICE

Step 3

Pin the neck darts closed on the front bodice lining.

Step 4

Then stitch closed with a 1cm seam allowance.

Step 5

Press the seam allowance towards the center front.

Step 6

Sew 2 rows of gathering thread across the top edge of the main front bodice.

If you need extra help with gathers, there is a more in-depth tutorial here:

How to: Create Even Neat Gathers

Step 7

Place the bodice main and lining right sides together and pin along the side edges.

Step 8

Stitch closed with a 1cm seam allowance.

Step 9

Then clip the curves, then turn through and press the edges flat.

Step 10

Gather the main top edge to match the lining top edge. Ensure the CF of the main and lining match to keep the gathers distributed evenly.

Step 11

Stitch in place to hold with a larger stitch 5mm from the edge.

Step 12

Then remove the gathering threads.

NECK TIE COLLAR

Step 13

Stay stitch the bottom edge of ONE of the front collar pieces. This will help prevent it from stretching when you sew. It will also give you a guide when pressing.

Step 14

Place the front of the collar and the back neck ties right sides together and pin along the short edge. Repeat with the inside pieces.

You should end up with 2 long separate neck tie pieces.

Step 15

Stitch closed with a 1cm seam allowance.

Step 16

Then press the seams open.

Step 17

Fold the bottom edge of the front collar that has been stay stitched, and press in place between the 2 notches. Then set aside.

Step 18

Pin the other side of the collar to the front of the bodice right sides together ensuring the center front notches match.

Step 19

Stitch closed with a 1cm seam allowance.

Step 20

Then press the seam allowance towards the collar.

Step 21

Pin the two collar pieces right sides together and pin along all edges, excluding the neck edge that has been stitched.

Step 22

Starting on one side of the neck, stitch closed using a 1cm seam allowance. Stitch all the way to the tie end, across the top and back down the other side until you get to the other side of the front neck edge.

Step 23

Clip the corners of the ties and the curves on the front collar, and turn the ties through. Then press flat.

Step 24

You will now be able to tuck the front neck seam allowance into the collar and secure the pressed edge in place to hide the seam allowance.

Step 25

Then stitch the opening closed. This can be done by machine, or for a neater, invisible finish, you can sew this by hand. For this tutorial, I will be sewing by hand.

SKIRT & WAISTBAND

Step 26

Place the front and back pieces of the upper skirt right sides together and pin at the side seams.

Step 27

Stitch closed using a 1cm seam allowance.

Step 28

Overlock the seam closed from the front of the skirt.

Step 29

Then, while at your overlocker, overlock each side of the center back edge separately from the right side of the fabric.

Step 30

Press the seam allowance towards the back.

Step 31

Repeat steps 26 to 30 on the lower skirt.

Step 32

Run 2 rows of gathering thread across the top edge of the upper skirt.

Step 33

Then gather the upper skirt to fit the top edge of the lower skirt. Use the notches on the pattern to ensure the gathers are spread evenly. Also, check that the side seams match.

Step 34

Stay stitch the top edges of the skirt together to hold in place.

Step 35

Then remove the gathering threads.

Step 36

Pin the skirt to the waistband right sides together.

Step 37

Stitch in place with a 1cm seam allowance.

Step 38

Then press the seam allowance upwards.

INVISIBLE ZIPPER

If you need extra help with invisible zippers, there is a more in-depth tutorial here:

How to: Insert an Invisible Zipper

Step 39

Prepare your invisible zipper for sewing by pressing it open.

Step 40

Lay the skirt down on the table right side up and pin the zipper onto the edges. Ensure that your zipper is facing the correct way. It can help to mark the wrong side of the zipper with chalk.

Step 41

Stitch to secure with an invisible zipper foot. Double check the zipper has been attached the correct way. This is also a good time to check the fit of your garment and make any changes if required.

Step 42

Next, pin the seam allowance of the centre back seam closed below the zipper on both the upper and lower skirt.

Step 43

Stitch closed with a 1cm seam allowance. Using a regular zipper foot will help you stitch closer to the bottom of the zipper stitching. This is explained in more detail in my invisible zipper tutorial.

Step 44

Then press the seams open.

At the same time, press the zipper seams flat.

JOINING THE BODICE AND THE SKIRT

Step 45

Fold the bottom edge of the waistband lining over 0.5cm and press flat.

Step 46

Open the center back zipper fully. Then pin the bodice to the top of the skirt waistband so that right sides are facing.

Step 47

Then pin the waistband lining on top, right side down. So the bodice will be sandwiched between the two waistband pieces.

Step 48

Stitch the seam closed with a 1cm seam allowance.

Step 49

Then pin the ends of the waistband to the zipper.

Step 50

Then stitch the end of the lining waistband down on the center back zipper.

Step 51

Clip the corners above the zipper and fold the waistband pieces down. This will bag out the zipper on the waistband, creating a neater finish.

Step 52

Then pin the back of the waistband down encasing the seam allowance.

Step 53

To secure the waistband lining on the bottom edge. Stitch in the ditch of the lower waistband seam catching the waistband lining into the stitching on the back.

HEM

Step 54

Stitch the horse hair braid to the right side of the upper skirt using a 1cm seam allowance. Overlap the ends by 1-2cm.

For this tutorial, I have covered the ends of my horse hair braid with interfacing. Or you can also do this with scrap fabric.

Step 55

Then fold the horse hair braid under and press to flatten the curves with your iron on a low setting.

Step 56

Then stitch 5mm from the bottom edge then 5mm from the top edge of the horse hair braid to secure.

Step 57

Repeat steps 54 -56 on the lower skirt.

The Penelope Halter Dress is now complete.

I also have a number of other patterns where you can practice your sewing skills, which are available for purchase here.

I’d love to see your creations. Feel free to tag me on Instagram at @at_the_seams_patterns

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